Preservice Teachers’ Written Responses to Refugee Experiences in a Graphic Novel

Abstract

This qualitative study examined the written responses of 58 undergraduate, preservice teachers in three online children’s literature courses to the graphic novel, When stars are scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. Findings from a summative content analysis of participants’ written responses showed five response themes: Connections & Bookjoy, Eye-Opening, American Myth, Navel Gazing, and Inequity. Participants reported learning about refugee experiences; however, their connections were shallow, with some distancing themselves from the protagonists’ realities. These findings point to the importance of increased levels of instructor scaffolding with explicit attention to developing students’ identities and critical reflection so that they can learn from their own response patterns to stories with themes of world/national injustices, immigration causes/effects, and diversity in general. Future research into how the growth of such understandings and dispositions may impact the ways new teachers engage with their own students and approach literacy instruction and assessment.

Keywords:

• BIP OC children’s literature
• graphic novel
• preservice teachers
• reader response
• refugee experiences