Advancing the Internationalization of Teacher Education and Social Justice: The Critical Role of Professional Associations

• In Event: Critical and Narrative Perspectives on Intercultural Teaching

Abstract

Objectives: This presentation argues for the internationalization of teacher education from a systemic standpoint. It discusses the rationale for internationalization of education as called for by the federal government, but exposes barriers within the profession to progress in this area. Using the definition of organizational field, the author argues that organizations and associations have the power to change discourse within a field.
Theoretical Framework: We believe that internationalization is a both/and. That is, it is not just about what can be gained for Americans, rather, we ask how our efforts can be mutually beneficial. How can we change the world through this education? We believe we can bridge cultural differences. We want global skills to include intercultural understanding, critical thinking about world, events, and skills to communicate across cultures. However, to achieve our vision we must engage in the kind of struggle advocated by Freire (1970). As a community of educational professionals, we must ask critical and difficult questions, and we must also become actively involved. Ironically, Horton and Freire (1990) asserted that we make the road by walking. Our road wraps around the world! These concepts were pivotal for structuring this research.
Methods and Data Sources: The author makes use of a heuristic qualitative approach in order to examine her own experiences as a student who had engaged in study abroad and as a teacher educator who has established and supported a program of educator study abroad.
Results: This work serves to underline how teacher educators must not just condemn the capitalist overtones of the globalization of education and ignore the opportunity to join in the conversation of internationalization. They need to present papers at conferences that show associations that they see internationalization as important to our central mission of educating excellent educators. Teachers and teacher educators must realize that it can be done differently and well.
Scholarly Significance: This presentation underscores how one effective means of constructing and deliberating over theories in teacher education pertaining to internationalization might be by beginning with questioning teacher educators’ involvement and commitment to it in producing a counter-hegemonic discourse. Significantly, this presentation shows how teacher educators might continually push those organizations to get beyond the status quo and externally imposed discourse to enable the deliberation that leads to action. There is further a need to work with bodies of accreditation to illustrate that internationalization is not just on the margins of our programs, but a core mission.

Author

• Jennifer A. Mahon, University of Nevada - Reno