Examining the Role of Critical Inquiry for Transformative Practices: Two Joint Case Studies of Multicultural Teacher Education

Abstract

Multicultural teacher education is often conceptualized as a series of courses or in-service programs. However, research suggests that courses may influence teachers’ attitudes but not their practices. By joining two related case studies, we examine how an emphasis on critical inquiry in a multicultural education course influenced one teacher's understandings and practices well beyond the class itself. The first case describes the pedagogy of critical inquiry used in the course and the shift in 14 European American students’ understandings away from traditional “tourist” approaches toward more comprehensive views of multicultural education. These understandings fell short of transformative multicultural approaches that emphasize education for a more democratic, just society. The second case explores one student's evolution in developing transformative multicultural beliefs and practices during the 2 years following the course. We examine how particular processes of critical inquiry supported the teacher's evolving beliefs and practices through dialogue, reflection, and action. We summarize the tools and structures that supported this teacher in creating transformative multicultural practices across classrooms in her school district. These joint case studies suggest that multicultural teacher education needs to include but extend beyond particular courses to more expanded venues that provide opportunities for collaboration and critical reflection in action over time.