Early Experiences and Personal Funds of Knowledge and Beliefs of Immigrant and Minority Teacher Candidates Dialog with Theories of Child Development in a Teacher Education Classroom

Abstract

This article is based on a study conducted in a teacher education classroom in an attempt to 1) recognize and acknowledge teacher candidates' prior beliefs and experiences; 2) formalize the connection between theories of child development and learning and teacher's implicit beliefs; and 3) encourage teacher candidates to reflect on their own childhood experiences and reason out the constructs of developmental theory in the context of their personal funds of knowledge and beliefs.