Learning to teach in a diverse setting: A case study of a multicultural science education enthusiast

Abstract

This study explores the student teaching experience of Jill, a multicultural science education enthusiast who taught in a school whose predominant culture was different from her own. The purpose of this study was to thematically describe Jill's student teaching experience as a multicultural science education enthusiast and to examine how she negotiated the constraints she encountered. Three data sources were used to capture Jill's student teaching experience: in-depth interviews that were conducted with her throughout the semester; observations that were made while she taught different classes; and her journal that described her teaching experiences and reflections. Themes describing Jill's experiences were developed, evaluated, and refined from various data sources to ensure their authenticity. A constant comparative analysis revealed that Jill experienced: (1) an unfamiliarity with her students and their life experiences; (2) a marginalization of herself as she tried to create new lessons for students in science; and (3) a desire for her science instruction to be more relevant to her students. Within each salient experience, Jill felt constrained. Some of the constraints she encountered were mediated, whereas others remained present throughout her student teaching experience. Jill's experiences reveal the complexity of learning to teach in a school whose predominate culture is different from your own. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed83:527–543, 1999.