Teaching in the Global Classroom: Preservice and In-Service Teacher Development

• In Event: Roundtable Session 18
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Voices of Change in Global Teacher Education

Abstract

Teachers preparing for the globally inclusive classroom confront many challenges, focusing around creating a classroom environment that will engage students where they are at academically, culturally, and linguistically. This multiple case study, investigated how two teachers (one inservice and one preservice teacher) addressed the learning needs of culturally and globally diverse students. Both teachers negotiated the constraints of their students’ language proficiency relative to their curriculum, reconsidered their own attitudes and beliefs about their students, and adjusted both curricular and instructional practices in ways that align with the cultural and academic learning needs of students. Findings from this study suggest that while often compounded with language learning and cultural concerns, teachers must also seek to identify students’ unique learning needs.

Authors

• Kari Muente, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Jennifer Stegall, University of Missouri - Columbia