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Assisting Preservice Teachers Toward Becoming Culturally Responsive

  • Tehia V. Starker EMAIL logo and Paul G. Fitchett
Published/Copyright: June 18, 2013

Abstract

In this qualitative study, researchers inquired about preservice teachers’ (PST) experience in becoming culturally responsive in a graduate teacher-licensure social studies methods class (N = 20). Researchers examined PST lesson plans and reflections, and rated them based on Geneva Gay’s (2002) framework for preparing culturally responsive teachers. Once rated, researchers used thematic analysis to investigate lesson plan themes that manifested between two groups (high culturally responsive teaching, versus low culturally responsive teaching). Themes indicated that participants who demonstrated culturally responsive teaching (CRT) potential: modified lessons, utilized dynamic pedagogy, and incorporated historical perspective taking. Conversely, PST with low potential for CRT: lacked content knowledge, were pedagogically inflexible, and showed a resistant disposition. The researchers concluded that systemic changes within teacher education courses and programs are necessary to develop CRT preservice teachers.

Appendix

Gay (2002) Jigsaw assignment

Homework Assignment: Jigsaw

  1. Download the article, entitled: Preparing for Culturally Responsive Teaching

  2. Read your assigned section:

    1. Section 1: Developing a Cultural Diversity Knowledge Base

    2. Section 2: Deigning Culturally Relevant Curricula

    3. Section 3: Demonstrating Cultural Caring and Building a Learning Community

    4. Section 4: Cross Cultural Communications

    5. Section 5: Cultural Congruity in Classroom Instruction

  3. Create a one-page handout, highlighting what you believe are the most important points discussed in your assigned section. This handout should provide your fellow classmates with an accurate and clear explanation of the section you read about.

    1. Provide one to two examples of how the theoretical components can be put into classroom practice. This can be done in a bulleted or paragraph format.

    2. Bring six copies of your one page handout (One for me and the others for your group members)

  4. You will jigsaw on your assigned section, emphasizing the most pertinent and relevant information.

Following Jigsaw …

Semi-structured Discussion Points

  1. Moving from concept to practice, what does culturally responsive teaching look like? (After a period of discourse) Why do we each conceptualize CRT a little differently?

  2. Does CRT have to include cooperative learning? Why or why not?

  3. How is social studies content, curriculum, and purpose intuitively related to CRT?

  4. Why is CRT important to social studies education? To education in general?

  5. In which classroom environments is CRT most appropriate? Or, should it be emphasized regardless of classroom dynamics/demography?

  6. What difficulties do you have understanding/enacting CRT in your classroom? Are these professional or dispositional barriers?

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Published Online: 2013-06-18

© 2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin / Boston

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