Examining the Perceptions, Beliefs, and Practices of Teacher Candidates Who Work With Diverse Learners

Abstract

This chapter examines teacher candidates' instructional decision-making and their perceptions of how instructional choices impact diverse learners. It describes strategies teacher candidates believe help to support the academic development of diverse learners. Data from semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, field notes from in-class observations, and classroom artifacts were used to examine how teacher candidates enacted culturally responsive teaching. The results show that teacher candidates who display culturally responsive practices in their classrooms can engage learners and foster trusting communities in their classrooms built upon teacher-student and student-student relationships. Furthermore, teacher candidates display a teaching identity that enables them to self-assess their decision-making, enact, and reconceptualize theories that shape their classroom practices. There is also some disconnect between teachers' ability to enact culturally responsive practices and their skills articulating their use of this theoretical framework.