Integrating a Global Inclusive Perspective into Coursework for Pre-service Teachers

Abstract

Abstract Intercultural competence is a necessary disposition for teachers in the United States who instruct an increasingly diverse group of P-12 students in inclusive settings. Viewing the world and inclusive practices from multicultural and global perspectives can be difficult when the majority of one's experiences occur within their own culture. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to describe how a teacher educator connected her 40 early childhood pre-service teachers to broader national and global inclusive practice issues via project-based learning activities. Data were collected using a brief, researcher-developed questionnaire and analyzed using thematic pattern analysis and constant comparison methodology. Findings show that pre-service teachers knew little about the global issues prior to the activities, were interested and engaged in the activities, developed global knowledge and perspectives through participation, and held varying levels of cultural competence after participation. While growth in knowledge regarding national and global inclusive practices is important, teacher educators should make concerted efforts to expand teachers' perceptions beyond monocultural views into deeper, multicultural perspectives regarding global inclusive practice.