Opening our eyes, changing our practices: learning through the transnational lifeworlds of teachers

Abstract

This article examines the inclusion of a culturally relevant curricular practice of social identity papers within teacher education in the USA that incorporates the transnational lifeworlds of teachers. Using tenets of feminist interdisciplinary frameworks, we highlight how this curricular practice allows teachers and teacher candidates in urban and rural contexts to examine transnational lifeworlds and their influence on culturally relevant practices in relation to notions of oppression and privilege. We focus on linguistic border crossings and both/and perspectives of teacher's social identities. More research is needed to better understand the construction of teacher's social identities within and across transnational lifeworlds and the ways it impacts their practices and student's academic and social achievement.

Real or Ideal? A Narrative Literature Review Addressing White Privilege in Teacher Education

“…Four research teams (Adair, 2008; Fasching-Varner, 2013; Knight & Oesterreich, 2011; Settlage, 2011) made explicit references to urban education in relation to building preservice teacher understanding of White privilege. All implemented idealist strategies of changing preservice teachers’ perceptions rather than encouraging them to fight for structural reform.…”

“…Fasching-Varner (2013) addressed the need to understand cultural mismatch between White teachers and their students of color based on the heavily White teaching force. Knight and Oesterreich (2011) sought to understand preservice teacher perceptions of Whiteness and privilege in rural compared with urban settings. Settlage (2011) argued teacher educators should be aware of “counterstories” against generalizations made about White preservice teachers’ inability to challenge deficit thinking toward youth of color in an urban elementary school.…”

“…Knight and Oesterreich (2011) compared social identity papers between two teacher education courses held within a rural and an urban teacher education program. The goal of the identity papers was to teach students to address “educational and societal injustices” that the authors explained many of their students had experienced themselves (p. 205).…”

Transnational Teacher Education: Towards Theory and Practice

“…Essentially, a transnational perspective recognizes that there are many historical, structural, and sociocultural factors at work when students and families cross multiple borders. These borders encompass both nation divisions, and metaphorical ones, with examples of the latter being linguistic, cultural, and school borders (Knight & Oesterreich, 2011). A transnational perspective on teacher education first and foremost considers our U.S. and Mexico educational communities to be part of the same social fabric (Ruiz, Barajas, McGinty & Romo, in press).…”