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ERIC Number: ED490423
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2004
Pages: 33
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
An Examination of Cross-Cultural Factors between African American Faculty and Teacher Education Candidates
Cade, Al R., Jr.; Payne, Gloria J.
Online Submission
The purpose of this study was to examine the psycho-social factors (attitudes, identity, and perceptions) affecting pre-service teacher education majors in a cross-cultural pedagogical environment (African American professors and white students). The two main objectives that was explored in this study consisted of; (1) student learning and factors affecting students' relationships with African American faculty in cross-cultural pedagogical environments, and (b) racial and cultural attitudes and identity factors that affect the preparation of pre-service Teacher Education majors in cross-cultural pedagogical relationships. This study analyzed the between - group dynamics and the within group psycho-social factors. Group dynamics are referred to as the relationship between the African American professors and their non-minority students. For this study the with-in group psycho-social factors being those identifiable dispositions such as attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs based on prior social experiences. The construction of a sixteen question research-based instrument was used to collect and analyze pre-service teacher data to provide information on the role ethnicity plays in influencing student's viewpoints. The population in this study consisted of 35 male and 119 female senior level pre-service teachers representing rural Southwestern Missouri. The results of this study suggest a positive image of the current attitudes and perceptions of teacher education majors toward race and ethnicity. Student's responses in this study suggested that in a cross-cultural classroom environment, the race and/or ethnicity of faculty do not negatively influence student's attitudes and perceptions. Results further indicated that the professor's culture and ethnicity may possibly contribute to the overall effectiveness and usefulness of a course. The majority of pre-service teachers believed cultural and ethnic differences did not hinder their professor. With such a cultural change taking place in K-12 classrooms, pre-service teachers must possess attitudes fitting for a global society. It is with hope that this study will lead to further investigation of student's attitudes and perceptions in cross-cultural pedagogical environments. Teacher education programs must move beyond superficial issues of diversity and engage in a more active assessment of preconceived attitudes towards race and diversity. (Contains 3 tables and 2 appendices.)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Missouri
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A