Addressing Preservice Teachers' Surface Conceptions of Cross-Cultural Education Through Transdisciplinarity and Sociotransformative Constructivism

• In Event: Innovations in Teacher Education

Abstract

Teacher preparation programs often struggle with helping students gain the cultural competencies necessary to be successful teachers in today’s schools. Also, more research is needed on best practices for integrating STEM with culturally responsive teaching. To address these challenges, this hybrid study investigated pre-service teachers’ conceptions before and after participating in an intervention with a focus on transdisciplinary and critical cross-cultural STEM (TC3-STEM) integration. Our findings show that most Cohort I students held surface understandings even after the intervention. Cohort II received an enhanced intervention which provided more mindful, direct, and purposeful modeling of TC3-STEM. We found statistically and qualitatively significant improvements. Educators should explore teachers’ prior conceptions and provide multiple/direct modeling for engaging critically with social justice issues.

Authors

• Alberto J. Rodriguez, University of Houston

• Soo Won Shim, Purdue University