Culture Matters: A Comparative Study of Universal Pre-Kindergarten in Two State Regions

• In Event: Crown Plaza Roundtable Session 3
  In Roundtable Session: Cultural Studies in Settings Serving Young Children

Abstract

This qualitative research explores how teachers in two culturally different regions of a state with a universal pre-kindergarten policy (UPK) viewed the role of local culture in shaping their roles, positions, and language and literacy practices in their P-5 school sites. The method is a case study with qualitative methods and multi-voiced, video-cued ethnography. The findings indicated that local culture does significantly affect how teachers view their roles and positions within P-5 schools and within state policy frameworks.

Authors

• Melissa Beth Sherfinski, West Virginia University

• Mariam Jalalifard, West Virginia University