Heteroglossia in Action: Preservice Teachers’ Navigation of Imagined Audiences in Caregiver Letters about Diverse Texts

• In Event: Roundtable Session VI
  In Roundtable Session: Preservice Teachers Supporting Students' Reading and Writing and Community-Based Pedagogies

Abstract

Amid rising book bans, preservice teachers (PSTs) are particularly vulnerable to self-censorship around diverse texts. Drawing on Bakhtin’s (1981) concept of heteroglossia, this study examines how PSTs navigate multiple, often conflicting, discourses when selecting diverse texts and engaging families through caregiver letters. Findings highlight tensions between the value of diverse texts and concerns about pushback. We discuss implications for teacher preparation, emphasizing the need to support PSTs in critically engaging with these complex sociopolitical challenges.

Authors

• Kierstin Giunco, Boston College

• Susan Fields, Texas A&M University

• Michelle Kwok, Texas A&M University

• Christine Leighton, Emmanuel College

• Ambyr Ruth Rios, Kansas State University