“I did not realize that my teacher had taken away part of my identity”: bilingual preservice teachers’ virtual libraries project

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate how participating in a multicultural education course impacted bilingual preservice teachers' (BPSTs) conceptions of identity and how they were able to use their experiential knowledge to create a virtual library based on a variety of topics related to multicultural education.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative case study examines the experiences of three BPST candidates within a multicultural education course during the fall 2020 semester. The authors focused on three preservice teachers’ written reflections, interviews and work samples based on a virtual library project.

Findings

The authors describe the critical role BPST preparation programs have in developing coursework that provides opportunities for building a positive self-identity that values life experiences. Such opportunities foster BPSTs’ ability to create lessons that are reflective of identity and diversity inclusive of culture, language, immigration and LGBTQ+.

Originality/value

For some time now, researchers have examined how teacher education programs should include opportunities to interrogate preservice teachers' own experiences in K-12. However, few researchers have directly documented how to connect these experiences to preservice teacher coursework and create classroom resources based on these critical reflections.

Citation

Espinoza, K. and Kohler, K. (2023), "“I did not realize that my teacher had taken away part of my identity”: bilingual preservice teachers’ virtual libraries project", Journal for Multicultural Education, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 168-183. https://doi.org/10.1108/JME-06-2022-0069