"Enough About the U.S., I'm Here Now": Deconstructing Overseas Student Teaching Experiences

• In Event: Problematizing International Field Experiences: Do They Promote Intercultural Competence or Reinforce Euro-Western Privilege and Ethnocentrism?

Abstract

Objectives: This study examines preservice teachers’ overseas student teaching and cultural experiences. Through interview, overseas student teachers shared various learning and culture experiences, prior to, during and after the overseas experience. This study identified what preservice teachers’ cognitive and experiential learnings were particularly relevant to becoming more ethnorelative as a teacher.

Theoretical framework: Cultural Models Theory’s context of figured world supports that people “figure” who they are in relationship to the activities, other people, and sites, of those figured worlds (Holland et al., 1998; Urrieta, 2007). Using the dynamic social contexts of pre-departure, overseas student teaching, and reentry to US cultures, as figured worlds allowed the researcher to explore, illuminate, and understand how preservice teachers’ values, beliefs, identity and practice were informed and shaped through the experiences

Methods: This research study builds on two previous studies; the first study was conducted with preservice overseas student teachers from 15 universities (Cushner & Chang, 2014) and the second was conducted in a US early childhood preservice teachers during their teacher education program with a global curriculum (Lash & Cushner, under review). This study utilizes the two formative studies’ findings which included immersive overseas experiences with variable preparation strategies and a systematic program for building intercultural competence through sustained cognitive, experiential, and reflective practices on global issues, respectively. These studies’ findings emanated from the Intercultural Development Inventory in tandem with program content analysis but what was missing was the actual voices of the preservice teachers and how their individual perceptions, experiences, expectations, and various “figured worlds” informed their overseas learning experiences in and outside of the classroom. Using the earlier studies’ findings allowed for closer listening and probing of the preservice teachers beliefs and practices during 1:1 interviews and small group discussions about their situated learning experiences.

Data: Six one-on-one in-depth interview and two small group discussions pre and post the overseas teaching experience were conducted. Transcription of interviews and note taking from small group discussion provided the data sources along with the preservice teachers’ sharing of photos, teaching journals, and blogs.

Substantiated Conclusions: This study identified what preservice teachers’ cognitive and experiential learnings were particularly relevant to becoming more ethnorelative as a teacher. These included more directed and meaningful cultural preparation, in-country experiences that were out of the comfort zone yet supported, critical reflection throughout the experience, and interacting with other in the overseas culture that was sustained, both professionally and personally. Capturing these global and complex experiences were wide ranges of identity such as serving as a US sociocultural ambassador to sentiments of an exasperated “enough about the US, I’m here now”.

Scholarly significance of the study: This study informs teacher educators and others involved in study abroad and overseas student teaching how to critically interrogate the experience of their preservice teachers to better educate, support, and tap into their preservice teachers’ intercultural teaching capacities.

Author

• Martha J. Lash, Kent State University