New Possibilities for Culturally Responsive Experiential Education in Teacher Education

Abstract

Background: Understanding how students conceptualize culturally responsive service learning (CRSL) before and after an experiential education (EE) program has the potential to inform the instructional and theoretical designs and long-term possibilities of EE programs in teacher education. Purpose: To (a) explore students’ early-trip conceptions of CRSL in comparison with their end of trip conceptions while on a month-long EE program in rural Fiji and (b) examine which self-reported experiences facilitated the transformation of participant understandings of CRSL. Methodology/Approach: This study was situated in EE theory and critical pedagogy and utilized a narrative inquiry methodology. Findings/Conclusions: Students held traditional notions of service in their early-trip definitions. In their end of trip definitions, the participants’ definitions transformed to include new understandings. Implications: CRSL is a complex concept that requires cyclical reflexivity and self-interrogation. In teacher education, CRSL can serve as a springboard for meaningful culturally responsive fieldwork experiences. Further CRSL programming and research are needed to expand the field and open new possibilities in teacher education and beyond.