ERIC Number: EJ1240557
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Mar
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2161-2412
EISSN: N/A
Pre-Service Teachers' Changing Perspectives of Mexican Immigration Following an Online Multicultural Literature Experience
Howrey, Shannon Tovey
Multicultural Learning and Teaching, v15 n1 Mar 2020
Misconceptions, stereotypes, and deficit views of Mexican immigrants are pervasive in the current U.S. media. Such views are inconsistent with culturally responsive pedagogy, and teachers who hold them will be impeded in their abilities to teach Mexican immigrant children effectively (Nathenson-Mejia & Escamilla, 2003). Research supports the notion that many teachers become more culturally responsive as a result of reading multicultural children's literature (Nieto, 2013). Few studies, however, have looked specifically at literature with Mexican immigration themes, and fewer still have been done specifically with undergraduate pre-service teachers or utilizing critical discourse methodology. In this study, four pre-service teachers read and discussed the children's novel "Return to Sender" in an online discussion board over four weeks. Critical discourse analysis of changes in participants ways of representing, ways of interacting, and ways of being (Fairclough, 2003) over the four weeks indicated that some participants developed more empathetic views toward Mexican immigrants, while others did not. These differences seemed related to the stance (Rosenblatt, 1978) they adopted when approaching the text. These findings may inform teacher educators as they plan multicultural literature experiences that promote culturally responsive understandings of the experiences of Mexican immigrant and other children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Descriptors: Misconceptions, Stereotypes, Mexican Americans, Immigrants, Mexicans, News Reporting, Cultural Awareness, Childrens Literature, Culturally Relevant Education, Teaching Methods, Immigration, Undergraduate Students, Preservice Teachers, Computer Mediated Communication, Discourse Analysis, Empathy, Teacher Educators, Teacher Education Programs, Cultural Differences, Outcomes of Education, Student Attitudes, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Reader Response, Cues
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A