ERIC Number: EJ974172
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1354-0602
EISSN: N/A
Inside a Beginning Immigrant Science Teacher's Classroom: An Ethnographic Study
Kern, Anne L.; Roehrig, Gillian; Wattam, Donald K.
Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, v18 n4 p469-481 2012
Teaching is a highly personal endeavor shaped by "funds of knowledge" and beliefs about teaching, learning, and students. This case study examines how one Asian immigrant teacher's personal expectations and beliefs influenced his expectations of students and the teaching and instructional strategies he employed. His expectations of students' behavior and their failure to conform to his expectations influenced him to utilize more traditional, didactic instructional practices and responses to classroom management dilemmas. It is generally assumed that immigrant and minority students will benefit from exposure to teachers from similar backgrounds, and that ethnically diverse teachers can better prepare minority students for the multicultural workplace and global economy. This study focuses on the role a teacher's background and experiences play in development of their beliefs about teaching and learning, their expectations of students, and the instructional decisions they make regarding teaching and learning. This study suggests that teachers draw on their personal histories and cultural understandings to create classroom practices which are molded by microcosms of personal "funds of knowledge" and beliefs about teaching and learning. In contrast to conventional wisdom and unquestioned myths, this study emphasizes the importance of knowing that teachers' cultural backgrounds do not necessarily qualify them to provide the most appropriate instructional environment for students from similar cultural backgrounds. This study suggests that all teachers need to learn to recognize and negotiate the unique social elements culturally diverse students bring to the classroom.
Descriptors: Educational Strategies, Classroom Techniques, Ethnography, Global Approach, Science Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Minority Groups, Immigrants, Teaching Methods, Beginning Teachers, Cultural Background, Case Studies, Cultural Differences, Asian Americans, Science Instruction, Role, Credibility, Trust (Psychology), Vietnamese People
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A