Stories of Personal and Professional Growth: Understanding the Impact of Experiential Learning Through Narrative Inquiry

• In Event: 69.056 - Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: 69.056-11 - Understanding Teacher Transformation Through Narrative Inquiry

Abstract

This study is based on the lived experiences and stories of six pre-service teachers who embarked on experiential learning (EL) projects in different parts of East Asia as part of their wider teacher education programme. Set against the backdrop of curriculum reform at a Hong Kong university, the paper is positioned within narrative ways of understanding teacher knowledge and throws light on how EL projects help teachers-to-be to learn more about self in relation with others as well as salient issues in teacher education, most notably the notion of diversity. With cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural communication being crucial in today’s multicultural world, this paper adds to our knowledge base on EL and how it can enhance initial teacher education.

Author

• Gary James Harfitt, The University of Hong Kong