Pathways to Teacher Learning in Multicultural Contexts

Abstract

This longitudinal case study focused on the learning trajectories of two novice bilingual education teachers in urban schools. We traced changes in and relationships between these teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and interactive thinking about teaching culturally diverse learners. Multiple data collection strategies were used, including concept maps, in-depth interviews, surveys, and stimulated recall interviews. Data were collected before and after a multicultural education course in which the teachers were enrolled during their 1--year MEd and credential program. Data were also collected during their first and second years of inservice teaching. Results suggest that the relationship between teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and decision making is complicated and dynamic. Classroom and school contexts affected teachers' attempts to enact constructivist and social justice education principles. Moreover, prior beliefs as well as the teacher education program (TEP) and teachers' own developmental needs contributed to the ways in which these teachers learned to teach. The findings suggest that if we are to prepare teachers to teach culturally diverse learners, we must design TEPs that provide both resources and opportunities to master and appropriate the components of good teaching for diverse learners.