American Preservice Teachers Research Articles

Becoming Whole: A Letter to a Young, Miseducated Black Teacher

The author uses this conceptual paper to present her personal narrative of transformation from miseducated (schooled) to educated (cultural broker) as a pretext to explore miseducation among young Black teachers. The author’s personal transformation comes in response to the neglect of teacher educators to attend to our few African American preservice teachers. Using a letter format, this paper places a particular focus on African American teachers and teacher educators, who agonize over how to transmit culture when they themselves have been miseducated.

Mathematics Anxiety and Mathematical Self-Concept: Considerations in Preparing Elementary-School Teachers

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of type of educational system and years spent in teacher education programs on preservice teachers' mathematics anxiety and mathematical self-concept scores. The sample consisted of 234 American and 276 Turkish early childhood and elementary school preservice teachers. The Abbreviated Mathematics Anxiety Scale (AMAS; Hopko, 2003) was used to measure how anxious preservice teachers feel during a specific mathematics related event. In order to measure the mathematical self-concept of preservice teachers, the Experience with Mathematics Questionnaire (EMQ; Gourgey, 1982) was used. Regarding the effect of the educational system, results revealed that while the American preservice teachers had significantly higher anxiety scores, Turkish preservice teachers had significantly higher self-concept scores. Results supported previous findings emphasizing the negative relationship between mathematical anxiety and mathematical self-concept.

Cross-cultural immersion in China: Preparing pre-service elementary teachers to work with diverse student populations in the United States

Cross-cultural immersion experiences have been considered to be an effective way to prepare American pre-service teachers for culturally responsive pedagogical practices. The literature review shows few studies have investigated pre-service teachers' cross-cultural experiences in non-English speaking countries, specifically Asian countries. This qualitative study examined ten American elementary pre-service teachers' teaching and learning experiences in China. Five themes emerged from the data analysis: understanding and respecting Chinese culture; developing empathetic dispositions towards non-English speaking students; exchanging teaching strategies and resources; reflecting on professional and personal growth; and initiating a proactive stance as culturally responsive change agents. Additionally, the study revealed that having two separate Chinese field placements may have differing pre-service teachers' teaching and learning experiences. Varying types of opportunities to study abroad are on the rise. Recommendations are provided for the type of cultural immersion experience that encourages neophyte educators to not only learn about others, but also learn from and with others.

Who Should Be Minding Our Children? A Cross-Cultural Study of American and Japanese Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions of Childcare for Children under Age Three

The purpose of this study was to examine American and Japanese pre-service teachers' understanding of the notion of whether or not children under age three should be cared for by their mothers at home. The participants were 87 female Japanese and 64 female American college students majoring in Early Childhood Education. The participants responded to the instrument assessing their concepts of who should care for children under age three. Factor analysis yielded six factors for the Japanese sample (communication; a mother as a primary attachment figure; blood relations; multiple attachment figures; the quality of attachment; and needs of the child), while five factors emerged from the American sample (a mother as a primary attachment figure; the quality of attachment; multiple attachment figures; constant care; and secondary attachment). The implications for early childhood teacher education are presented.

Preparing North American Preservice Teachers for Global Perspectives: An International Teaching Practicum Experience in Africa.

Given the economic, political, and social conditions in the world today and the increased diversity in Canadian classrooms, schools require teachers who have a strong sense of self-awareness and understanding of global issues. This article is based on empirical research involving preservice teachers from an Atlantic Canadian university. The preservice teachers did six weeks of teaching practicum in Africa. We draw on the theories of Africentricity and transformative learning to inform our analysis. Our findings suggest that preservice teachers who did their practicum in Africa increased their self-awareness, and enhanced their personal efficacy and understanding of cross-cultural, diversity, and globalization issues, which has informed their subsequent teaching practice in public school systems. We conclude with recommendations for teacher education programs.

Conceptions of Teaching by Five Vietnamese American Preservice Teachers

This article argues that Vietnamese Americans face unique challenges in becoming U.S. educators. To understand the experiences of five preservice Vietnamese American teachers, it examines the similarities and within-group differences in perspectives on teaching and in adaptation strategies of their practicum activities at a California university. The study shows that these individuals operated frequently from their Vietnamese cultural frame of understanding, and therefore had difficulty with socializing into U.S. teaching. In particular, they perceived teaching as fundamentally a moral enterprise, and teachers as moral agents, able—by virtue of their role—to command authority in the classroom and reverential respect from their students and parents. These assumptions about teachers' roles were often incongruent with those inherent in the teaching and learning contexts in which they worked.

Do they learn differently? An investigation of the pre-service teachers from US and China

Based on the hypothesis that learning preferences tend to vary over cultures, this study compared and contrasted the learning approaches and learning styles between Chinese and American pre-service teachers in an attempt to know more about the learning/teaching landscapes in these two countries as “teachers teach the way they learned” [Dunn, R., & Dunn, K. (1979). Learning styles/teaching styles: Should they...can they...be matched? Educational Leadership, 36, 243, 238–244]. The results showed significant differences between the two groups in deep and surface-learning approaches as well as kinesthetic and visual learning styles. The underlying cultural backgrounds and social–economic factors accounting for the differences were discussed and the implications for teaching and learning enhancement in teacher education were explored.

Pre-service teachers’ defensive pessimism in situ: Two case studies within a mathematics classroom

In this study, defensive pessimism is reviewed in relation to anxiety, self-esteem, expectations, self-regulation, and self-handicapping. Then, two case studies of American pre-service teachers in a mathematics classroom are provided that move the research beyond survey and correlational studies. In the case analyses, defensive pessimists’ discourse and behaviours are examined and additional characteristics are noted, e.g., expressions of humour and self-congratulations. In connection with teaching, teachers are encouraged to support defensive pessimists’ learning strategies, such as perseverance and the use of multiple representations, so that the focus is on meaningful learning instead of the negative self-talk.

Black on Black Education: Personally Engaged Pedagogy for/by African American Pre-Service Teachers

Public schools have increasing numbers of its teachers fitting into one demographic, white and female, while the numbers of African American teachers decrease (Ladson-Billings, Crossing over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. San Francisco: Josey-Bass [2001]). Furthermore, African American collegiates who decide to enter teaching may face a chilly climate as a result of their cultural and educational experiences as they encounter devaluation in the classroom (Delpit, Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Class room. New York: The New Press [1995]). As a result, African American pre-service teachers may question the validity of the formal curriculum presented in college as it conflicts with their perceptions of school, thereby, leaving teacher-educators largely responsible for the quality of life and subsequent devotion to profession of these students. Critical autoethnography, using fieldnotes/research journaling, and student memoirs all through a theoretical backdrop of critical race feminism provide a glimpse into the teaching and learning experiences and dilemmas of one African American female teacher educator utilizing what I call personally engaged pedagogy as a means of enhancing the quality of the learning experiences of her African American pre-service teachers.

Learning to Teach in the Shadows of 9/11: A Portrait of Two Arab American Preservice Teachers

This qualitative case study of two Arab American preservice teachers living, studying, and learning to teach in post-9/11 New York City explores how arts-informed inquiry opens up a different space for conceptualizing the human condition. Poetry and collage allowed the researcher and participants to co-theorize in a way that rendered a portrait that reflects the tones, intensities, and various hues of their experiences during this historical time period. Poetry provided a space to talk with each other about the (re) presentation and (co)understandings of the experiences, whereas collage provided an alternative dimension to discuss the emotions and feelings involved with shifting selves and power struggles. This article argues that arts-informed inquiry provides the possibilities to paint “an authentic portrait” through engaging in evocative experiences that reveal the multidimensionality of our lived realities.

Preservice teachers' conceptions of teaching within sport education and multi-activity units

The purpose of the study described in this paper was to determine 15 American preservice teachers' (PTs) conceptions of the teaching-learning process while teaching Sport Education and Multi-activity units during an early field experience. Data were collected using the critical incident technique and a reflective questionnaire and analyzed by employing analytic induction and frequency counts. Results indicated that PTs generally found Sport Education more attractive due to its compatibility with their occupational socialization and its cultural and structural advantages.

Teacher Efficacy Ratings by African American and European American Preservice Teachers at a Historically Black University

The purpose of this study was to examine factor structures of a modified form of Gibson and Dembo’s Teacher Efficacy Scale with a combined total of 123 African American and European American preservice teachers at a historically Black university, test for differences between participants on teacher efficacy, and examine relationships among participant characteristics. A principal components analysis with varimax rotation yielded three factors—ability, effort, and environment— with alpha coefficients of .80, .77, .70, and .76 for the total scale. African American participants scored statistically significantly higher than European American participants on the environment factor (t = 2.3,p = .02), but not for ability (t = 1.59,p = .11) or effort (t = –.86,p = .39). Recommendations for further research were also made.

The Relationship of Self-Concepts to Changes in Cultural Diversity Awareness: Implications for Urban Teacher Educators

This study investigated the relationship between the self-concepts and cultural diversity awareness of 100 European–American pre-service teachers. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale:2 and the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory were administered as a test–retest to ascertain if changes in cultural diversity awareness occurred during a stand-alone multicultural course, and if so were they related to the study participants' pre-test self-concepts. The findings indicate that a statistically significant relationship does exist between total self-concept and total cultural diversity awareness. However, not all five components of self-concept consistently predicted the direction or magnitude of change in the five elements of cultural diversity awareness. These results imply that urban teacher educators should consider both constructs when developing intervention strategies to thwart student resistance to multicultural tenets in stand-alone cultural diversity courses.

Attitudes of American and English Preservice Teachers Toward Gifted Learners

At a time when proponents of reform call for teachers to be ready to teach all children well, the needs of academically diverse learners are of primary concern. In striving for equity without sacrificing excellence, we must attend to the individual and diverse needs of all students. In order to educate well, we must teach to the individual rather than to the ambiguous "average" student. Since teacher attitudes can facilitate or impede this process, it is critical to understand the attitudes teachers hold toward academically diverse learners in general and gifted learners in particular. Of primary importance is a measure of these attitudes during the teacher preparation program.To investigate the issue of preservice teachers’ attitudes toward academically diverse learners and to discern areas of agreement/disagreement with respect to gifted learners, this study addressed the following research questions:1. What kind of attitudes (positive, negative, neutral) do preservice teachers hold toward gifted learners in particular?2. What similarities/differences are there in the responses of American and English preservice teachers on questions dealing specifically with gifted learners?Results indicate the responses given by both groups to the questions regarding gifted students were quite similar for most of the questions, even when questions did not reflect a positive attitude. Consensus was unexpected since one group had very little exposure to academically diverse learners while the other group’s training included more attention to the needs of academically diverse learners.

Who Are We and Who Are They? A Comparison of Philosophical Beliefs Between American and Chinese Teacher Education Students

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast philosophical beliefs commonly shared among American pre-service and in-service teachers and their Chinese counterparts. A total of 100 responses was included in this study. A philosophical inventory with 34 items was used. The causes for the similarities and differences as indicated in the findings were examined. This study pointed out the danger of stereotyping people based on cultural backgrounds. lt also encouraged teacher educators to challenge our own habitual view and vision of our practice.

Conversing Online

Students from diverse cultures in U.S. public schools often encounter stereotyping from peers and even teachers who do not understand their cultures and backgrounds. For this reason, I was interested in ways to encourage our preservice teachers to reexamine their beliefs about different groups of people and possibly discard stereotypes of cultural groups that are unfamiliar to them. I collaborated with two colleagues from Kansas and Japan to undertake a study to examine e-mail dialogues between three diverse groups of students: White preservice teachers in Texas, Native American preservice teachers in Kansas, and Japanese college students studying English in Japan. Qualitative methods were used throughout this study. Through this semester-long conversation, participants developed a better understanding of cultural diversity in U.S. society and other societies worldwide, and they learned ways to promote culturally responsive teaching. This project was conducted under a Stephen F. Austin State University faculty research grant. Pseudonyms are used throughout this article to protect student identities.

Cultural Thinking and Discourse Organizational Patterns Influencing Writing Skills in a Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Learner

Writing patterns of a Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learner were analyzed as a case study from linguistic, pragmatic, and psycholinguistic perspectives. Alternative assessments were used by American pre-service teachers and a Taiwanese EFL instructor for rating linguistic developmental problems referring to format, style, syntax, and grammar. In addition, researchers conducted deeper linguistic analyses of discourse organization and cultural thinking styles. The case study also presents patterns found, some conclusions, and theoretical and practical educational implications.

“Only Connect!”: Cross-Cultural Connections in the Reading Lives of Preservice Teachers and Children

In this research, we present case studies of three Anglo American preservice teachers - Clara, Luke, & Varla - as they worked with children of color and/or poverty - Sam, Reggie, and Lucinda - over the course of a semester. In a university class entitled the Literacy/Social Studies Block, we asked the preservice teachers to look within to explore their own literary backgrounds in a reading-autobiography assignment. And we encouraged them to look about as they read and discussed literature with diverse children in the Child as Teacher Project. Here we argue that the combination of autobiographical accounts with reflective field experiences helps preservice teachers reconsider their life stories in reading in order to build bridges of literacy to and with children.

Black Self-Love, Language, and the Teacher Education Dilemma

The phenomenon of “cultural denial” and “cultural limbo” among African American preservice teachers with a linguistic allegiance to African American English was investigated. The African American preservice teachers embodied a strong ethos of African American cultural love, which included African American English. Teacher education programs, however, view African American English as unacceptable. Analysis yielded a pattern in which the speaker of African American English felt pressured to repudiate or deny the supportive cultural structures because of the nonstandard English spoken in those domains. The preservice teacher who spoke Standard English felt unable to be identified as fully African American and thus experienced cultural limbo. Survival strategies amid these pressures were explored.

The ethical perspective of British and American preservice teachers

Summary As society increasingly expects schools to teach about moral issues and stress character development, educators are faced with a series of new challenges. One of these challenges is how to assist perspective teachers in understanding their own ethical orientation, and helping them realize how that orientation affects their teaching. This short report presents the results of a study which compares and assesses the ethical orientation of British and American preservice teachers. The study addresses a number of ethical positions which are denned in the paper. Forsyth's Ethical Position Questionnaire was employed to develop the data. The report closes with conclusions and suggestions based on the findings described.