Intercultural Professional Placements for Preservice Teachers: Are They an Effective Tool for Developing Social Justice?

• In Event: Learning About Culturally Responsive Teaching During International Field Experiences

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the theme of social justice in teacher education. Key terms such as intercultural competency, ethnorelativism and social conscience teaching are examined in relation to preservice teacher international practicums. In earlier publications we referred to Bennett’s intercultural competency continuum and applied it to our own academic standpoints through a social justice lens. We developed a model of Academic Intercultural Competence (AIC) and presented attributes that contribute to or hinder effective teaching abroad. We utilise Boler’s (1999) frame of ‘pedagogy of discomfort’ and extend the features of the AIC model to our preservice teachers who have participated in international practicums. Our data was obtained from preservice teacher journals and focus group sessions, collected with university ethical approval.

Authors

• Marcelle Cacciattolo, Victoria University

• Catherine Lang, Latrobe University

• Gillian Kidman, Monash University