Moving Beyond Teacher Preparation: Examining the Pedagogical Beliefs and Practices of Community-Engaged Elementary Graduates (Poster 25)

• In Event: Saturday Poster Session 1:15 pm
  In Poster Session: Engaged Teacher Preparation: Community, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Scholarship on providing cultural-immersion experiences through community-engaged teacher preparation has shown the potential to prepare teacher candidates for the complexities of culturally responsive instruction. However, this scholarship has not focused on their practices after they graduate and become classroom teachers. Our study examined the pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices of five novice elementary teachers who were graduates from a preparation program where they had a semester-long, community-engaged experience. Using activity theory, these teachers varied in their conceptualizations of culturally responsive instruction and observed instructional practices. However, these teachers reported their preparation program lacked coherence and opportunities to see models of culturally responsive instruction in practice. We provide implications for teacher preparation programs with the focus toward preparing culturally responsive teachers.

Authors

• Jacob Elmore, University of Virginia

• Eva M. Zygmunt, Ball State University

• Kristin Cipollone, University at Buffalo - SUNY