ERIC Number: ED579518
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 237
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-0-3552-6218-6
ISSN: EISSN-
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Teachers' Perspectives of Participation in an International Immersion Experience
Dalton, Kelly Mcgrath
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, George Mason University
The urgent call to internationalize teacher education in response to the impact globalization presents in our nation's classrooms, also calls for a fundamental shift in how the field of teacher education provides opportunities of professional learning for teachers. Traditional models of teacher education often fail to develop teachers with the types of international perspectives and skills that prepare them to teach in diverse school contexts. An extant body of research from the fields of study abroad, service-learning, and pre-service teacher education suggest the role of international immersion experiences as a potential viable pathway for developing cultural understanding, international mindedness, and globalized perspectives. What is missing from the literature is an understanding of how these types of immersion experiences relate to the professional learning of in-service teachers, particularly those who teach in culturally and linguistically diverse spaces. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the perspectives of six U.S. teachers who participated in a week-long immersion experience in Guatemala and how they made connections to their professional learning. Data were gathered primarily through semi-structured interviews and analyzed utilizing a constant comparative method. The findings suggest that participants viewed immersion as a vehicle for meaning making; reflected on surprises that emerged from the immersive experience; and developed globalized perspectives of teaching and learning. They also made connections to their teaching practice by developing empathy, challenging inequities in the classroom, and acknowledged gaps in professional learning opportunities. Implications for supporting the application of new knowledge to classroom practice are considered, and recommendations for future research are discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Inservice Teacher Education, Qualitative Research, Case Studies, Foreign Countries, Semi Structured Interviews, Grounded Theory, Teaching Methods, Immersion Programs, Faculty Development, Study Abroad, Service Learning, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Guatemala; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A