Connecting Multicultural Education Theories With Practice: A Case Study of an Intervention Course Using the Realistic Approach in Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper reports on a 2-year-long research conducted under a qualitative research design. The study investigated the effectiveness of an immersion course that followed a realistic approach on preservice teachers' deconstruction of negative and preconceived notions held about culturally and linguistically diverse students. Specifically, the study involved White female preservice teachers shadowing culturally and linguistically diverse students for a semester and reflecting on the experience. The study provides persuasive accounts by the participant preservice teachers on the positive effects the course's approach had on both their multicultural perceptions and their ability to connect theory with practice.