Promising Practices Transforming Teacher Cultural Landscapes by Reflecting on Multicultural Literature Tunde Szecsi, Carolyn Spillman, Elia Vázquez-Montilla, & Sally C. Mayberry Children cannot be expected to develop a personal attitudes and understandings, and beliefs, and consciously making and sensitivity toward others merely because often called landscapes (Greene, 1994), and implementing plans that bring about new they are told so. Attitudes are difficult to reflecting on behaviors and practices. ways of defining their worlds. change ... Literature allows individuals The teacher candidates described here Wilson, Switzer, Parrish, and the to share in the lives of others; it can also provide an avenue for multicultural un- were engaged primarily with multicultural IDEAL Research Lab (2006) note that derstanding. (Wham, Barnhart, & Cook, literature—this involved readings, discus- the transformative learning experience 1996, p. 2) sion, and reflection. After reading assigned includes these elements: picture books, young adult novels, and u Lasting impression. The learner A major goal of most teacher education then dramatic, often highly charged adult holds in memory details about the programs is the development of teachers literature from countries and cultures not learning experience. who are sensitive supporters of all stu- previously known by the readers, these dents, embrace diversity, and plan and teacher candidates shared their reflections u Part of the person's self-narrative. implement inclusive and culturally respon- and their insights about the changes that The learner references the learning sive instruction. Student populations, even they experienced. Analyses of these experi- experience within a narrative about within teacher education programs, are not ences and reflections are the basis for the himself/herself or in relation to a always endowed with the desired attitudes conclusions in this article. subject matter of importance to the and wisdom that allow them to embrace learner. such diversity; thus they need guidance Transformative Learning Theory from the teacher education faculty. u Behavioral impact. The learner It is also clear, with growing numbers How does change occur? How can can point to specific changes in his/ of K-12 students from varying countries teacher educators provide experiences her life as a result of the learning and cultures, that the ethnicity and cul- to guide future teachers toward cultural experience. tural backgrounds of the teacher popula- responsiveness and inclusivity? An initial Teacher educators may structure experi- tion is not in itself representative of the step in transformation, leading to changes ences that provide disorienting or shock- diversity in our schools (Banks, 2006). It is in one’s cultural landscape, is to become ing revelations to their students and that with great interest that educators, parents, critically aware of how and why personal will direct them toward critical reflection and politicians seek ways to transform the perspectives sometimes constrain the way leading to lasting impressions and, more status quo in education, leading to greater we perceive, interpret, and feel about our importantly, changes in practice. academic achievement, more proactive world realities. Future teachers need to expand their attitudes of acceptance, social justice, and Transformative learning theory, root- sociocultural consciousness and try to de- equitable opportunities for all students. ed in adult learning theory, describes ways velop knowledge and dispositions in order In this article, we explore concepts of that learners construe, validate, and refor- to better understand the context in which transformation and share the results of an mulate the meaning of their experiences they are teaching (Gay & Kirkland, 2003; attitude-changing experience of a group of (Cranton & Knox, 2006). Mezirow (1991) Nieto, 2004; Villegas & Lucas, 2002). Ex- teacher candidates. Concepts relevant to suggests that transformative learning posure to unfamiliar issues within cultures transformative learning include functions develops out of a cognitive disequilibrium. through children’s and adult literature of self-inspection, facing dilemmas that He notes changes that follow experiences and reflection on personal beliefs coupled produce lasting impressions (Mezirow, with disorienting dilemmas and critical with the addition of new perspectives 2000), recognizing voids and holes in reflection. should provide teacher candidates a more Therefore, Mezirow defines learning accurate picture of cultural characteristics Tunde Szecsi is an associate professor as “the process of using a prior inter- and contributions (Gay, 2002). and Elia Vázquez-Montilla and Sally C. Mayberry pretation to construe a new or a revised are professors in the College of Education interpretation of the meaning of one’s at Florida Gulf Coast University, experience in order to guide future action” Understanding Personal Fort Myers, Florida, (1995, p. 49). Mezirow (1991) also notes Landscapes through Self-Reflection and Carolyn Spillman is a professor in residence that transformative learning occurs when Greene (1994) uses the term “land- at the Lastinger Center for Learning individuals change their frames of refer- scape” to describe one’s personal under- at the University of Florida, ence by critically reflecting on assumptions standings, including biases, preferences, Gainesville, Florida. MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION 44 Promising Practices and what she calls “vacancies” in the also clearly reflects the authentic cultural and ethnic groups in the Southwest Florida landscape. Vacancies are experiences to voice. Both criteria support role identifica- region where these teacher candidates which one has never been exposed or even tion and perspective taking which can con- will most likely teach. Thus, our readings contemplated and likely create holes of tribute to the teacher candidates building focused on the following cultures: Mexi- misunderstandings. She asserts a personal and emotional connection with can, Cuban, Korean, African American, the literature and with the culture. Muslim/Iraqi, Puerto Rican, Haitian, and ...certainly, if we are to become attuned to those places, become aware of those places Even though cultural attitudes emerge Guatemalan ethnic origin. A list of the where our selves and selves of others are at an early age, when teacher candidates books used in this project appears in the to be intertwined, we must be open to our are exposed to disorienting ideas found Appendix. horizons, to the patterns, yes, the vacan- in authentic narratives, the result may The teacher candidates selected a cul- cies in the landscapes against which our be critical reflection and confrontation of ture, preferably one with which they were stories are told. … I want to suggest that their beliefs and cultural assumptions. unfamiliar, and completed a concept map teachers break out of the confinements of Examining their own landscapes through to represent their current knowledge about monologism, open themselves to plural- a different cultural lens may yield other that specific culture (Correa, Hudson, & ism, become aware of more possible ways of being and of attending to the world. perspectives and consequently transform Hayes, 2004). In the map, they wrote or (Greene, 1994, p. 21) beliefs and practices. visually represented all features of the In this article, we make a case that culture including concepts and values Cassidy (2001) notes that reflecting on the use of literature that reflects other familiar to them at that time. When they our experiences allows us to process infor- cultural beliefs and habits, as well as their identified an area, such as language, about mation at a deeper level. She continues, everyday functions, may generate trans- which they had no knowledge, the student We learn through experience, and that formation in teacher candidates’ attitudes wrote a question mark next to the area’s experience can be articulated quite natu- and approaches toward teaching and work- name. This pretest was used as baseline rally in narrative form. Narrative helps ing with an increasing culturally diverse data in terms of teacher candidates’ con- us give meaning to experiences which will student population (Leftwich, 2002). Upon ceptualization of the culture. assist in creating a context for information reading multicultural literature, teacher During the following six to seven to be stored in the brain. (p. 22) candidates may come to understand not weeks teacher candidates read the three From her work in experiential learning, only their sociocultural identities but books while keeping a double-entry journal Cassidy explains the value of debriefing and in addition they will recognize the tight to record sections of the books that gener- how students can subsequently assimilate connections among school, society, and ated critical reflection in their thinking and use information following the sorting culture and their teaching practices may about families, schools, and communities and organizing of the experience. She rec- be impacted. in the given culture. After having read ommends exploring meanings of narratives, all three books, teacher candidates were not only in the academic areas, but as the Multicultural Literature Project requested to develop a reflection paper experiences have impacted life stories. She in Teacher Education using a list of “questions for thoughts” to continues by noting the value of narratives