“Where to Take Risks and Where to Lay Low”: Tensions between Preservice Teacher Learning and Program Ideological Coherence

ABSTRACT

This paper explores how two teacher candidates in an equity-focused preparation program negotiated among multiple perspectives about teaching the English Language Arts in linguistically and culturally diverse teaching contexts. We present cases of two preservice teachers (PTs) who experienced tensions in their development as a result of ideological coherence within program coursework. One PT experienced tensions in fieldwork with colleagues who thought differently about English teaching, and another PT experienced tensions within coursework as he struggled to find space to engage in his own inquiries beyond the required curriculum. This paper contributes to research about how teacher education can support PTs’ ability to negotiate complex and sometimes conflicting demands of multiple communities they work in as educators.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical literacy
• preservice teachers
• field experiences
• English education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Here, and elsewhere we use the term culturally diverse to reference various aspects of identity, including but not limited to race and ethnicity. We understand sociocultural factors that influenced teaching and learning in Sara and George’s contexts were students’ countries of origin or self-identified ethnic heritage, their family’s citizenship status, and following Paris and Alim’s (2014) call for culturally sustaining pedagogy, aspects of youth culture such as participation in music communities or gaming affinity groups. We understand culture to be plural and comprised of both artifacts and practices (Gutiérrez & Rogoff, 2003). For example, one individual might participate in various cultural groups and identify with multiple cultural identities.

2. Sara, George, and other participants in Cohort 1 noted the misalignment of an out-of-department class about special education and assessment that did not adequately address equity and sociocultural learning. This course was eliminated from the course sequence after Cohort 2 completed their program.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Thea Williamson

Thea Williamson is an Assistant Professor at Salisbury University in the Department of Literacy Studies. Her research relates to sociopolitical dimensions of English Language Arts curriculum and pedagogy, writing instruction, and adolescents' literacy identities.

Amber Warrington

Amber Warrington is an assistant professor of English education at Boise State University. Her research interests include appreciative writing assessment, writing instruction, and teacher learning and inquiry.