Preservice Teachers in a Literacy Methods Course Consider Issues of Diversity

Abstract

I describe 3 case studies of young, middle-class European American female preservice teachers' experiences of teaching diverse students literacy while enrolled in my field-based literacy methods course. The case studies focus on the teachers' perceptions of self cultural identities and values, perceptions of diverse students and literacy teaching, and developing abilities to connect their understandings of diversity to teaching diverse students. During field experiences, the preservice teachers taught lessons and interviewed and worked with case-study students. During university class sessions, they shared and reflected on their experiences and discussed their attitudes toward differences. The data revealed that the field experiences had a greater impact on 1 preservice teacher than on the other 2 in terms of enhanced capabilities for culturally responsive teaching. The preservice teachers were generally knowledgeable of literacy strategies and children's literature, but there was great variability in their abilities to use skillfully and appropriately strategies and books in teaching. The findings suggest some directions for future research on the education of literacy teachers for diversity.