Developing Cultural Competence to Change the Perspectives of Preservice Teachers for Teaching Immigrant Children

• In Event: Advocacy for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students: Perspectives on Teaching and Learning

Abstract

With an expected 85% increase of the foreign-born population by 2060 in the United States, teacher education programs are offering English for Speakers of Other Languages courses to prepare preservice teachers to become linguistically responsive. However, limited studies have used cultural competence to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions of teaching immigrant children. A qualitative case study was used to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions of teaching immigrant children in a Foundations of ESOL course at a Southwestern Florida university through the lenses of cultural competence. Three themes emerged from the content analysis; self-awareness, compassionate competence, and culturally responsive awareness. The findings point to the importance of moving beyond second language acquisition instructional strategies to a more personal, compassionate method.

Authors

• Clarisse Halpern, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Joseph Ryan Trunfio, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Hasan Aydin, Florida Gulf Coast University