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A MUSIC EDUCATION IMMERSION INTERNSHIP:
PRE—SERVICE TEACHERS' BELIEFS CONCERNING TEACHING MUSIC
IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE SETTING

presented by

Donna T. Emmanuel

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A MUSIC EDUCATION IMMERSION INTERNSHIP: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’
BELIEFS CONCERNING TEACHING MUSIC IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE
SETTING
By

Donna T. Emmanuel

A DISSERTATION
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulﬁllment of the requirements
for the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Music Education

2002

 

 

 

ABSTRACT
A MUSIC EDUCATION IMMERSION INTERNSHIP: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’
BELIEFS CONCERING TEACHING MUSIC IN A CULTURALLY DIVERSE
SETTING
By

Donna T. Emmanuel

The United States is a multiracial, multiethnic, and multicultural society that is
becoming more diverse every year. Educators must be prepared to work with students
and families who are of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. This study
addressed the need for developing intercultural competence in the ﬁeld of music
education, speciﬁcally focusing on the beliefs and attitudes of pre-service teachers in the
context of a short-term, immersion ﬁeld experience in a culturally diverse setting.

Through qualitative data collection and analysis, this study examined the way pre-
service music teachers talked about teaching music in a culturally diverse setting. This
was in the context of a course that combined academic work with a short-term immersion
ﬁeld experience in Detroit public schools.

The results of this study showed that the combination of academic coursework
and a well-structured immersion ﬁeld experience under the guidance of an informed
instmctor who could guide reﬂection would provide the best possible opportunity for pre-

eXiSting beliefs and attitudes of pre-serviee teachers concerning cultural diversity to be

challenged.

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright by
DONNA T. E
2002

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the following people who encouraged,
assisted, and supported me throughout this study. My advisor and mentor, Dr. Cynthia
Crump Taggart, enabled and empowered me to re-discover my own visions, and nurtured
my personal sense of academic efﬁcacy. Dr. Susan Melnick gave me guidance and
support when it was most needed.

The ﬁve participants in this study opened their hearts and lives to one another and
to me. They will always remain in my heart as exceptional young women.

My in-laws, Joseph and Violeta Emmanuel, kept me in their prayers and have
given me continual encouragement, not only through this endeavor, but throughout my
life with them. My brother, Mick Thomasson, made me laugh when I most needed a
reality check. My remarkable parents, John and Colleen Thomasson, encouraged me to
envision endless possibilities, and instilled in me the belief that all things are achievable.

My husband and best ﬁiend, Michael, opened my eyes to new ways of seeing the

world, supported and loved me unconditionally during this process, and continues to

make my life truly magical.

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Demographic Trends ..................................................................................... 1
Student Populations ............................................................................ 3
Teacher Populations ........................................................................... 4
Challenges in the Classroom .......................................................................... 7
Complexity of Culture ................................................................................. 11
The Music Classroom .................................................................................. 12
Summary .................................................................................................... 13
Statement of the Problem ............................................................................. l4
Purpose of the Study .................................................................................... 15
Deﬁnitions of Terms .................................................................................... 16
Assumptions and Limitations ....................................................................... 17
Theoretical Framework ................................................................................ 19
Signiﬁcance of the Study ............................................................................. 21
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Intercultural Competence ............................................................................. 22
Teacher and Pre-service Teacher Beliefs - .......... 25
Beliefs Pre-service Teachers Bring With Them ................................ 26
Beliefs in the Context of Cultural Diversity ...................................... 30
Summary .......................................................................................... 36
Can Beliefs Be Changed? ............................................................................. 36
Summary .......................................................................................... 42
Field Experiences ......................................................................................... 42
Summary .......................................................................................... 49
Immersion Experiences ................................................................................ 50
Summary .......................................................................................... 51
Music Teacher Education ............................................................................. 52
Attitudes of Music Educators ........................................................... 53
Preparation to Teach in a Culturally Diverse Setting ......................... 55
Summary .......................................................................................... 57
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
Research Paradigm. ...................................................................................... 58
Phenomenology ................................................................................ 58
Research Method ............................................ 60
Instrumental Descriptive Case Study ................................................ 60
Strengths and Weaknesses of Case Study Research .......................... 63
V

 

 

Selection of the Setting and Participants ........................................... 65

 

 

Role of the Researcher. - ............................................ 67

Data Sources and Collection ........................................................................ 70
Orientation Week ............................................................................. 70

The Immersion Experience ............................................................... 72
Interviews .......................................................... 73
Observations ............................................................................... 74

Data Analysis ................................................................................... 74
Reliability and Validity .................................................................... 75

CHAPTER FOUR: THE COURSE, THE SETTING, THE PARTICIPANTS, AND
CRITICAL INCIDENTS

 

The Course .................................................................................................. 77
Readings .......................................................................................... 78
Activities .......................................................................................... 80
Videos ............................................................................................. 85

The Setting .................................................................................................. 89

The Participants ........................................................................................... 9O
Camille ............................................................................................. 90
Whitney ............................................................................................ 91
Megan ............................................................................................. 93
Gail ................................................................................................ 100
Rachel ............................................................................................ 105

Critical Incidents ........................................................................................ 107

CHAPTER FIVE: RESULTS

Research Question #1 ................................................................................ 1 16

Camille ................................................................... 117
Expectations ....................................................................... 117
Preconceptions .................................................................... 123
Reactions ............................................................................ 128
Impact ................................................................................ 138

Gail ................................................................................................ 144
Expectations ....................................................................... 144
Preconceptions .................................................................... 147
Reactions ............................................................................ 157
Impact ................................................................................ 176

Whitney .......................................................................................... 179
Expectations ....................................................................... 179
Preconceptions .................................................................... 1 83
Reactions ............................................................................ 188
Impact ................................................................................ 201

Research Question #2 ................................................................................ 207

Camille ........................................................................................... 207

Gail ................................................................................................ 210

Whitney .......................................................................................... 213

vi

 

 

Research Question #3 ................................................................................ 215

Camille ........................................................................................... 216
Gail ................................................................................................ 219
Whitney .......................................................................................... 223
Research Question #4 ................................................................................ 230
Camille ........................................................................................... 231
Gail ................................................................................................ 233
Whitney .......................................................................................... 234
Research Question #5 ................................................................................ 238
Camille ........................................................................................... 238
Gail ................................................................................................ 240
Whitney .......................................................................................... 243

CHAPTER SIX: FINDINGS AND IMPLICATIONS
Cross-case Analysis ................................................................................... 247
Expectations ................................................................................... 248
Preconceptions ............................................................................... 250
Reactions ........................................................................................ 254
Impact ............................................................................................ 260
The Role of Faith ....................................................................................... 267
Changes in Worldview ............................................................................... 269
Retrospective of the Course ....................................................................... 270
Desirable Course Features .............................................................. 271
Improving the Course ..................................................................... 280
Implications ............................................................................................... 281
Epilogue .................................................................................................... 286
APPENDICES ...................................................................................................... 289
REFERENCES ...................................................................................................... 301

vii

 

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

The United States is a multiracial, multietlmic, and multicultural society that is
becoming more diverse every year. Educators must be prepared to work with students
and families who are of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. This study
addresses the need for developing intercultural competence in the ﬁeld of music
education, speciﬁcally focusing on the beliefs and attitudes of pre-service teachers in the
context of a short-term, immersion ﬁeld experience in a culturally diverse setting.

Our nation’s students are more racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse than
ever before, while the undergraduates in our teacher preparation programs tend to match
the typical proﬁle of White, female, and middle class (Groubr, 2001). This growing
mismatch between teachers and students, and the cultural conﬂicts that may arise out of
differences in personal histories, create challenges for the educator who holds high
standards for all students, regardless of background. It is essential, then, that education
programs prepare pre-service teachers to address the needs, interests, and aspirations of
students of diverse cultural backgrounds. The beliefs of these pre-service teachers and
their commitment to intercultural competence will be critical to the success of their future
students (Ladson-Billings, 1995).

Demographic Trends

Projections of the past years have estimated the growth of what have typically

been identiﬁed as minority groups, including Black or Aﬁ'ican American, American

Indian, Asian, and Hispanics (Dallas, Natriello, & McDill, 1989; Olson, 2000; US.

 

 

Bureau of the Census, 1998). Recent information from the 2000 Census released by the
United States Census Bureau reveals that these “minority” populations appear to have
grown much faster than was expected (Schmitt, 2001). According to Census 2000, “281.4
million people resided in the United States, and 35.3 million, or about 13%, were
Latino”(U.S. Bureau of the Census, March, 2001). This total for Latinos, or Hispanics, is
about three million more than previously estimated by the Census Bureau. The Hispanic
population grew by about 60% between 1990 and 2000 (U .8. Bureau of the Census, May,
2001). The growing Hispanic population is a “major reason that for the ﬁrst time since
the early 1930’s, one of every 10 Americans is foreign born” (Schmitt, 2001). The
number of Blacks, or Aﬁ'ican Americans, rose by 16% to 34.7 million ﬁom the 30
million counted in the 1990 census. Blacks, or Aﬁ'ican Americans, make up 12.3% of the
total population. Remaining ﬁgures for population by race indicate that American Indians
make up 0.9% of the population, Asians were 3.6% of the total, Native Hawaiian, 0.1%
and other races were 5.5% of the total.

More proof of the growing demographic diversity is found in the ﬁgures for
immigration. As of March 22, 2001, the Census Bureau estimates that as many as 12
million immigrants came to the United States in the past decade (Armas, 2001). This new
estimate surpasses previous projections by at least 2.6 million. In 1999, one out of ﬁve
elementary or high school students had at least one parent born abroad. “About 88% of
the Asian and Paciﬁc Islander students and 65% of Hispanic children had at least one
foreign-born parent” (Schmitt, 2001). In years past, immigrants came primarily ﬁ'om
European countries, but today’s immigrants come primarily from Asia and Central and

South America.

Student mpulation
The most recent ﬁgures on school age children can be found at the National

Center for Education Statistics (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000). Those
ﬁgures indicate that one out of every three students has a racial or ethnic background that
has been typically identiﬁed as minority. It is predicted that the percentage of students
who are non-Hispanic White will drop to 56 % by 2020 and to under 50 % by 2040
(Olson, 2000). The largest growth has been seen among the Hispanic population. Of the
total kindergarten through twelﬁh grade student population in 1972, Hispanics comprised
6.0%. In 1999, the Hispanic student population made up 16.2% of public school students
emolled in grades K-12 (National Center for Education Statistics, 2001). Historically,
there have been ﬁve states in which Hispanic populations have been concentrated:
California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Florida. Even though these states will
probably handle the majority of growth, other states are beginning to see an increase in
the Hispanic population in their communities as well. North Carolina led all other states
in Hispanic growth, up 394 % since 1990 (Armas, 2001). Midwestem states such as
Minnesota, Nebraska, Michigan, and Iowa all reported greater growth rates among their
Hispanic populations than in past years. In Providence, Rhode Island, the public schools
have an enrollment of 26,300 students, 50% of whom are Hispanic (Zehr, 2000).
Observable growing diversity is not exclusive to race and/or ethnicity. One out of
ﬁve children under the age of eighteen lives in poverty; more than one out of seven
children are non-English speakers in their homes; and over one out of three have limited

abilities speaking English (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2000).

 

 

Teacher tion

Unlike the growing diversity among our student populations, the diversity among
educators in the public schools has been relatively unchanged. “Of the present teaching
professionals, only about 10% consist of ethnically distinct minorities” (Taylor & Sobel,
2001). These ﬁgures indicate that most of the individuals teaching in our schools today
have cultural backgrounds that are very different ﬁ'om many of the students they teach.
Many researchers have acknowledged this mismatch between the teachers in the United
States and the students they teach (Artiles, Barreto, & Pena, 1998; Banks, 2001; Fry &
McKinney, 1997; Grant & Secada, 1990; Groubr, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 2000; Melnick
& Zeichner, 1998;01medo, 1997; Schultz, Neyhart, & Reck, 1996; Sleeter, 2001; Taylor
& Sobel, 2001; Terrill & Mark, 2000; Wiggins & Follo, 1999). The large number of
studies that Ibcus on changing demographics and the growing mismatch between teachers
and students is an indication of the level of concern among researchers and educators.
The reason this mismatch is problematic is that teachers often rely on their own personal
experiences in trying to discover what their students know and can do (Bullough, 1991).
What is relevant for a White, female, middle class teacher is not necessarily relevant for
her culturally diverse students. Taylor and Sobel (2001) point out that each one of us is
diverse, having varying components of language, ethnicity, race, gender, socio-economic
level, religion, age, and sexual orientation. These components surely impact our
individual identity, and, ultimately, the way we teach. Our students are also amalgams of
these components. “If we overlook the contributions of these factors to one’s life, we risk

overlooking the uniqueness of the whole individual” (Taylor & Sobel, p. 488).

 

 

 

The task becomes one of educating the typical pre—service teacher to effectively
teach an “increasingly diverse student body composed of many poor students of color”
(Melnick & Zeichner, 1998, p. 88). As Gomez (1996) points out, “... race, social class,
language backgrounds, and sexual orientations of prospective teachers affect their
attitudes toward ‘Others,’ their willingness to live near and be part of communities with
‘Others,’ and to expect that ‘Others’ can learn” (Gomez, p. 111).

Shortages of minority teachers have been well documented, with many studies
focusing on the shortage of African American teachers (Graham, 1987; Haberrnan, 1987;
Hawkins, 1992). Figures from the National Center for Education Statistics show that, in
1994, the teaching force was 87% non-Hispanic White, 7% Black, 4% Hispanic, 1%
Asian/Paciﬁc Islander, and 1% American Indian (National Center for Education
Statistics, 1999). As the population of students of diverse cultural backgrounds, typically
identiﬁed as minority, has increased dramatically, the population of teachers typically
identiﬁed as minority has dropped

Delpit (1995) expresses the high level of concern about the mismatch between
students and teachers in her book, Other People ’s Children:

I have faced this fog too many times in my career in education. Is a deadly fog

formed when the cold mist of bias and ignorance meets the warm fog of reality of

children of color in may of our schools. It is the result of coming face-to-face
with the teachers, the psychologist, the school administrators to look at "other
people's children" and see damaged and dangerous caricatures of the vulnerable
and impressionable beings before them... I have come to understand that power

plays a critical role in our society and in our educational system. The worldviews

of those with privileged positions are taken as the only reality, while the

worldviews of those less powerﬁrl are dismissed as inconsequential (Delpit, 1995,

p. xiii, xv).

Even with the increase in multicultural coursework in our colleges and
universities, the typical students in undergraduate programs, while realizing they will
probably encounter students of diverse cultural backgrounds in their classrooms, feel
uncomfortable or unprepared to effectively work with the these students (Breault, 1995;
Goodwin, 1997; Harrington & Hathaway, 1995; Larke, 1990).

The inclusion of more multicultural coursework in university teacher education
programs and music education programs does not necessarily guarantee success, in part
because of the lack of faculty who have personal experience working and teaching in
culturally diverse settings. Because the faculty in teacher education programs in colleges
and universities tend to also match the typical proﬁle, it is often difﬁcult to ﬁnd faculty
members who can eﬂ'ectively teach courses in intercultural competence. Cruz (1997)
states that it is diﬁicult for university faculty to effectively provide personal descriptions,
give personal examples, or guide informed discussions on teaching in culturally diverse
settings, because only ﬁve percent of university faculty have ever taught in low income
or multicultural classrooms. ”Of those who have taught in such environments, less than
1% have taught in a setting longer than three years. Some professors do not possess
ﬁrsthand knowledge and depend on textbooks for their cultural understanding" (Burke-

Spero, 1999, p. 32).

Challer_rges in the Classroom
The inﬂux of students with various cultural backgrounds creates increasing

challenges for teachers who want to provide an appropriate classroom environment and
who hold high standards of instruction for all students, regardless of background.
Because of cultural conﬂict, teachers may not be able to understand the needs of their
students who are not like themselves. Teachers often unconsciously assume that their
students have backgrounds that are similar to their own, and assume that their students
will learn in the same ways that they learned.

Often the most apparent hurdle is a linguistic one. Add the problem of students
who speak only their native language rather than English with the move toward higher
standards, and the challenge is that much greater. Not only is verbal language a
challenge, but non-verbal language can also present difﬁculties in communication among
these students and the teacher. The meaning of a particular non-verbal expression must be
perceived within the context of the student’s cultural background. Raising the eyebrow is
an example: “To most Americans this means surprise; to a person from the Marshall
Iskmds in the Paciﬁc it signals an afﬁrmative answer, for Greeks, it is a sign of
disagreement. The difference is not so much in how the eyebrows are raised but in the
cultural meaning of the act” (Spradley & Rynkiewich, 1975, p. 7). Teachers are likely to
encounter students who will not make eye contact and may possibly interpret this as
disinterest rather than a cultural behavior. Etiquette varies ﬁ'om culture to culture, as do
preferences for dress and food. Diﬁ‘erent value systems will be present in the classroom
and may be represented by factors such as pride, loyalty, family, honor, and religious

beliefs. All these may be manifested in student behavior.

Of particular concern to teachers who desire to be culturally responsive is the
need to understand how culturally diverse students learn. Gay (2000) states that this is
necessary, because students from different ethnic groups might possess varying processes
of learning because of the inﬂuence of their cultural backgrounds. Their cultural
backgrounds, however, do not affect their intellectual ability. Not every member of a
particular cultural group will learn in a speciﬁc way, and it is dangerous to generalize
from an entire cultural group, but there are characteristics that can shed light on the
attributes and behaviors that inﬂuence the way children learn.

This means that not only do teachers need to know what the individual knows
factually and procedurally, but also how his or her individual learning systems work.
Many studies have examined the extent to which learning styles vary among ethnic
groups and students of diverse cultural backgrormds.

Several studies focused on culture-speciﬁc inﬂuences on improving academic
achievement of minority students (Clyne, 1984; Diaz, 1983; Kelly-Stiles, 1999; Kim,
1992; Tseng, 1993). Each of these studies found learning style differences for each of the
groups and discussed how culture inﬂuences learning and how knowledge of these
inﬂuences can enable teachers to provide more meaningful learning experiences.

Many studies focus on cognitive style inﬂuences, and ﬁndings support and extend
past research regarding learning style differences (Garza, 1998; Hudgens, 1992; Leiding,
1999; Nuby, 1995; Rice, 1999; Yong, 1991; Yu, 1991). A study that examined the
learning style preferences of Southeast Asian students found not only signiﬁcant
differences between preferences of Southeast Asian and White students, but also found

signiﬁcant differences within groups of Southeast Asians (Park, 2000). The diﬂ‘erences

found were not related to the birth location, their length of residence in the United States,
or their placement in English-as-a-second language classes. Many of these students
typically came ﬁ'om experiences in refugee camps where existence was meager, but
learning was very structured. They are usually uncomfortable in American classrooms
that are more ﬂexible and in which small group activities and cooperative learning are
emphasized. Southeast Asian students are more inclined to be passive, nonverbal, and
accustomed to receiving instruction through lecture and rote memorization.

The problem facing teachers is that, as their classrooms look more diverse, they
must become knowledgeable of the many different learning styles of their students.
Speciﬁc culturally responsive teaching techniques may work with one group or one
individual, but may not be transferable across cultures. For example, a project designed to
boost the achievement of native Hawaiian students resulted in higher average scores on
reading vocabulary and comprehension tests. Project designers adapted the curriculum
based on the cultural learning styles of Hawaiian children who were accustomed to
working in collaborative groups (Latham, 1997). However, when teachers tried these
same methods in a different geographical location with Navajo school children, they
found that the students were accustomed to working much more independently because
of their cultural backgrounds. Teachers had to adapt the techniques to ﬁt the needs of this
particular group-

In addition to identifying individual learning styles, Burke-Spero (1999) identiﬁed
other capabilities that teachers would need in order to effectively address the needs of a
diverse student population. First is that teachers who come ﬁ'om different socio-cultural

backgrounds than the students they teach must have a desire to learn about their students

and the communities and families to which they belong. Not only must teachers and pre-
service teachers spend time in the classroom with their students, but they should also
spend time in the local neighborhoods and communities, visiting families, shops, and
churches. Becoming familiar with the students’ socio-economic and cultural background
will give insights into the behaviors the students exhibit in class and will begin to build a
common vocabulary and communicative context between teacher and student.

A second capability identiﬁed by Burke-Spero that contributes to competence in
teaching students of diverse cultural background is that teachers need to have a belief that
all children are able and expected to succeed. It is important that the teacher be able to
communicate this to the student, in a communication style that is appropriate for the
student, even though it may be in an uncomfortable or novel style for the teacher.
”Teachers for diversity hold their expectations high for students’ success and demonstrate
their belief in the attainment of that success by providing students with academically
demanding work, but they are able and committed to mentoring each student toward that
end" (Burke-Spero, p. 27).

Teachers must also be able to incorporate the culture of the students into their
classroom. Connecting the curriculum to students’ own cultural experiences must go
beyond merely singing a song ﬁ'om their etlmic heritage, to the point where learning can
be built upon the individual student’s own personal history, culture, and experience.

Burke-Spero cites Nieto’s ( 1992) recommendation that teachers need to have a
general sociocultural knowledge about child and adolescent development, "second
language acquisition, and ways that socioeconomic condition, language, and culture

inﬂuence student performance in school. They must also has speciﬁc knowledge about

10

the languages, cultures, and circumstances of the particular students in their classrooms"
(Burke-Spero, p. 28).

A ﬁnal characteristic of a culturally competent teacher noted by Burke-Spero is
the ability to build relationships between parents and other community members that are
built on trust and respect.

_Th_;Conplexig of Culture

Culture might be thought of as having two aspects, a subjective aspect and an
objective aspect. Stewart and Bennett (1991) identify subjective aspects of culture as the
“psychological features of a culture, including assumptions, values, and patterns of
thinking” (Stewart & Bennett, p. 2). Objective aspects of cultrne are more visible, and
include economic systems, political systems, arts, crafts, and literature. This research is
more concerned with the subjective aspects of culture, speciﬁcally beliefs, attitudes, and
ways of seeing the world.

It is beyond the scope of this study to discuss in detail the multi-layeredness of
culture, but it is important to realize that the participants in this study have complex
cultural backgrounds, not easily identiﬁable in simple terms. The impact of their religious
backgrounds, the geographical location of their upbringing, the combination of ethnic
heritages, their families’ political practices, among many other cultural aspects, have all
inﬂuenced their personal histories.

The setting for the immersion ﬁeld experience was also culturally complex. Even
though the primary school site is described as being predominantly Hispanic, there is no
clear way to completely present all the cultural inﬂuences existing in this setting. The

Hispanic students and teachers were Mexican, Mexican-American, Puerto Rican, and

11

Cuban. These Latino cultures have merged with the culture of the inner city, as well as
with American popular culture, creating a complex blend of cultural inﬂuences.

Some objective and subjective aspects of culture in the context of this study were
readily apparent, and others were not. This was evidence of the complex nature of
culture. This complexity provides a context for this study in the participants’ exploration
of their multiple cultural identities in a cultural setting that was different from their own.

The Music Classroom

The music classroom is a unique environment in which it is vitally important that
the music instructor be culturally competent. Music is an expression of cultural identity,
and is intrinsic to the way that people deﬁne themselves. The nature of the music
classroom is such that cultural identity might be expressed, shared, and valued through
experiencing the musics of cultural others. If music teachers encourage students from
diverse cultural backgrounds to share their music and honor tlnt music, it might be
possible to create an atmosphere of acceptance, tolerance, and safety in which
stereotypical beliefs and attitudes might be addressed with a greater degree of comfort.

Not only does the music classroom provide an appropriate setting for exploring
beliefs and attitudes concerning cultural others, but it is also a place where cultural others
might have a greater opportunity to experience success. Often students ﬁom diverse
cultural backgrounds face obstacles and challenges in the academic classroom for a
variety of reasons. Language difﬁculties, social behaviors, and cultural
miscommunications often imwde a student’s academic success. However, in the music
classroom, all students have opportunities for success. Through listening, moving,

singing, playing, and creating, each student has the opportunity to experience meaningful

12

musical expression. By sharing their own musics with their diverse classmates, students
become the expert, the authority. It might be that the music classroom is the only place
where a culturally diverse student experiences ongoing success, particularly for new
immigrants or students who speak other languages.

For these reasons, it is crucial that the music instructor is interculturally
competent in order to facilitate the exploration of beliefs and attitudes, not only of
themselves, but also of the students with whom they work. In this context, the music
classroom becomes much more than a place of multicultural content. It becomes a place
for self-discovery, acceptance, reﬂection, imagination, and, ultimately, social change.

Sum—mar!

The ﬁgures presented by the latest census indicate a growing diversity with
increased populations of peOple ﬁom various cultural backgrounds. Our nation’s
pOpulation is changing even more rapidly than had been predicted. Researchers have
explored the learning style differences that exist among students ﬁom many different
cultural backgrounds, which create enormous challenges for teachers and teacher
education programs. Researchers have also made recommendations for abilities that
teachers must possess in order to be successful educators in a culturally diverse setting.
Our teacher and future teacher populations are becoming more mono-cultural as our
student populations are becoming more varied. The interweaving of these factors has
created great concern for teacher education with respect to growing student diversity, a
concern that often seems to be neglected in teacher education programs. "In spite of the
enormous changes that have taken place in our society, some schools and colleges of

education are still functioning as if we were preparing teachers for the classrooms of half

13

a century ago. . .Typically, teacher education programs give little consideration to the fact
that all classrooms in the ﬁxture will have students of racially and ethnically diverse
backgrounds and their ﬁrst language may not be English" (Nieto, 2000, p.181, 182).
Unless teacher education programs include meaningﬁrl intercultural experiences within
community settings with culturally diverse populations, combined with academic
coursework, under the guidance of experienced and sensitive instructors who can
encourage self-awareness and self-examination among the pre-service teachers, the
growing mismatch between teachers and students will continue to widen the social and
educational gaps that are a "virtually impervious impediment in the teaching of our urban
children, Caucasian children, ethnic minority children, poor children -- in short, any child
that is not like the teacher" (Cruz, 1997, p. 396).
gatement of the Prom

Many researchers and educators have written about the need to prepare pre-
service teachers to meet the challenges presented by the changes in our population
(Banks, 1988, 1993; Bennett, 1979; Calderhead, 1991; Frykhohn, 1997; Kagan, 1992;
Ladson-Billings, 19953; Sleeter, 2001). It is essential that all teachers, including music
teachers, develop the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively work with students of
diverse cultural backgrounds. The National Standards for Arts Education (1994) propose
that an education in the arts beneﬁts society because “these students learn to adapt to and
respect others’ ways of thinking, working, and expressing themselves” (National
Standards for Arts Education, 1994). These voluntary standards recommend tlnrt every
student learn about diverse cultures through the arts. Even though intercultural education

has been emphasized through prior research and the implementation of voluntary national

 

standards, little attention has been paid to pre-service teachers’ beliefs, attitudes, and
understanding of what is necessary to be competent and effective in a culturally diverse
classroom. It is evident that research needs to be conducted in the ﬁeld of music
education in order to prepare pre-service teachers better to effectively address the needs
and aspirations of students of diverse cultural backgrounds.
Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study is to examine the personal conceptualizations of pre-
service music education students, by focusing on how they talk about learning to teach
music in the context of cultural diversity, and to probe the relationships among these
conceptualizations prior to, during, and after a short-term immersion internship
experience in a culturally diverse setting. The following questions will be speciﬁcally
addressed:

1) How do pre-service music teachers talk about their beliefs concerning
teaching music in a culturally diverse setting?

2) How do pre-service music teachers’ personal histories inform or inﬂuence
their beliefs about teaching music in a culturally diverse setting?

3) Are the beliefs of the pre-service music teachers challenged or altered during
the immersion internship, and if so, how do the pre-service music teachers talk
about any new awarenesses?

4) What aspects of the immersion internship experience do pre-service teachers

identify as most valuable or that contribute to the development of new

perspectives?

 

 

5) As a result of the immersion internship, do pre-service teachers feel more
knowledgeable and/or conﬁdent about teaching in a culturally diverse setting?
Do they express more interest in teaching in a culturally diverse setting?

Deﬁnition of Terms

Pre-service music education teacher - a student enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate
teacher preparation program prior to employment as a music teacher in the public
or private school system.

Interculgal educa_tio_n —an educational approach that has the goal of empowering all
students from diverse cultural backgrounds while being aware of one's own
cultural background and its impact on teaching. Intercultural education also
promotes a school culture that reﬂects perspectives of all students and teachers,
and allows groups to maintain their identities (Knight, 2000, p. 8). Intercultural
education in the music classroom goes beyond the inclusion of musics from
diverse cultures and is "not considered an end in itself, but rather an interrelated
way to work toward greater social justice" (Finney & Orr, 1995, p. 330).

Intercult_ur_al competence - based on what Bennett (1990) describes as developing "the
ability to interpret intentional communications (language, signs, gestures), some
unconscious cues (such as body language), and customs in cultural styles different
from one's own, as well as building an understanding of how one is shaped by the
values, priorities, language, and norms of one's own culture" (Bennett, p. 293). It
is based on the premise that in order to be able to move toward some kind of
common ground with their diverse students, pre-service teachers must confront

and examine their personal beliefs toward “others.”

Field experience - opportunities in which pre-service teachers observe and/or teach in a
school or community center in an attempt to put theory and knowledge gained
ﬁom academic coursework into practice.

Immersion experience - programs or courses in which pre-service teachers actually live in
communities that are culturally different from their own while they engage in
observation and practice teaching (Sleeter, 2001).

Cultural diversity - the presence of differences not only in the context of particular races
or ethnic groups, but also differences in religion, language, social class, age,
gender, learning styles, abilities, sexual orientation, social behavior, disabilities,
languages, and/or socioeconomic level.

Guided Reflection - engaging in and developing a set of skills that "allow a person to
accurately see themselves and their relationship to the social and physical
environmen " (Buckley, 2000, p. 143) while being monitored and guided by an
experienced, sensitive instructor. In the context of this study, reﬂection is an
opportunity for the participants to think through their roles as prospective
teachers, their values and assumptions about teaching and learning, and question
those assumptions in light of new information and opportunities for interaction
with students of diverse cultural backgrounds (Ohnedo, 1997).

Assumptions and Limitations
I made several assumptions that apply throughout this study. First, I assumed that
the ﬁve participants were honest in sharing their perceptions, beliefs, and experiences
throughout the coursework and the immersion ﬁeld experience. Second, I assumed that,

like many other pre-service teachers, these participants came to this experience with a

17

pre—existing set of beliefs about teaching and learning in a culturally diverse setting.
Third, I assumed that the combination of coursework with an immersion ﬁeld experience
that allowed for guided reﬂection under the constant supervision of an informed
instructor would provide the best possible chance for pre-existing beliefs to be
challenged.

This study lms a number of limitations. First, it is limited by the small number of
participants ﬁ'om one university in the Midwest. The small number of participants,
however, was a conscious choice. A small number of participants is typical of case study
methodology, as a desired outcome is a rich, thick description of discourse and events.
Because the participant number was small, I was able to engage in many one-on-one
conversations with the participants. The size of the group also factored into the speed
with which they established trust among themselves. Because the group was small, we
were able to observe in various school settings in a more unobtrusive way than would
have been possible with a larger group. Having a small number of participants also
meant that we always traveled from site to site together and were able to live together in
one apartment during the immersion ﬁeld experience. Being in close proximity with one
another encouraged many group discussions, often immediately after an observation or
critical incident.

The study was also limited because the experience occurred over a short,
three-week period of time. However, the three weeks of the experience were an intense
three weeks. Because we lived together as a group during the immersion ﬁeld

experience, we were able to spend many hours in discussion, reﬂection, laughter, self-

examination, support, and preparation. The course was offered for credit, but was not
required, so the participants were self-selected, further limiting the study.
Theoretical Framework

This study is ﬂamed within the theory of intercultural competence. Intercultural
competence refers to the ability of counselors, social workers, teachers, and
administrators to “respond optimally to all children, understanding both the richness and
the limitations reﬂected by their own sociocultural contexts, as well as the sociocultural
contexts of the students they are teaching” (Craig, Hull, & Haggart, 2000, p. 6). The
concept of intercultural competence is vitally important in the ﬁeld of teacher education,
because pre-service teachers’ experiences within their own cultures, as well as their
personal histories that form ﬁom those experiences, inﬂuence the formation of
knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and values. In turn, teachers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs,
and values inﬂuence their perceptions of students' behaviors and actions, and their
interpretations of both verbal and non—verbal communications.

Milton Bennett (1990) was one of the ﬁrst to deﬁne intercultural competence:
developing "the ability to interpret intentional communications (language, signs,
gestures), some unconscious cues (such as body language), and customs in cultural styles
different ﬁ'om one's own, as well as building an understanding of how one is shaped by
the values, priorities, language, and norms of one's own culture" (Bennett, p. 293).
According to Bennett, teachers must recognize and understand their own worldviews in
order to understand the worldviews of the students, and thus be effective in working with

students ﬁom diverse cultural backgrounds. Educators and researchers in teacher

19

education have also supported this premise (Banks, 1988; Gillette & Boyle-Baise, 1995;
Nieto, 2000; Sleeter, 2001; Villegas, 1991).

According to Kang and Dutton (1994), in order to develop intercultural
competence, students and teachers need approaches, techniques, and activities that will
help them attain: 1) awareness that things may not always be as they ﬁrst seem, and that
their own background knowledge and experience ﬁlters their perceptions; 2) awareness
of the potential for different interpretations based on different cultural perspectives and
tolerance for different perspectives; 3) the ability to critically evaluate interpretations and
perceptions of non-verbal and verbal behavior, both in terms of what is known, and the
context, both immediate and extended; 4) the ability to recognize when previously made
inferences or interpretations are inconsistent with other information; and 5) effective
strategies to deal with inconsistencies and contradictions.

Much of the research focused on intercultural competence is based on the work
of Derald Wing Sue who, along with Arrendondo and McDavis, developed a set of
multicultural competencies that could be used to deﬁne a culturally competent counselor
(Sue, Arrendondo, and McDavis, 1992). The researchers formed a matrix in which these
competencies could be structured and organized. First, cross-cultural competencies are
categorized into three dimensions of beliefs and attitudes, knowledge, and skills. Then,
the characteristics of a culturally competent counselor are categorized into three
dimensions: 1) development of counselor awareness of his or her own assumptions,
beliefs, and biases; 2) understanding the world-view of the culturally different client; and

3) developing appropriate intervention strategies and techniques. These counselor

20

characteristics can be described as each having the three dimensions of beliefs and
attitudes, knowledge, and skills.
gigmﬁcance of the Study

This study focused on the beliefs and attitudes of pre-service music teachers
before and aﬂer an immersion ﬁeld experience. Given the increasing diversity among
students in the public schools and the growing mismatch between students and teachers,
it is imperative to better prepare ﬁiture music educators to effectively work with the
students in their classrooms.

Previous studies in the ﬁeld of teacher education have called for more research on
the topic of immersion ﬁeld experiences, because these types of experiences seem to be
the best at challenging pre-service teachers’ beliefs and attitudes. This study will
possibly add to the body of research on developing intercultural competence among pre-
service teachers.

Even though studies have been conducted in the ﬁeld of teacher education, little
research has been done in the ﬁeld of music education in the context of intercultural
competence. Music educators, perhaps even more so than teachers in academic
classrooms, should be given opportunities to examine the beliefs and attitudes that
emerged ﬁ'om their personal histories, how these impact their teaching, and how to
become culturally competent educators.

This study would also provide teacher educators in higher education with an
example that could be adapted or adopted, for com'sework and an immersion ﬁeld

experience that might be implemented in other colleges and universities.

21

CHAPTER TWO

Review of Related Literature

This review addresses the issues crucial to the needs and interests of both teachers
and students in the context of a growing cultural diversity. The review is divided into ﬁve
main sections. Section One examines the concept of intercultural competence and its
necessity to student and teacher success. Section Two explores teacher beliefs, how those
beliefs develop, and if or how they may be changed. Section Three examines the
importance of ﬁeld experiences in teacher preparation. Section Four focuses on one
particular type of ﬁeld experience, the immersion experience, and Section Five focuses
on teacher preparation programs speciﬁc to music education.

Intercultural Competence

The concept of intercultural competence is based on the premise that in order to
be able to move toward some kind of common ground with their diverse students, pre-
service teachers must confront and examine their personal beliefs toward “others.” Moule
(1997) expressed how crucial it is to challenge original assumptions:

The dividing line between successful and unsuccessful multicultural educators

may be the same as that between those who are willing to challenge their

assumptions and those who are not, regardless of their own background. For
instance, one pre-service teacher may clearly understand that she has much to
learn in the area of diversity. She will listen openly in a course on multicultural

issues in education, engaging the course content and her own biases. She has a

willingness to recognize the possibility that her assumptions may be rooted in a

22

worldview that is not shared and valued by others and vice versa. Another pre-

service teacher may be intelligent and capable of critical analysis, yet sees the

world through a singular lens. Not able to recognize and value other perspectives,
he may not be able to engage the content during a course on multicultural issues;
he may not recognize his limited perspective; and defending his position, he may

be resistant to come to multicultural awareness (Moule, 1997, p. 48-49).

Because the principle of intercultural competence has emerged from the ﬁelds of
counseling, social work, and psychology, more studies have been conducted in these
areas than in the area of teacher education (Abdullah, 1996; Gingras, 1991; Garcia. 1995;
Lum, 1997; Manoleas, 1994).

Edwards (1997) developed an educational model for use with graduate social
work students for the purpose of improving cultural competence. She conducted a quasi-
experimental study rmde up of 48 students. She presented the Multicultural Awareness,
Knowledge, and Skills Survey as a pretest and a posttest to both the experimental group
that received instruction through her model, and the control group, which received
traditional instruction. The experimental group showed signiﬁcantly greater improvement
in the competency area of awareness than the control group. Her study was one of the
ﬁrst in social work that used empirical research to determine the effectiveness of a non-
traditional teaching strategy, and she concluded that effective teaching strategies should
include classroom activities that promote self-awareness.

Sue (1996) presented a comparison of assessment tools for multicultural
competence for multicultural counseling and therapy practitioners. The following

quantitative assessment tools were included in the study: 1) the Multicultural Counseling

23

Inventory (Sodowsky, Taﬂ‘e, Gutkin, & Wise, 1994); 2) the Cross-Cultural Counseling
Inventory (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Hernandez, 1991); 3) the Multicultural
Awareness/Knowledge/Skills Survey (D’Andrea, Daniels, & Heck, 1991); and 4) the
Multicultural Counseling Awareness Scale (Ponterotto, Rieger, Barrett, & Sparks, 1994).
Sue noted the limitations of these instruments and proposed how a portfolio method of
assessment may overcome these limitations.

A few studies have been conducted in teacher education tlmt addressed the
importance of intercultural competence (Jairrels, 1993; Rodriguez & Sjostrom, 1995;
Thomas, 1993). Craig (2000) discussed the importance of Teacher Assistance Teams in
public schools. Teacher Assistance Teams typically identify any changes or arrangements
that would support a student’s academic success. These teams may also be used to
examine the role culture plays in the student-teacher relationship and the teaching-
learning process. Teachers that are striving to become more culturally competent might
use these teams during the pre-referral process. The pre-referral process occurs when a
classroom teacher becomes concerned with the academic progress and/or social behavior
of a student. Before any formal recommendations are made, such as psychological
testing, teams of teachers and administrators may informally reﬂect on the cultural
backgrmmd of the child in order to address questions on behavior and academic learning.
A Teacher Assistance Team might address issues such as the cultural contexts that might
effect learning; for instance, the differences between the home environment and the
school environment. Other issues include cultural behaviors, such as eye contact In some
cultures it is considered impolite to make direct eye contact. A teacher may construe a

lack of eye contact for boredom, disinterest, or lack of understanding. Craig deﬁned

24

culturally competent teachers as ones who “lower defenses, take risks, and practice
behaviors that may feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable” (Craig, p. 7) in terms of accepting
one’s own sociocultural context and the student’s sociocultural context. She used the
developmental stages of Isaacs & Benjamin (1991) to describe the process in which a
Teacher Assistance Team might engage. These stages include 1) Cultural incapacity; 2)
Cultural blindness; 3) Cultural pre-competence; 4) Cultural competency; and 5) Cultural
proﬁciency. Craig presented speciﬁc strategies for building cultural competence into
Teacher Assistance Teams that included questions that might guide the Teacher Assistant
Team in addressing a student’s academic and social success in view of his or her cultural
background.
Summer

Most research that has been conducted in the area of intercultural competency has
occtu'red in the ﬁelds of social work and counseling. In the past few years, researchers in
teacher education have recognized the value of developing intercultural competency in
pre-service and in-service teachers. It is unfortunate that, in the ﬁeld of music education,
researchers have been more interested in the content of instruction than in the process of
instruction in the terms of cultural issues. The lack of research in this area provided the
impetus for this study.

legher and Pre-servi_ce Teagher Belieﬁ

In order to be able to move toward some kind of common ground with their
diverse students, pre-service teachers and current teachers must confront and examine
their personal beliefs toward “others.” It has been well documented that pre-service

teachers have a well-developed set of personal beliefs before they even enter teacher

25

education programs (Calderhead, 1991a, b; Ho lt-Reynolds, 1992; Zeichner & Gore,
1990). These beliefs, particularly in the context of cultural diversity, are often naive and
stereotypical (Larke, 1990; Schultz, Neyhart, & Reck, 1996). This section examines the
related literature on how beliefs are inﬂuenced by personal history, and if beliefs and
attitudes about teaching can be changed. -
_B_e_l_i_efs Preservice Teachers Bﬁﬁng with Them

The process of teacher preparation is an intricate one, weaving together strands of
cognition and training that can become tangled by pre-service students’ prior beliefs
about teaching and learning. Because their life histories as students have lasted 14 years
or more, prospective teachers have developed beliefs about what teaching should look
like, how students learn and behave, and which strategies work and which do not (Lortie,
1975). It has been well documented that pre-service teachers have a well-developed set of
persoml beliefs before they even enter teacher education programs (Anderson,
Blumenfeld, Pintrich, Clark, Marx, & Peterson, 1995; Calderhead, 1991a, b; Holt-
Reynolds, 1992; Zeichner & Gore, 1990). These beliefs are based on what has been
referred to as personal, history-based lay theories (Holt-Reynolds, 1992). What pre—
service teachers learn in teacher education programs is dependent on the cultural and
cognitive knowledge acquired earlier (Brookﬁeld, 1995; Flavell, 1984; Weinstein, 1990).
These preconceived beliefs are formed in the contexts of not only educative experience,
but also family structure, social groups, religious beliefs, and even geographic location
and, according to Nespor (1987), beliefs derive much of their power from memories of
speciﬁc events. The beliefs that teachers and pre-service teachers have about learning and

teaching will vary across individuals because of personal histories, experiences, and

26

situations (Holt-Reynolds, 1992). Hewson (1985) described that the intellectual
environment “in which a person lives (including cultural beliefs, language, accepted
theories, as well as observed facts and events) favors the development of some concepts
and inhibits the development of others” (p. 154). This can explain at least partially why
different people learn different things ﬁom the same experience.

These beliefs have been described as a “screen” (Whitbeck, 2000) or “ﬁlter”
(Joram & Gabriele, 1998; Kagan, 1992), through which all new information and
experience concerning teaching passes. If pre—service teachers do not become aware of
the beliefs they bring to the teacher preparation process, then information presented in
undergraduate classes and gleaned ﬁ'om observations are woven into their own schemas,
resulting in possible miscommunications. For instance, Holt-Reynolds (1992) discovered
a diﬁ’erence between pre—service teachers’ and their instructor’s conceptions of what the
teacher’s role was in the classroom. Pre-service students believed that a teacher’s role
was to convey information to students, while the instructor viewed the teacher’s role as
helping students become producers of knowledge. This led to a misunderstanding of
terms like “active” and “passive” in the context of learning. The instructor believed that
listening was strictly a passive occurrence, while the pre-service students believed that
listening could be an active event. Because of differences like these, any potential
changes in perspective were hindered.

Because the majority of pre-service teachers in education programs tend to ﬁt the
typical proﬁle of White, middle-class female, and because they have few experiences
with persons of cultural backgrounds different from their own, they are often not aware

of their beliefs and attitudes that are based on their personal histories, and are unaware of

27

their membership in the White, privileged, dominant culture. “Due to their [White
students] own limited experiences with people of diverse backgrounds, they seldom
question their racial, native language, or social class privilege. One consequence of this
way of thinking is that culture and identity themselves are deﬁned as problems. Yet,
teachers also lmve cultural identities, even though many of them may have learned to
forget or deny those identities” (N ieto, 2000, p. 184).

Maher and Thompson (1997) discussed how this inability of middle-class, White
students to see themselves as members of the dominant, privileged class inhibited their
ability to understand Black culture.

Whiteness is unconsciously constructed and relied upon here as the social glue

normalizing their connection to other, ‘higher-up’ Whites, thus stabilizing an

inherently unstable situation. The professor could not get her White students to
understand the position of Blacks because they didn’t understand their own
position as Whites. Although they understood something of class privilege,
through their lack of it, they could not see themselves as privileged within the

social relations of race (Maher & Thompson, 1997, p. 9).

Beliefs that pre-service teachers bring to the preparation process fall into several
categories. In a study conducted by Joram and Gabriele (1998), the authors described
four categories of beliefs held by pre-service teachers, then redesigned an educational
psychology course so that these beliefs were addressed during the course. The ﬁrst belief
was that ﬁeld experience is more valuable than course work. Pre-service teachers oﬁen
believe that they will learn all they “need to know about becoming a teacher from the

ﬁeld experience they complete concurrently” (Joram & Gabriele, p. 179). Another belief

28

was that they could become excellent teachers by modeling a past teacher (or teachers).
They had a speciﬁc image in mind of what a good teacher looks like based on teachers
they had in the past. A third belief was that learning and teaching are non-problematic.
Many pre-service teachers hold the notion that teaching is not particularly difﬁcult, and
that one does not need to learn speciﬁc information about teaching in order to be a
teacher. The fourth belief cited was that classroom management was a bigger issue than
student learning. “Pre-service teachers oﬁen assume that once classroom management is
taken care of, students will autonntically learn” (Joram & Gabriele, p. 180).

Goodwin (1994) found similar categories in a study that examined pre-service
students’ conceptions and deﬁnitions of multicultural education. One hundred twenty
pre-service teachers completed an open-ended questionnaire that asked them to talk about
the goals of multicultural education, to identify practices they had observed in ﬁeld
placements, and to list questions about multicultural education. Goodwin (1994)
presented four categories into which the responses fell: knowing others, affective
behaviors, the individual child, and social change. The majority of participants identiﬁed
multicultural practice as a consequential action rather than a primary activity. The
respondents tended to view multicultural education as an add-on. Banks (1988) called
this the “ethnic additive approach.” These participants tended to treat multicultural
education superﬁcially, rather than engaging in any kind of critical inquiry. Their action
in a classroom seemed to be dependent on external concepts, such as how much control
they would have, the kinds of students in the classrooms, and available materials. These

respondents preferred to deal with the individual student when addressing multicultural

29

issues. Over all, these pre-service teachers seemed to view multicultural education as the
education of “other,” the culturally different.

A component of a study conducted by Lois Gould (2000) revealed student beliefs
held at the beginning of an introductory teacher education methods course. She reviewed
34 student portfolios for the use of metaphors in identifying and characterizing the pre-
service teachers’ beliefs of what teaching was about. Sixteen portfolios were used for the
study. Some of the beliefs expressed by the participants concerned the view of teaching
as a science. Many viewed the role of the teacher as a presenter of material for the
students to absorb. They tended to view teaching as a singular method. “I didn’t know
that teaching means there are more ways than one to teach effectively. . .I felt that I would
be taught the ‘right way to teach’” (Gould, 2000, p. 96). When pre-service teachers
ascribe to a “teaching as science” viewpoint, they assume that a good teacher can always
ﬁnd the right answer in a methods book, and that teaching is a one-way activity, from
teacher to student.

Beliefs in the Context of Cultural Diversity

Others have examined pre-service teachers’ beliefs in the context of cultural
diversity. Many prospective teachers believe that there are children of diverse cultural
backgrounds that are capable of learning basic skills in reading and math, and there are
some that are not (Brousseau & Freeman, 1988; McDiarmid & Price, 1990). They also
tend to believe that students of various cultural backgrormds may require different
standards and objectives (Freeman & Kalaian, 1989). Another trend is that pre-service
teachers believe that poor academic performance of students ﬁ'om diverse backgrounds is

due to either a cultural deﬁcit or cultural difference (Burstein & Cabello, 1989) and that

30

they lack either “the right home environment, the right attitude, or the right ability”
(McDiarmid, 1990, p. 13).

In another study by Goodwin (1997), participants were asked to write about their
experiences in the form of vignettes, or narratives, in which they encountered a
multicultural issue or dilemma during their student teaching experience. This occurred in
the middle of their student teaching semester, during which, through seminar activities,
the students had been exposed to multicultural curricula models and materials, although
"issues of diversity had not yet been explicitly discussed" (Goodwin, p. 118). Goodwin
reported that their narratives centered around nine speciﬁc variables: race, language
difference, sexuality, gender, religion, socioeconomic classes, curriculum, exceptionality,
and equity. Fifty percent of the narratives focused on race as a key deﬁning variable, with
class and language differences far behind, at 9%. The remaining variables were discussed
only brieﬂy in the narratives, between 7.5% and 2.5%. These ﬁgures seem to indicate that
race and racial issues are primary concerns of student teachers, perhaps because race is
one of the most visible aspects of cultural diversity.

After conducting a second level of analysis, the researcher was able to make some
generalizations about the questions pre-service students asked. The ﬁrst generalization
was that the student teachers were surprised to see racist behavior. A second
generalization, one that is typical of many pre-service teachers that do not have a
background in cultural diversity, was that they felt concern or pity for the "victim" in the
incidents. A ﬁnal generalization was that students were concerned about how they should
react and respond to multicultural incidents. The researcher presented overarching themes

that emerged from the analysis of the narratives. The participants in the study expressed

31

hopelessness and seemed to doubt their own abilities to deal with issues in the classroom.
They also seemed to deﬁne these issues as "classroom" concerns rather than issues of the
school culture or of the students' culture. They felt that they had to come up with
individual solutions to individual problems. These participants also seemed to view these
problems as "minority" concerns that could be solved by making sure that the students of
culturally different backgrounds were assimilated into the mainstream

The researcher concluded that providing ﬁeld experiences in urban classrooms in
an attempt to encourage multicultural competence is often naive and ineffective. This
seems to support Haberman’s viewpoint. Also, merely providing pre-service teachers
with multicultural content, materials, and strategies may be ineffective. Goodwin stated
that a key implication “of this study is that teacher education programs must help
teachers-to-be examine their own assumptions, expectations, and perceptions of children
of color. Enabling teachers to examine their own understandings about diversity, invisible
privilege, the culture of power, and racial identity is necessary if misconceptions, hidden
assumptions, and prejudices about the competencies and capabilities of visible
racial/ethnic children are to surface” (Goodwin, p. 143). This study is one of many that
pointed to the importance of combining coursework with ﬁeld experiences in a guided
way so that pre-service teachers are encouraged to examine their own beliefs and
attitudes and the context of cultural diversity.

Artiles, Banderreto and Pena (1998) used a case study approach to examine in
detail the beliefs and attitudes of two pre-service teachers through the exploration of
concept maps created by the participants and through in-depth interviews. Results of data

analysis supported ﬁndings from similar studies in that pre-service teachers tended to

32

address multicultural issues when the opportunity presented itself, which is often termed
as the “incidental” approach (p. 78). One of the participant’s concept maps was heavily
inﬂuenced by the “problems” associated with teaching diverse learners, and she
constructed a view of teaching that was related to technical aspects, such as instructional
methods and curriculum issues. She also indicated that she attributed student success and
failure to their home life and socioeconomic status. Results also showed that both
participants compartmentalized teaching content and multicultural education. “I feel like
I’m holding all this information in this little compartment in my head. And every so often
I open the door. Okay, [multicultural education] time! Okay, close the door. And I do
something that [my coursework] taught me” (p. 80). This participant also viewed
multicultural education from the “tourist” perspective; the role of a teacher was to
celebrate diversity in the context of holidays, food, and customs. These researchers
summarized their ﬁndings in stating that “consistent with what has been reported
elsewhere, we found that teachers’ prior beliefs were central in how they learned to

teac ” (p. 85).

Schultz, Kelley, and Heck (1996) looked speciﬁcally at pre—service teachers’
attitudes toward teaching in an urban setting, using a questionnaire to which 300 pre-
service teacher education students responded. The questionnaire consisted of six open-
ended questions to determine how these students would respond to issues of diversity and
urban education. One unusual ﬁnding was the high percentage of students that expressed
an interest in teaching in an urban environment. Twenty seven percent of the respondents
indicated a clear preference for teaching in the urban setting, almost twice as my as the

national average. Other responses were not as surprising. Fifty-two percent identiﬁed

33

urban students as having different attitudes and behaviors ﬁom their own. They described
these attitudes and behaviors in negative terms: “violent,” “unmotivated,” “emotionally
unstable,” and “a challenge to authority ﬁgures.” Only fourteen percent of the
respondents felt that there were no differences between the attitudes and behaviors of
urban students and themselves. Eighty ﬁve percent of the respondents felt that a student’s
cultural background affected his or her education. Their reasons varied from very
negative, such as “generally whites are expected to do better” (p. 4), to stating that the
differences depended on certain things, like language difﬁculties or learning gaps. Only
ﬁve percent of the participants described culture as having a positive effect on education.
Sixty ﬁve percent of the respondents felt that urban children have the same learning
ability as any other children, but they added conditions to their responses. Twenty percent
felt that when children have lower learning abilities than other children, describing them
as slower, limited, and not motivated. These respondents tended to answer questions
about learning ability and behavior in a way that highlighted the negative aspects of
difference. These beliefs were stereotypical, demonstrating their lack of cross-cultural
background and knowledge.

Aaronsohn, Carter, and Howell (1992) conducted a qualitative action research
study that investigated student attitudes about inner-city schools. These researchers
wanted to determine if it made a “difference when opportunities are provided within
teacher education courses for students to confront their previously unexamined
assumptions about children in inner-city schools, especially in terms of race, ethnicity,
and social class” (p. 5). The purpose of the study was to identify effective intervention

strategies that would allow students to become aware of their beliefs and attitudes and to

34

 

broaden their perceptions of inner-city schools and students. Most of the subjects in this
study ﬁt the traditional model of teacher education students. Most were European-
American, 90% were female, and none had traveled or read widely, having few cross-
cultmal experiences.

The ﬁrst activity in this study was to have students do a three-minute ﬁ'ee-write,
answering the question, “What would you expect to see if you went to an inner-city
school?” Their responses were anonymous, but were coded so that they could be returned
to the students at the end of the course. Upon analyzing the written responses, the
researchers categorized them into three groups: 1) physical descriptions of buildings,
classroom, and neighborhoods; 2) descriptions of children and parents; and 3)
perceptions of teachers and other school personnel. They found the responses to be
overwhelmingly negative. At least 90% felt that they would see students that were “out of
control” as well as having negative attitudes towards school. Words used to describe what
they expected to see in the context of student behavior included the following:
“disruptive,” “disrespectful of teachers,” “more talking out of turn,” and “exhibiting
worse behavior than suburban children” (p. Q. Other descriptors included “talking back,”
“aggressive,” “abuse the teacher verbally,” “dirtier,” “neglected,” “delinquents,”
Violent,” “in gangs,” “may have weapons,” “rough,” and “wild” (p. 6).

These teacher education students also assumed that inner-city parents would not
be supportive of their children and would not take education seriously. They envisioned
the neighborhood to be a slum with run-down buildings. They assumed that inner-city
schools would be quite diﬂemnt ﬁom the schools they had attended, with over-crowded

classrooms, drugs, violence, racism, and ﬁghting.

35

 

 

may

The above literature has made evident that pre-service teachers come to their
teacher preparation programs with a well-developed set of beliefs based on their personal
histories and experiences. These beliefs are most often naive and stereotypical in terms of
working in culturally diverse settings. The nature of these attitudes and beliefs will most
certainly have an impact on the way these students as teachers engage in the teaching
process. In terms of my study, it was important that I gave the participants the
opportunity to explore their own attitudes and beliefs prior to any ﬁeld experience to
determine if they ﬁt the model that was presented by the literature reviewed, or if they
were in some way exceptional. If the participants discovered the same types of beliefs
typically held by pre-service teachers, is it possible that the immersion ﬁeld experience
would alter those beliefs? How susceptible are beliefs to change? The next section will
present literature that explores the notion of if, and how, beliefs may be altered.

C_an beliefs be changed?

Beliefs inﬂuence what we feel, know, and do, and act upon all of our perceptions.
Bullough (1992) states:

According to Parajes (1992), beliefs underlay all fbrrns of teacher knowledge;

declarative, procedural, and conditional. They also underlay habits of action and

interaction. Indeed all knowledge is rooted in belief (Bullough, 1992, p. 24).

Beginning teachers base their teaching decisions upon their personal lay theories,
without making a distinction between what is belief and what is knowledge. This
presents a daunting challenge to teacher educators. Stokes stated that the reason beliefs

might be resistant to change is that beginning and pre-service teachers view their beliefs

36

 

— ———-;

as knowledge. When teacher education programs challenge pre—service teachers’ beliefs,
they are also challenging their worldviews (Stokes, 1997).

Can beliefs be challenged to the point that they may be changed? A review of the
literature found that a number of studies addressed the potential for changing the prior
beliefs of pre-service teachers, although there were mixed results. These studies
presented several approaches in attempts to challenge preexisting beliefs.

One approach to challenging beliefs is to attempt to develop a sense of self-
awareness in the students through multicultural coursework to give them opportunities to
discover the nature of the beliefs they bring with them (Bennett, 1995; Frykholm, 1997;
Lawrence, 1997; Marshall, 1998). By becoming self-aware, pre-service teachers might
begin to think critically about their concepts of race, ethnicity, and culture in general.
This can be the ﬁrst step toward understanding the ways in which these issues are related
to society, education, economics, and politics in the United States (Banks, 2001).
Becoming self-aware also means realizing that we all belong to cultural groups. Many
White pre-service teachers tend to think of themselves as just "American" rather than as
being members of a cultural, racial or ethnic group. This way of thinking ”reveals the
privileged position of an individual who is proclaiming his or her own unique culture as
American and other cultures as non-American” (Banks, p. 12). Another tendency of pre-
service teachers is to say that they are "colorblind" to the races or ethnicities of their
students. Takingthestandthat "kidsarekids,"ratherthanbeingable toseethewaysin
which racism and cultmal differences privilege some groups and disadvantage others,
will prevent teachers from addressing the needs of these students most effectively. It is

critical, then, for pre-service teachers to examine their own beliefs and attitudes that have

37

developed ﬁ‘om individual personal histories, in order to develop a level of self-
awareness so that they can see themselves and their students as cultural, racial, ethnic
people.

Narrative is one method used to develop self-awareness in the context of a course
(Larkin & Sleeter, 1995; Ahlquist, 1991; Cochran-Smith, 2000). Narrative in research
emphasizes experience more than data collection. Most of the studies that indicated some
change in students’ prior beliefs were small case studies and incorporated reﬂective
mrratives (Sleeter, 2001).

Carola Conle (2000), a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
at the University of Toronto, worked with six students to attempt to develop a theory of
cross-cultural education. She conducted the study in the context of an optional cross-
cultural education course for pre-service teachers. She began the course as others have
done, by having students explore their own cultural background in order to “own their
perceptions” (Conle, p. 368). She encouraged her students to employ a narrative form of
discourse rather than adopt a more rhetorical or argumentative method of discourse. The
researcher felt that this would facilitate an active involvement in the construction of
knowledge. The participants in this study were students who had been members of an
optional course who chose to meet as a study group to reﬂect further on the projects ﬁom
the course. These pre-service teachers and the researcher as a participant took excerpts
ﬁom their journals written during the course that were incorporated into what Conle calls
a Personal Cultural Narrative. These narratives were shared, enabling the writers to begin
to recognize previously ignored facets of their own lives concerning their own cultural

backgrounds. The participants, including the researcher, concluded that this project led

38

 

 

them to consider their own cultural backgrounds, and eventually the backgrounds of their
students, as an asset rather than a liability. The narrative activities brought to light the
“cultural baggage” the participants brought with themselves to the educational setting.
Participants reported a greater sense of self-awareness, a heightened sense of self-
conﬁdence in the context of working with students from diverse cultural backgrounds,
and reduced anxiety in terrm of discussing cultural differences with their students.
Studies that used experimental designs to determine the impact of coursework
tended to have more conﬂicting results. Some report a modest positive change in pre-
service teacher beliefs (Bennett, 1979; Hennington, 1981; Tran & Young, 1994). Many of
these researchers did not conduct follow-up studies, and the few that have found that the
positive gains did not last over time (Hennington, 1991). Some of these experimental
studies that looked at the effect of multicultural coursework found no diﬂ’erences between
the two groups studied (Guillaume, Zuniga-Hill, & Yee, 1995, 1998). These studies
typically examined beliefs prior to and after a course in multicultural education.
McDiarmid (1992) found that multicultural coursework may actually reinforce negative
stereotypes and fail to change student teacher beliefs. Barry and Lechner (1995) found
that a course that concentrated on content alone, focusing on culturally different groups,
actually conﬁrmed or even increased existing stereotypes. Grant and Koskela (1986)
reported that even though pre-service teachers took multicultural education coursework,
there were little diﬂ‘erences in their actual classroom practices. From the results of these
studies, it is difﬁcult to determine if coursework alone in multicultural education makes a

discernible difference in pre-service teacher beliefs.

39

Joram and Gabriele (1998) administered a pretest and posttest to determine if
students’ views of learning, and deﬁnitions of teaching and learning changed as a result
of a cause that targeted beliefs and attitudes. Through qualitative analysis, the
researchers reported that 49% of the participants stated that a signiﬁcant change had
occurred in their views of learning, and 57% felt their views of teaching had undergone a
signiﬁcant change. However, in the quantitative analysis of the Constructivity Scale that
examined the deﬁnitions of learning and teaching on the pretest and posttest, there were
few notable changes, with about half of the students giving the lowest level response on
both pre- and posttest. The researchers suggested that there might be some change in pre-
service teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning when their preconceptions are
targeted in coursework and made a suggestion that more longitudinal studies need to be
conducted to determine if changes in beliefs are evidenced through practice in the
classroom.

Some studies include a variety of strategies in an attempt to guide pre-service
teachers through discovery and development of self-awareness and a broadening of
beliefs. Aaronsohn, Carter, and Howell (1992) used several different intervention
strategies in an attempt to determine which ones were most effective in helping students
broaden their perspectives and beliefs about inner-city schools. Some of these strategies
included pre- and post-free-writes and an infusion of materials that challenged
stereotypes and expectations into the coursework Some students examined case studies
in order to role-play and imagine themselves making decisions and solving potential
problems in an inner-city school setting. Other classroom activities included “student

reﬂective writings, group brainstorming notes, and the professor’s ﬁeld notes taken after

40

class discussions” (p. 6). Instructors also used selected texts, supplemental readings,
projects, videos and guest speakers. Teachers conducted the instruction not only through
the traditional lecture-discussion model, but also through cooperative groups. Participants
completed several worksheets that revealed stereotypes and biases, and all participants
engaged in a card game designed to allow them to experience inequity. The students were
required to tutor children in a diverse setting for three hours over the course of the
semester and participate in ﬁeld experiences in schools in urban settings.

As the researchers analyzed all the data collected throughout this study, they
began to see patterns of assumptions emerge and witnessed the struggles of these pre-
service teachers as they tried to understand conﬂicts between their beliefs and their
observations. The researchers reported “signiﬁcant shifts over time in self-reported
perspectives toward more complexity and openness in respect to the inner city” (p. 8).
The majority of participants reported a change in beliefs about inner-city schools and
students, and reﬂected on their original reactions hour the ﬂee-writes at the beginning of
the semester. They noted that their original responses had been strongly inﬂuenced by
stereotypical beliefs that were learned not only through their upbringing, but also through
media, rumors, lack of cross-cultural experience, and lack of knowledge about the inner
city. Half of the participants reported being more comfortable being around students from
diverse backgrounds. The researchers noted the importance of experiences in inner-city
environments and suggested the students be accompanied by an instructor to help them
process the conﬂicts in beliefs that emerge. They acknowledged that the change in beliefs
may be temporaryasthe studentsreturnto the environments “in whichthe stereotypes

were originally generated and sustained.” The researchers suggested the establishment of

41

 

support systems that would allow the students to continue to explore their newly changed
beliefs.
Smut

Stand-alone course work in multicultural education does not necessarily insure a
broadening of beliefs and attitudes. The studies that tended to report a more consistent
change in the beliefs of pre-service teachers were ones that included a variety of
intervention strategies and ﬁeld experiences in conjunction with academic course work.
The ﬁndings of these studies had implications for my research. It was vital that I included
a combination of various instructional strategies in terrm of the coursework in order to
encourage the participants to examine their existing beliefs and attitudes. A ﬁeld
experience in a diverse setting conducted in conjunction with these strategies would
present a greater opportunity for beliefs to be challenged and examined.

Field experiences

Another approach to broadening beliefs and attitudes in pre-service teachers is to
lmve them participate in some type of ﬁeld experience in addition to coursework in
multicultural education. Field experiences have had a long history in teacher education in
United States. These experiences take place not only within the public schools but also in
communities, helping pre-service teachers learn about their students and their families in
the context of their communities. The National Teacher Corps, from 1966 to 1982,
phced thousands of pre-service teachers in areas of high poverty, mking the ﬁeld
experience central to teacher preparation. Zeichner and Melnick (1995) identiﬁed three
types of ﬁeld experiences: 1) a brief experience to fulﬁll a particular course assignment,

called the "cultural plunge" by Nieto (1994); 2) a ﬁeld experience practicum, early in the

42

 

student teacher’s career before the actual student teaching placement, described by
Mungo (1980); and 3) combining the student teaching experience with living in a
culturally diverse community for a semester, described by Mahan (1982b).

Researchers have looked at the many forms that ﬁeld experiences may take. One
method is to introduce pre-service teachers to ethnographic research and have them
conduct a project in a diverse setting. These have typically been done in urban areas,
most often involving Aﬁican American participants (Fry & McKinney, 1997; Olmedo,
1997; Sleeter, 1996).

Studies have also had pre-service teachers act as tutors for children in diverse
cultural settings (Aaronsohn, Carter, & Howell, 1995; Boyle-Baise & Sleeter, 2000).
Similar to studies that focused on course work alone, these studies have produced varying
results. Many of these studies noted a greater interest among pre-service teachers for
working in schools in diverse communities and urban areas following the ﬁeld
experiences. The two studies listed above noted growth in self-awareness, both
concerning the pre-service teachers’ own cultures and stereotypes and concerning
cultures different ﬁom their own.

Wiggins and Follo (1999) found mixed results similar to the previous studies
cited. They examined the teacher preparation program at Oakland University to
determine the extent of student preparation for teaching in culturally diverse settings. One
component of their study was to examine the impact of ﬁeld experience. Pre—service
teachers were grouped in either a suburban placement or an urban placement. The urban
placements were divided into either a large city with school populations tlurt were mostly

Aﬁican American or a medium—sized city that was more culturally mixed, although the

43

majority of residents were also Aﬁ'ican American. There were also Arabic, East Indian,
Hmong, Hispanic and White residents. The participants in this study responded to a
questionnaire presented as both pretest and posttest. The questionnaire items concerned
multicultural issues including “factors fostering readiness for teaching in culturally
diverse settings, factors constraining readiness for teaching in culturally diverse settings,
and prior experiences relative to multicultural education” (p. 98). Their ﬁndings showed
that many of the students came to this teacher education program with little or no
background or experience in multicultural issues. Many of the students reported that the
ﬁeld experience made a difference in their views of culturally diverse classrooms. A few
students who had expressed opposition to these particular ﬁeld placements later requested
student teaching assignments in these diverse settings, and some applied for permanent
positions and were hired. In spite of students’ positive self-reports, Wiggins and Follo
concluded that sinme being in a setting does not guarantee cultural understanding. It also
does not guarantee that pre-service teachers will complete the experience with an
improved comfort level for interacting with students and parents of diverse cultural
backgrounds. The researchers recommended a combination of multicultural course work,
ﬁeld experiences, and modeling by successful practicing teachers in culturally diverse
settings. Speciﬁcally, the ﬁeld experience must become more than a visit by an outsider.
“Students must be immersed in a school for sufﬁcient time to get to know the school, and
the community it serves. Field experiences must become life experiences” (p. 103).
Other studies that focused on ﬁeld experiences examined the development of the
pre-service teacher’s “voice” (Burant, 1999) or investigated early ﬁeld eXperiences as an

instrument in altering stereotypical perceptiom, (Chance, Morris, & Gunn, 1996; Doyle,

1997; Fry & Mckinney, 1997; Mason, 1999). McDiarmid (1990) explored how student
attitudes were conﬁ'onted by observing an experienced teacher whose methods were
likely to challenge assumptions and beliefs.

In order to determine the possible signiﬁcance of early ﬁeld experiences, Fry and
McKinney (1997) conducted a study with ten White, female pre-service teachers who
were enrolled in a language arts methods course. The ﬁrst eight classes were conducted
on campus, followed by a series of four meetings at an elementary school with a
population of mostly Aﬁican—American students. The researchers used the time spent in
class on campus to prepare them for the ﬁeld experience. Through qualitative data
analysis of dialogue journals, interviews, class assignments and discussion, and surveys,
the researchers reported the following ﬁndings: 1) pre-service teachers’ attitudes and
practices were positively affected; 2) pre-service teachers’ cultural awareness and
sensitivity increased through sharing of personal biographies; 3) the ﬁeld experience at
the urban elementary school stimulated interest in pursuing a career in an urban setting;
and 4) pre-service teachers needed opportunities to actually teach in culturally different
settings in order to be able to thoroughly analyze their personal philosophies and cultural
attitudes. The use of personal biographies among the ten White participants in this study
revealed their limited background in cultural diversity and also revealed the cultural
differences that might exist among people with the same ethnic background.

Mason (1997) conducted a two-year study that speciﬁcally addressed the impact
of the urban-based ﬁeld experience on the attitudes of pre-service teachers. Participants
in the study, junior and senior level undergraduates enrolled in the certiﬁcation program

at a public university in New England, completed an eight-week ﬁeld experience in

45

conjunction with methods courses. They spent two days a week working with students in
either an urban setting or a suburban, middle-class setting, under the supervision of the
classroom teacher and an instructor ﬁom the university Department of Teacher
Education. Mason administered a pretest and posttest questionnaire to rate the extent to
which the pre-service teachers were interested in pursuing a career in an urban setting and
also to rate the extent to which particular issues would present problems for teachers in
urban schools. Mason compared the ﬁndings between the two groups of pre-service
teachers, noting that 55% of the urban group "indicated that they were more inclined to
pursue inner-city teaching versus 20% of the suburban group" (Mason, 1999, p. 12). He
also noted that the participants in the urban setting reported gaining more knowledge
from their methods courses than the participants in the suburban setting concerning
students ﬁ'om diverse cultural backgrounds. Mason attributed these changes in attitudes
to three crucial elements: 1) having the ﬁeld experience integrated with a teaching
methods course, which encouraged applying theory to practice; 2) the duration of the
actual teaching experience lasting for 96 hours, two days a week, over an eight week
period, during which a large portion of time was spent actively engaged in teaching; and
3) requiring regular meetings, both individual and group, with the ﬁeld experience
supervisor, who also observed teaching segments in the ﬁeld placement. Contact
between the student and the supervisor was described as “continuous.”

Olrnedo (1997) also focused her study on the ways that early ﬁeld experiences
combined with course work might affect pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about
teaching in an inner-city school with a culturally diverse student population. The

majority of the 29 participants in this study were White, middle-class, and mostly

 

 

suburban. Olmedo consciously related the readings in the course work not only to the
ﬁeld experience, but also to the students’ writing, which included journal entries, essays,
and personal biographies. The experience consisted of a weekly class session over a
period ofﬁfteen weeks, and one full day a week observing and helping a teacher in an
elementary classroom for eight to ten weeks. The researcher analyzed the students’
journals and essays, noting several recurrent themes. Themes emerging early in
experience were typical of beliefs of pre-service teachers who have little experience in
culturally diverse settings. These themes included: 1) inner-city students of color are not
motivated to learn; 2) inner-city students of color have so many problems that it is
virtually impossible for them to learn (pity the victim); 3) teachers should be colorblind
in order to be fair; and 4) the system is the problem. “Even if children wanted to learn
andteacherswantedtoteach, they feeltheyareconstrained fromdoing so by institutional
barriers...” (Olrnedo, p. 250). As the course continued, Olmedo identiﬁed themes
emerging in the journal entries and essays that appeared to challenge the participants’
original assumptions. These themes included: 1) children want to learn; 2) good teaching
can take place even in inner-city schools; 3) even within ethnically and racially similar
groups, there can be a great deal of diversity; and 4) being colorblind is not good
pedagogy. Olrnedo emphasized the importance of reﬂection and self-questioning under
the guidance of an instructor who could encourage the students to make connections
between course work and ﬁeld experiences. She also suggested small group discussions
in which it was easier to develop a sense of trust in order to encourage students to share
personal experiences. In addition, the researcher noted other reasons for successfully

challenging pre-service teachers beliefs, which included careﬁrlly selecting the reading

47

mterials and assignments, and using texts written by authors in a biographical format,
particularly by authors with backgrounds similar to the participants. She did caution,
however, that just because these pre-service teachers expressed that their beliefs and
attitudes changed, this may not necessarily be an indicator of genuine attitude change.
Even though students may have become more self-aware, it is only by observing them in
their actual teaching settings that one can determine if changes in attitudes and beliefs
have become permanent and are translated into practice.

In spite of the studies that reported that students' attitudes and beliefs have been
changed in signiﬁcant ways, there are other studies that report the opposite, leading some
researchers and educators to question the beneﬁt of early ﬁeld experiences. An
often-cited study by Haberman and Post (1992) found that, in spite of completing a ﬁeld
experience in an urban setting, students' preexisting beliefs and attitudes, whether
positive or negative, were not altered. Other researchers (T abachnick & Zeichner, 1984;
Goodman, 1986) argue that simply placing pre-service teachers in urban or culturally
diverse settings does not mean that we can expect them to develop more positive attitudes
toward culturally diverse students, particularly if the practicing teachers in the settings
use ineffective teaching practices. Mason (1999) suggested that in order to make ﬁeld
experiences more beneﬁcial, they must be properly supervised. When the structure and
content of pre-service teachers’ ﬁeld experiences are more controlled by an informed,
experienced instructor, it has been found that their abilities to teach in culturally diverse

settings are improved (Burnstein & Cabello, 1989; Gomez & Tabachnick, 1991).

48

 

 

Smart

Research focusing on ﬁeld experiences in culturally diverse settings has produced
mixed results. However, common throughout these studies were calls for change in
teacher education programs in the context of multicultural training or intercultural
competence. These recommendations tended to center around a combination of strategies
that include coursework and concurrent ﬁeld experience. Field experiences should allow
time for reﬂection, preferably under the guidance of an experienced instructor. Several
studies have suggested that in order to have a greater chance of positively affecting pre-
service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs, it would be vital to have the experience led by an
informed, sensitive instructor who has experience working and teaching in culturally
diverse settings. Crucial to changing negative perspectives is the exploration of pre-
service teachers’ self-awareness and the broadening of constrictive beliefs and attitudes.
Time to develop these reﬂective skills should be a consideration in teacher preparation
programs (Doyle, 1997, p. 529). Groulx (2001) supported this recommendation, noting
that only surveying student beliefs and not allowing for reﬂection on ﬁeld experiences
was a deﬁnite limitation to her study. Students need to situate their developing beliefs
concerning teaching in culturally diverse settings in the broader social context in order to
discover how culture functions in education (Ladson-Billings, 1995b). Studies are also
messary that follow pre-service teachers into practice to determine if changes in beliefs
and attitudes are temporary (Sleeter, 2001, p. 100). Based on the ﬁndings of research that
focused on ﬁeld experience, it was essential in this study to challenge the participants’
beliefs both through course work and ﬁeld experience in a culturally diverse setting,

allowing time for guided reﬂection. Because several of the participants were continuing

49

 

 

their program in the next year(s), there would be opportunity to follow-up the ﬁndings
from the initial study. Also essential to this study was my own participation throughout
the experience, as an informed and sensitive instructor who had experience working and
living in culturally diverse settings.
Immersion experiences

Immersion erqreriences are those in which pre-service teachers actually live in
culturally diverse communities while they engage in observation and practice teaching
(Sleeter, 2001, p. 96). Most of the studies that focused on immersion experiences
reported considerable learning ﬁ'om the community and a powerful impact on pre-service
teachers, although many of these studies were of limited scope (Aguilar & Pohan, 1998;
Canning, 1995; Marxen & Rudney, 1999). Zeichner, Melnick, and Gomez (1996)
identiﬁed several types of immersion community ﬁeld experiences, including brief
experiences known as the “cultural plunge” (N ieto, 1994) and experiences that focus on
community service (Mahan, 1982), or, more speciﬁcally, on classroom implementation of
these experiences. Immersion experiences also vary in the amount of structure for pre-
service teachers. Some experiences were quite explicit in the placement, number of hours
per week, and activities. Others were quite unstructured, relying on the pre-service
teacher to arrange his or her own projects. These experiences may be well supervised by
instructors in the teacher education program or may rely on information ﬁ'om the
unsupervised pre-service teacher.

Tran, Young, and Di Lella (1994) conducted a study that focused on pre-service
teachers’ attitudes toward three speciﬁc ethnic groups: Europeans, Mexican-Americans,

and Aﬁ'ican-Americans. In addition to multicultural course work, the participants were

50

required to immerse themselves in a cultural activity that would allow them to begin to
understand diversity from ﬁrst hand experience. These activities were identiﬁed as
“cultural plunges” and included attending church services and participating in cultural
festivals. The combination of course work and immersion experience resulted in
signiﬁcant changes in stereotypes toward Aﬁ'ican Americans, Europeans, and Mexican
Americans. All changes were in a positive direction. The researchers concluded
“multicultural courses requiring direct contact with local ethnically diverse group
activities create an intimate link between students and their community” (p. 188).

Melnick and Zeichner (1998) conducted a project whose purpose was to identify
and make visible the practices of exemplary teacher educators in pre—service teacher
education programs. Their study contained an example of an exemplary consortium, the
Urban Education Program of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. Among the
experiences offered through this consortium was an immersion student teaching
component in Chicago’s ethnic communities. In addition to full-time student teaching in
area schools, student teachers also lived together in the setting in order to allow for
collaboration and support. A group of faculty members worked closely with the students,
not only designing and structuring the experiences, but also striving to make them truly
life changing experiences as well. Students regarded the immersion experience as one of
the most valuable components of the teacher preparation program.
SUM!

Immersion ﬁeld experiences in conjunction with multicultural course work and
with strong support ﬁom faculty members have been quite successful in expanding and

altering pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs concerning students and families of

51

culturally diverse backgrounds. They seemed to be particularly powerful, because the
participants my ﬁnd their beliefs being challenged by experiences encountered while
living and working in a culturally diverse setting. They often have to confront these
challenges head on, because they are unable to retreat to their familiar surroundings.
However, these types of ﬁeld experiences require a lot of eﬁbrt to design and implement.
In order to support students and guide their reﬂections, faculty members must commit to
time spent in the setting with the students as well. It was diﬁicult to determine exactly
how long an immersion experience needed to be in order to be effective. Follow-up
studies need to be conducted as well to determine if the changes in attitudes and beliefs
last and have an impact on instruction once the pre-service teacher has begun teaching
fulltime. The research reported here supported my decision to use an immersion
experience for the participants of this study. Being immersed in a culturally diverse
setting provided greater opportunities for the participants to begin to see these students
not only as members of a classroom culture, but also members of families and
communities.
Music Teacher Education

According to Banks and Banks (1993), multicultural education includes three
important dimensions: 1) the inclusion of authentic multicultural content, 2) the
exploration of cultural biases and stereotypes, and 3) equity in instruction for students of
diverse cultmal backgrounds. Public school music classrooms provide one of the most
appropriate settings for addressing these pmicular components of multicultural
education. Authentic content is available in the musics of various cultures. Music is one

of the few universal cultural phenomena. We know that every cultural group has some

52

kind of music (Nettl, 1964) and that it is an expression of ethnic and cultm'al identity. If
music educators value students ﬁom diverse cultural backgrounds by asking them to
share their musics with others, it might be possible that an atmosphere of acceptance and
safety can be nurtured in which beliefs, stereotypes, and biases can be addressed with a
greater degree of comfort. By honoring the music from various cultural backgrounds and
by understanding what diverse students value, music educators may come closer to
equitable instruction for all students more readily than instructors in academic
classrooms.

A major problem in the context of cultural diversity in music education programs
is that when multicultural issues are discussed, they are most oﬁen in the context of what
toteach, ratherthanhowtoteach, orwho isbeing taught. Thefocusofmost studiesthat
addressed multiculturalism or interculturalism in music education settings, even those
that address teacher attitudes, was on course content (Moore, 1993; Mumford, 1984;
Okun, 1998; Quesada, 1992; Takacs, 1978; Volk, 1991; Withers-Ross, 1999; Young,
1996).

Attitudes of Music Educators

A study by Young (1996) examined music teachers’ attitudes toward multicultural
music education and the impact of those attitudes on their teaching strategies, and, as a
result, the classroom environment. The researcher surveyed thirty-two elementary and
middle school music teachers in both suburban and urban settings and interviewed ten of
the thirty-two teachers. Most teachers reported believing that multicultural education was
important for all children, although there were several fundamental inconsistencies in the

ﬁndings. Three areas of inconsistency were reported: 1) in the deﬁnition of multicultural

53

education; 2) the goals of multicultural education; and 3) how multicultural education
should be approached. Participants also reported believing that music is a manner of
cultural expression for people of diverse cultural backgrounds, and that the ethnicity of
the student should not be a prerequisite for what musics are included in the curriculum.
Moore (1993) gave two reasons why many music educators have implemented a
multicultural curriculum: 1) to inspire global awareness in their students and 2) to
highlight and value the cultural backgrounds of non-Anglo students. He surveyed 300
music educators to assess their attitudes toward global concepts and the teaching of world
musics. He also presented questions about the kinds of music included in their programs,
how often world musics were included, and personal demographics. His results showed
that 86% supported global awareness in music education and 75% believed that world
musics should be included in the classroom. However, there was a low correlation
between teachers’ attitudes toward including world musics in their programs and actual
practice. Percentages were given as to the types of musics presented in music classrooms:
American Folk, 27%; European Art Music, 17%; Pop/Rock, 13%; American Jazz, 13%;
contemporary, 9.7%; Latin American, 9.5%; Aﬁican, 8%; American Indian, 7.5%; East
Asian, 5.5%; Middle Eastern, 3%; Indian, 3%; and Southeast Asian, 2%. This study only
examined attitudes about the content of instruction in music education classes. It did not
address attitudes toward the students who might be of various cultural backgrounds.
Teicher (1997) also examined attitudes of pre-service elementary teachers in the
context of the effect of multicultmal music experiences. Three different attitudes were
investigated: 1) willingness to teach multicultural music activities; 2) preparedness to

teach multicultm’al music activities; and 3) willingness to teach in a culturally diverse

54

setting. The participants were divided into two groups: one that prepared a lesson plan
using pre-selected music content from mainstream European/American repertoire and
one that prepared a lesson plan using pre-selected music ﬁom a number of cultrual areas,
including West Africa, China, India the Middle East, Native American, Puerto Rican, and
others. The results showed no signiﬁcant differences for attitudes of preparedness in
teaching multicultural music or for willingness to work in a culturally diverse setting.
There was a signiﬁcant difference in attitudes of willingness to teach multicultural music
activities, in that the experimental group made a small gain in attitude scores whereas the
control group actually decreased slightly. The researcher noted that teaching about
diverse cultures is different than teaching students of diverse cultures and that attitude
changes regarding teaching in a culturally diverse setting require more than willingness.
The researcher further commented that “teacher attitude regarding the cultural
background of students is given little attention in music education” (Teicher, p. 423) and
called for further research in teacher attitudes about students from diverse backgrounds
and the ﬁeld experiences necessary for music teacher preparation.

Prepgﬁion to Teach in a Culturally Diverse Setting

Given that the music classroom may be one of the most effective settings in which

 

to teach for cultural diversity, and given the changing population demographics, it would
seem logical that music education teacher preparation programs would focus on
preparing music teachers to teach in culturally diverse settings. However, several studies

report that pre-service and in-service teachers do not feel they received adequate training

and preparation.

55

Ausmann (1991) examined several facets of teaching music in urban areas,
including teacher attitudes concerning qualities and competencies of effective urban
music teachers. A comprehensive questionnaire was distributed to 572 in-service music
teachers in Ohio’s seven largest cities. A separate questionnaire was administered to
sixty-nine pre-service teachers. Respondents gave demographic information. Ausmann
found no minority teachers in the pre-service group and a low percentage of minority
teachers in the in-service group. Most of the pre-service teachers were from suburban
and/or rural schools and reported preferring teaching positions in similar areas. Forty-four
percent of the pre-service teachers felt they were not adequately prepared for teaching in
culturally diverse settings, while 57% of the in-service teachers did not feel they were
adequately prepared.

Robinson (1996) investigated public schools in Michigan to determine the extent
to which multicultmal music education was based in cultural context, cultural plm'alism,
and educational equity. A second aspect of the study addressed the relationship between
preparation and practice. Not only did the research ﬁnd that multicultural music
education was superﬁcial, simplistic, and intermittent, but also that the majority of
elementary music educators felt they lacked adequate preparation and were uninformed
about multicultural instructional materials and education policies. Most of their
instruction was based on holidays and celebrations of different world cultures. The gap
between their attitudes about multicultrualism and practice in their classrooms was based
partly on lack of training in multicultural education and multicultural music education

In a study cited earlier, Moore (1993) reported music teachers presented more

European/American traditional music in their classrooms than musics of diverse cultures.

56

The researcher asked teachers why they did not include more world musics in their
curricula and found tint the primary reason was a lack of training.

Fiese and DeCarbo (1995) presented twenty successful urban music teachers with
a questionnaire that included four open-ended questions regarding teaching in the urban
setting. Question number one was: “Do you feel that your undergraduate/graduate
education courses prepared you to teach in the urban setting?” (p. 27). Three out of
twenty teachers (one with a bachelor’s, one with a master’s, and one with a doctorate) felt
they were adequately prepared while twelve out of twenty teachers (four with bachelor’s,
two with master’s) felt they were deﬁnitely not adequately prepared. Four of the

participants felt that even though certain aspects of their education were valuable, they

were not adequately prepared.
Sm

This review of the literature pertaining to multicultm'al issues in music education
demonstrates that the focus of research is largely on the content of instruction, not on
meeting the needs of students of diverse cultural backgrounds who are encountered in
music classrooms. Given that the music classroom provides an appropriate setting for
addressing cultural issues in the context of the larger social picture, and given that much
research has been conducted in the ﬁeld of teacher education concerning cultural
competence and attitudes of pre-service and in—service teachers, the body of knowledge

presented in the ﬁeld of music education is sorely lacking.

57

CHAPTER THREE

Methodology

The purpose of this study was to examine the personal conceptualizations of pre-
service music education students, by focusing on how they talked about learning to teach
music in the context of cultural diversity, and to probe the relationships among these
conceptualizations prior to, during, and after an immersion internship experience in a
culttu'ally diverse setting. A phenomenological ﬁ'amework is appropriate, because the

focus is on the lived experiences of the participants, examining those experiences in a

culturally diverse context.
Research Paradg' m
Phenomenology

Phenomenology is a widely used term that can be perceived as a paradigm, a
philosophy, a method of research, or a theoretical framework. In this study I use the term
“phenomenology” to refer to a research paradigm that guides inquiry.

Phenomenology was ﬁrst used by Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), who argued that
“human consciousness actively constitutes the objects of experience” (Holstein &
Gubrium, 1994, p. 263). Schutz (1899-1959) expanded Husserl’s work by focusing on the
life world and the ways that life world is produced and experienced by people. Observers
set aside their own orientation to the life world in order to focus on the ways that persons
produce the world they regard as real, the way that their lived processes construct reality.

Phenomenology is a research paradigm that focuses on persons. Bresler (1996)
quotes Satre to say that “deep knowledge of people is always based on the close scrutiny

ofa single case: ‘...a man is never an individual; it would be more ﬁtting to call him a

58

universal singular. Summed up and for this reason universalised by his epoch, he in turn
resumes it by reproducing himself in it as singularity’ ” (Bresler, 1996, p. 11).

Phenomenological researchers focus on how participants make sense of the world
through their experiences and, “in doing so, create a worldview. There is no separate
reality for pe0ple. There is only what they know their experience is and means” (Patton,
1990, p. 69). This aspect of phenomenology impacts methodology. Even though
individuals may have unique sets of experiences that determine the meaning they derive
from them, it is important to determine the primary components of the experience that are
common, the universal singular. Through analysis of the data collected, the researcher
must seek out the “essence” of the experience that the participants share, the meanings
that are collectively understood. Phenomenological research calls for the observer to seek
commonalities in meanings, situations, and experiences and to ﬁnd the shared patterns in
the texts of the participants.

The primary means for data collection in phenomenological research are open-
ended interviews and journals. Bresler stated that these methods differ from ethnographic
methods in that “they are not ﬁeld-oriented methods nor naturalistic: conducting
interviews and eliciting journals are, by deﬁnition, not ‘natural’ activities, but strategies
intended to facilitate reﬂection” (Bresler, 1996, p. 12). The use of open-ended interviews
encomages the participant to explore streams of thought rather than try and place their
experiences within preconceived categories.

An important aspect of a study framed in phenomenology is the participation of
the researcher. Patton (1990) stated that the only way for researchers to knowthe lived

experiences of another is to live them themselves. My role as the researcher was one of

59

participant-observer. The inclusion of my own personal lived experiences and the
signiﬁcance I derived from them would be crucial. At the same time, it would be
important to set aside, or bracket, my own prior assumptions, attitudes and viewpoints in
order to see the experience for itself.

The research paradigm for this study was phenomenology. Instrumental
descriptive case study is an appropriate methodology, because the units of study are the
ﬁve individual pre-service music teachers.

Research Method
Instrumental Descriptive Ca_s_e Study

There are three prominent texts that address case study research, one of which
focuses on the education setting. Merriam (1998), Stake (1995), and Yin (1994) have all
published texts deﬁning and outlining methodology for conducting case study research.
Merriam noted the apparent conﬁrsion in seeking a clear deﬁnition for case study
research, quoting Yin, Stake, and herself from an earlier edition. She saw the deﬁning
characteristic of case study research as delimiting the case, identifying it as a bounded
system, “a thing, a single entity, a unit around which there are boundaries” (Merriam,
1998, p. 27). Stake also deﬁned it as one among others, a bounded system, a “speciﬁc,
complex, functioning thing” (Stake, 1995, p. 2). He, as well as Merriam, viewed the case
study more as an end product than a research process. Yin, however, aligned case study
more with a process than a product, an inquiry that investigates some phenomenon in a
real-life setting.

In this research project, case study was the methodology and the units of study,

the ﬁve individual participants. The operational deﬁnition for this project was that it is an

60

inquiry into a particular phenomenon, that of the immersion experience, and is set within
a bounded context, that of the participants in the experience. The end product would be a
holistic, descriptive analysis of the participants’ experience.

The unit of study for this potential project would be clearly “bounded” (Merriam,
1998, p. 27) as a single entity that is clearly deﬁned and limited. The number of
individual pre-service teachers was limited to a small group with six participants
involved, including the researcher. According to Merriam (1998), seeing the case as “a
single entity, a unit around which there are boundaries” (Merriam, 1998, p. 27) is the
single most deﬁning characteristic of case study research. The boundaries are further
deﬁned by the particular experience of the immersion internship.

The term “descriptive” was appropriate, as the data resulting from the study
would be “rich” and “thick” (Merriam, p. 29), with detailed narrative of the participants’
talk about teaching in a culturally diverse setting. The use of abundant, vivid, literal
narrative would provide the reader a window into what the experience itself would reveal,
allowing the reader to become a co-participant.

This study was categorized as instrumental because, according to Stake, there is
not so much need to understand a particular case itself, but a need for general
understanding of how the case, the individual pre-service teacher, may help us understand
the impact of the immersion ﬁeld experience. The dominant issue was that of the
eﬁeaiwness of the course and the immersion experience in terms of developing
intercultural competence rather than the case itself.

Even though authors and researchers seldom agree on how case study research

should be deﬁned, and often operate under a wide range of deﬁnitions when it is actually

61

deﬁned, there are several characteristics of case study research that are consistent and that
appear inpublisbdresearch. First isthatthenatureoftheendproductisathick, rich
description of the phenomena or case being investigated. Merriam, Stake, and Yin all
agree tint the end product should emphasize the descriptions of the events or phenomena
being studied in as complete a manner as possible, using the voices of the participants to
tell the whole story. When reviewing case studies in educational research, almost every
one was rich with statements from participants, descriptions of the setting and events, and
dialogues that occurred.

Another characteristic ofcase study research that is commonly agrwd on is that it
is placed in a naturalistic setting. This is a characteristic of qualitative research in general,
and case studies in particular are set in real-world settings with real participants in real
situations. In this instance, the group of students immersed themselves in the real-world
setting of teaching and observing in schools with student populations that were culturally
diverse.

A ﬁnal characteristic ofcase study research that is widely accepted is that there
are no prescribed methods for data collection and analysis. Some techniques appear more
often than others, including interviewing and observation, but any method of data
collection and analysis could be used, including quantitative methods. The methods of
data collection for this study included audio-tape, videotape, ﬁeld notes, student journals,
papers written by the participants, and interviews.

Case study research has been conducted in the ﬁeld of teacher education to
explore how student teachers develop a concept of teaching, and to understand the

reﬂective journal as a tool in pre-service teacher training (Bolin, 1988). Case study

62

 

research has also been conducted to examine the impact of early ﬁeld experiences on pre-
service teachers (Burant, 1999) and to determine if an instructor’s teaching strategies has
affected attitudes of pre-service teachers (F ry & McKinney, 1997).

Research using an instrumental descriptive case study methodology may support
whether it is possible to improve instruction in the ﬁeld of music education by
determining if the immersion ﬁeld experience, coupled with the week of course work,
would in any way challenge the prior beliefs and attitudes of pre-service music teachers.
The ﬁndings might have an impact on curricula oﬂ‘ered for these students in terms of
developing intercultmal competence. Because little research has been conducted on the
topic of intercultural competence within the ﬁeld of music education, the potential
ﬁndings of this case study might have an impact not only on this speciﬁc teacher
preparation program, but also on other music education programs across the country.
Smhs Ed Weaknesses of Case Study Researgh

Oneoftheprimarystrengthsofcase studyresearchisthat itallowsaresearcherto
go much farther into the investigation of a particular phenomenon than most other
research methods. The phenomenon might contain multiple variables, making it complex.
Case study research facilitates examining the complexities, making it possible to shed
light on multiple realities. Another strength is that attention might be given to the
individuality and the uniqueness of the case in contrast to other research that seeks
commonalities. Case study research takes place in real-world settings, producing a life-
like account of the event and the interactions of the participant(s). The write-up may then
be more pertinent and understandable to the reader, and, if the researcher’s ability allows,

may draw the reader into the study in a dynamic and interactive way. The researcher has

63

 

more power to bring his or her own subjective interpretation into play, but at the same
time has a great responsibility to be sensitive and fair to the members of the case. Case
study research culminates in a rich, thick description of events, members of the case, and
the setting, and should reveal the values and perceptions of the participants.

Some of the characteristics that give case study research unique strengths also
contribute to the weaknesses of this method. One of the primary criticisms of case study
research is its difﬁculty in establishing validity, reliability, and generalizability. Merriam
(1985) offered suggestions to improve the credibility of case study ﬁndings. These
included longitudinal data collection, triangulation using a variety of sources, using
member checks to authenticate data collected ﬁ'om the participants, and consulting with
peers for corroboration.

Timeandcostareotherconcems. Becauseoftheamountandtypeofdata
collected, analysis may take much more time and be more costly than expected. The rich,
descriptive write-up that results from case study research may wind up being too lengthy
to adequately engage the reader.

Inherentintheuniquerole ofthe researcherasaprimaryinstrumentinthecase
are other limitations. The integrity of the ﬁndings relies on the sensitivity and the ethics
of the researcher. The researcher could possibly be selective or biased and choose from
the data only what supports what he or she wants to present. Case study research relies
heavily on particular data collection techniques, such as interviewing and observing.
Often researchers have received little to no training in these techniques and must go by
wlnt their instincts tell them, which is acceptable after someone has gained experience,

but problematic for a novice.

The ﬂexibility of case study research also means that it is difﬁcult to evaluate.
How does a reader know if the study was done properly if there are no set guidelines or
no particular methodologies to follow? For these reasons, it is important to include an
operational deﬁnition, a clear deﬁnition of the case, an explanation of the particular type
of case study used, a conceptual structure that brings focus to the study through the
identiﬁcation of issues addressed by the research questions, and a detailed description of
data gathering methods and analysis techniques.

For this particular study, the operational deﬁnition was tlmt of an inquiry into a
particular phenomenon, that of the immersion experiences, and was set within a bounded
context, that of the participants in the experience, resulting in a holistic descriptive
analysis of the participants’ experience. Case study was the methodology and the unit of
study. The cases were deﬁned as the ﬁve pre-service music teachers. The particular type

of case study used was an instrumental, descriptive case study.

Selection of the Settug' and the Participaats

 

The selection of the setting for this study was made purposefully in order to
provide an information-rich environment for the participants. The elementary school in
which the participants spent most of their time observing and teaching was located in an
urban setting and had a culturally diverse student population of approximately 60%
Hispanic, 20% African American, 15% White, and 5% Arabic. The school was relatively
small, with an enrollment of approximately 500 students. The music educator in this
school had been teaching there for three years. It was the ﬁrst position she had taken
since graduating from an undergraduate music education program. It was more likely that

the participants would be able to imagine themselves as teachers in a culturally diverse

65

setting, because the music educator was similar to them in age, education, gender, and
race. 5

The location for the internship component was a public elementary school in
Michigan similar to ones in which the pre-service music teachers might soon be seeking
employment. The urban location was also a conscious decision. Even though the focus of
the study was not necessarily to prepare pre~service music teachers to work in an urban or
inner.city setting, but to work with culturally diverse students in any setting, the urban
location provided a setting that was most divergent from what the participants had
experienced in their own educational history. I intended to have the participants
experience a setting that perhaps was not as comfortable to them in order to prompt self-
examination and provide greater opportunity for critical incidences. Because one of the
goals of the course was to experience what it is like to be an "other," this particular
environment provided the most likely probability that this would occm'. This urban
location also provided us with opportunities to observe in a variety of school settings with
a variety of student populations and teacher populations, all within a close radius.

The risk involved with the location was careﬁrlly considered. The group remained
intact for the entire project. Observation was done as a group, teaching was conducted
and observed as a group, transport ﬁom the housing site to the school was conducted as a
group, and meals were eaten as a group. At all times the researcher accompanied the
group, in addition to residing with them. Housing was speciﬁcally chosen not only for
convenience to the elementary school, but for security. The entrance to the residence was

monitored 24 hours a day and a security guard was on the premises. In other words, there

66

were no additional risks for these participants than those that a teacher living and working
in this environment would experience.

Because this study was conducted within the context of a course offered for
credit, the selection of participants was not made as purposefully as the decision of the
location for observation, teaching, and living. The course was made available for
undergraduates in the music education program with a limit on the size of the class. Five
students chose to register for the class. As this was not a required course, the participants
were self-selected.

Before data were collected, the researcher obtained permission ﬁom Michigan
State University to conduct research involving human subjects (see Appendix A).
Permission was also obtained from the Detroit Public School System to observe and
teach in a local elementary school (see Appendix B). Informed consent was obtained
ﬁom all participants with the knowledge that all data collected would be kept wnﬁdential
(see Appendix C). Participant identities were kept anonymous at all times and individuals
were referred to by pseudonym. Consent letters were also obtained ﬁom the principal of
the elementary school and the music educator (see Appendices D and E).

Role of the Researcher

Because ofthemtureofmy role inthisstudy, it isimportantto sharesome ofmy
own personal history and cultural background. Five years ago, I moved from the Gulf
CoastofFloridatothe Midwest. I hadgrownup inanareathat isknown foritscultural
blunders, stereotypical behaviors, and blatant racism, all of which I had experienced in
my years of teaching in the public school system. I was relieved at the time to be moving

to an area where I assumed people would be more culturally knowledgeable, tolerant of

67

“others,” and enlightened in the context of diversity. Two critical incidents formed the
foundation for what would become this study. The ﬁrst December I was here, I visited a
shopping mall where a large middle school choral group was singing Christmas carols.
As I stood on the mezzanine and looked down at the group, I began to be uncomfortable,
but didn't know why at ﬁrst. Then I realized, as I scanned the faces of the singers, there
were no students of color in the group. As I turned to glance over the crowd of shoppers,
I realized that most of the faces I saw were white.

The second critical incident occurred at a large state university in Michigan,
where I worked with undergraduate student teachers in music education. During a
methods class, the instructor happened to mention the changing demographics in our
country. As she relayed information about the growing Hispanic population in our public
schools, there was an audible intake of breath from the all White, mostly female, middle-
class students.

As I became aware of the various kinds of intercultural incompetence, both in the
South and the Midwest, and as I continued to work with student teachers who matched
the typical proﬁle of white, female, and middle-class, I felt a growing need to do
something that would help our pre-service teachers be better prepared to effectively work
with their students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

My interest in encouraging interculttual competence in music education pre-
service teachers also emerged ﬁ'om the recognition of my own cultural failures in my
early public school teaching experience. Both of the public schools in which I taught had
a large population of at-risk students and students who have typically been identiﬁed as

minority. Because my expectations were based on my own cultural background, there

68

were many cases of miscommunication between myself and the students, and
misinterpretation of students’ behaviors and attitudes. I managed to learn in these
experiences through trial and error, creating an understanding of the need for better
preparation in teacher education programs. Because of my experiences in working with
students ﬁom culturally diverse backgrounds, I consider myself an informed
researcher/participant,

My role as the researcher is imbedded within the people with whom I worked and
was one of participant-observer. Quantz (1992) stated that “While culture is located in the
intersubjective experiences of the participants, ethnographic ‘knowledge’ is located in the
interactive experiences of an academically informed researcher with those participants”
(p. 463 ). To get at this “knowledge,” I planned on living the experiences in the culttually
diverse setting just as the other participants would. I attempted to negotiate the boundary
that separates observer ﬁ'om participant in order to share knowledge and structure my
relationship with the participants so that I could construct a more meaningful
understanding of our experiences. Because I have been a music educator for over 20
years and have spent a good portion of that time in public schools that have culturally
diverse populations, I bring to this study self-knowledge of the importance of developing
intercultural competence. My background in communications and my interpersonal skills
were vital to the success of this study. Building relationships with the participants was of
utmost importance, and I relied on my expertise in conversing, listening, and building
trust through understanding and respecting the offerings of the participants. My
backgrormd in music retail sales and public relations provided me with the necessary

communication skills, and my own experience in the public school system provided me

69

with an understanding of the organization, politics, and cultural issues that would be
present in the immersion community. I also speak conversational Spanish, which was
important in the setting because our primary site was located in a school with a large
population of Hispanic students.
Data Sgurces and Collection

Because this study consisted of two different components, data sources and
collection are discussed here in the context of those two components.
Orientation Week

The ﬁrst week of the study occurred on the campus of Michigan State in a
classroom setting. The intent of the week of coursework was as an orientation to the
culturally diverse setting and as an opportunity for the participants to examine the beliefs
that they bring with them. In order to determine if the immersion experience would
challenge or alter prior beliefs, an inventory was administered as a pretest dining the
week of orientation and as a posttest on the ﬁnal day of the immersion experience. This
inventory, the Social Response Inventory, was designed and developed by Sheridan,
Anderson, and Sheridan (2000). It is still under revision but was highly recommended by
a Michigan State professor who specializes in intercultural competence. The purpose of
the SRI was to measure multicultural competence in American college students. This
inventory consisted of 48 items that present a variety of social scenarios to which
pmicipants are asked to respond by choosing a number along a seven-point scale. Using
the categories developed by Sue, this inventory was designed so that there are twelve
questions for each of the categories of knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The designers of

the SRI chose eight types of diversity in which multicultural competence is applicable.

70

These eight types are race/ethnicity, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability,
socio-economic status, and one they call “culture.” The authors stated that they
purposefully avoided any language in the title of the instrument that would overtly
indicate that the instrument speciﬁcally measures multicultural competence. They also
included 20 items ﬁom the Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability Scale in order to control
for the eﬂ'ects of students choosing the politically correct answer. These item indicated
the participant’s inclination for choosing socially desirable answers. Permission was
obtained fromtheauthorsofthe instrumentto usethetoolinthisstudy.

Other instruments were administered during the orientation week to determine the
cultural background and experiences of the participants. Included were the Cross Cultural
Life Experiences Checklist (Ward, 1996) and the Multicultural Knowledge Test (Aguilar,
1992), which would provide not only demographic background but also information on
the cultmal experiences of the participants that may have shaped their beliefs. These are
included in the Appendices.

The Social Response Inventory was administered during the orientation week and
on the last day of the immersion experience. However, once I heard the richness of the
participants’ descriptions of their experiences, the use of the inventory was nonessential.
It became more important to let the voices of the participants tell the story. The other
sources of data - transcripts of discussions, interviews, and jom'nals would directly
provide the answers to my research questions in the most comprehensive and powerﬁrl
manner.

Class assignments included a variety of activities that resulted in data to be

analyzed throughout the course. These assignments included a free-write amwering the

71

question, “What would you expect to see if you went to a culturally diverse school?”
Participants were asked to write a detailed autobiography describing key life events
related to education, family, religious tradition, recreation, etc. This was followed by
comparing their autobiographies with a biography based on someone culturally different
so that a cross-cultural analysis could be conducted determining the differences and
similarities between the two. Classroom discussions were audio taped and transcribed for
further analysis.
The Immersion Experience

The following two weeks were spent in the immersion experience living and
working in Detroit. I collected data in a number of ways during the immersion
experience. While participants were observing the music educator teaching, I videotaped
their reactions to their observations. This tape was analyzed in the context of proxemics
to determine if any contradictions existed between what the participants reported as
reactions and what the tape revealed. I collected ﬁeld notes as well as videotaped all
teaching sessions in which the participants were involved. In the evenings, data were
collected ﬁ'om focus group discussions driven by the experiences of the participants, and
participants planned for teaching on the following day. These planning sessions were
videotaped to determine how they began to construct meaning from their experiences and
what evidence ﬁ'om the observations they used to talk about the experiences. As the
group traveled from schools to the residence after observation, conversation was audio-
taped. Because very little time elapsed since the observation, participant experiences

were fresh, allowing for immediate reﬂection. Both the participants and I kept daily

72

journals that were collected for later analysis. Individual interviews were conducted with
each participant, guided by the lived experiences in the setting.

Interviews.

I used two types of interviews during the study, group and individual. The group
interview was in-depth, informal and open-ended, and was conducted on the last day of
our immersion experience in the apartment in which we lived. The questions for this
interview emerged over the course of the immersion experience. The participants were
asked to answer the interview questions as a group and to agree on group responses. I
also conducted the individual interviews on the last day of the immersion experience in
the apartment. These interviews were also in-depth, informal, and open-ended. Each
participant was interviewed one-on-one, in private, and was assured the responses to the
interview questions would be kept conﬁdential.

Each interview was audio-taped and videotaped, and then transcribed. Because of
the personal nature of the experiences encountered during this study, it was important to
consider not only the spoken words of the participants, but the emotional responses,
physical gestures, tone of voice, pauses, and any other nonverbal communications
exhibited by the participants.

I conducted follow-up individual interviews in the winter of 2001 and the spring
of 2002. The participants and I met in my office to talk about if and how the experience
was continuing to impact them. The questions in this interview were directed at
uncovering any incidences that had occurred in the months since the immersion

experience that could be identiﬁed as directly related to that experience.

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Obseryations.

The participants had many opportunities to team-teach and solo teach in the
primary setting, an elementary general music classroom. After observing the music
specialist for two days working with various grade levels, each participant had the
opportunity to choose whether to try a team-teaching segment the next day. As the
participants planned together in the evening, I visited with each group, taking ﬁeld notes
and making observations about their thought processes in planning their lessons. I
inforrmlly observed each of the planning sessions throughout the experience, looking to
see if the participants were beginning to put any new self-awarenesses into action.

I also videotaped each of their teaching segments, which we watched and discussed that
evening in the apartment.
Data Analysis

During data analysis, I attempted to make meaning from all the information
collected. In this study, I used a constant comparative method of data analysis (Glaser &
Strauss, 1967) in which I compared one section of data with another, and prior data with
data collected daily to determine any similarities or differences. This allowed for the
construction of categories and overall themes that occurred in an ongoing process with
the data collection. As I read through the documents from the week of orientation,
immersing myself in them and asking questions of them, initial groupings began to
emerge that allowed for comparison to data collected during the immersion experience.

The collected data were organized initially in a database and coded according to
the categories or themes. Then data were organized in even more detail. Once cross-

analysis of data was conducted, I was then able to begin to theorize about the ﬁndings.

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Reliabilﬂ' an_d Validity

In order to address the issues of reliability and validity, methods of triangulation
were employed. Data source triangulation required that I look at the pre-service music
teacher talk in the different settings in which the study occurred. Did they use the same
sort of “talk” immediately after the observation as they did during focus group
discussions and in individual interviews? I was also able to use additional data sources
available after several months had passed. These additional sources included follow-up
interviews, papers written for other courses, and data collected ﬂour a conference
presentation in which all the participants were co-presenters.

Also, methodological triangulation was used in the variety of data collection
sources including interviews, examination and coding of participant journals,
categorizing of videotaped planning and teaching sessions, and transcriptions of audio-
tape collected dming the commute from the setting to the residence.

Audibility (Lincoln & Guba, 1989) was attempted in this study to satisfy the need
for reliability. As the researcher was the instrument for the data gathered during
interviews, audibility was dependent on the ability and competency of the researcher’s
interviewing skills. My background in marketing, sales, and public relations while
working in the music retail business provided me with prior interviewing experience and
assured that my listening skills were highly developed. All discussions were audio-taped,
and interviews were both audio-taped and video-taped. The researcher was the only
individual to transcribe these tapes and interpret the data, minimizing the possibility of

errors in interpretation.

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Typically, the methodology chapter includes descriptions of the participants.
However, because the participants are part of the story, their introductions are included in

Chapter Four.

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CHAPTER FOUR

The Course, the Setting, The Participants, and Critical Incidents

Researchers and educators who consider the development of intercultural
competence crucial to pre-service teacher training have recommended a combination of
strategies that include both course work and immersion ﬁeld experience with
opportunities for guided reﬂection (Fry & McKinney, 1997; Mason, 1997; Olmedo,
1997; Wiggins & Follo, 1999). I have followed these recommendations in this study by
designing a course whose purpose was to begin to uncover what was necessary for pre-
service music education teachers to be competent and effective in a culturally diverse
classroom. Based on the review of literature and the concept of intercultural competence,
the initial step in this discovery process was to encourage the participants to examine and
conﬁont their own personal beliefs toward persons ﬁ'om diverse cultural backgrounds.
This chapter discusses the organization and sequence of the cause, describes the setting
both on—campus and timing the immersion experience, introduces the participants, and
describes two critical incidences that occurred during the experience.

1Q Come
There were two components to this course: 1) a week of orientation on the
Michigan State campus that provided an opportunity for pre-service music teachers to
examine their own beliefs and attitudes concerning teaching in a culturally diverse
setting; and 2) two weeks immersion internship at an elementary school in Detroit,

Michigan, which involved observation, team teaching, and individual teaching.

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Readinga

Three texts were required for this course: Savage Inequalities, by Jonathan Kozol,
The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, and The Art of Crossing Cultures, by Craig Stortie.
Complete information on these texts is included in the syllabus (see Appendix F) .We
began ﬁrst with The Art of Crossing Cultures, which examined cultural adjustment and
effective cross-cultural interaction. The book was written in the context of traveling and
living abroad, but it was applicable to living and working in a setting that is culturally
unfamiliar. The book used the words "adapt" and "adjust" to mean "the process of
learning the new culture and its behaviors and language in an effort to understand and
empathize with people of the culture, and to live among and interact successfully with
them" (Stortie, 1990, p. xvii). The author presented two types of problems or incidents
that he identiﬁed as Type I and Type II incidents. In a Type I incident, a cultural incident
occurs causing a reaction from the outsider, which prompts the outsider to withdraw. A
Type H incident is one in which the outsider commits the cultural blunder, causing a
reaction among the local people who then withdraw. It was important for the participants
tobeable tounderstandandrecognizethesetwo types ofincidents inordertorealize
how ineffective the process of withdrawal is. “The more we retreat ﬁ'om the culture and
thepeople, thelesswe learnaboutthem;the lessweknowaborrtthernthemore
uncomfortable we feel among them; the more uncomfortable we feel among them, the
more inclined we are to withdraw” (Stortie, 1990, p. 32). This was an important ﬁrst step
toward developing a sense of self-awareness and beginning to understand how
preconceptions can impact teaching. If each of us expects that everyone else is just like

us, we expect everyone to behave as we do and learn as we do. We also tend to assume

78

that we behave like everyone else. These assumptions are at the heart of cultural
miscommunications, misunderstandings, and discomfort, not only within communities,
but also within classrooms.

I assigned The Bluest Eye beginning the third day of the orientation week, and the
participants read this book at their own pace, continuing into the immersion weeks.
Because of the intensity of the experience, and the daily assignments given during the
orientation week, the participants did not begin reading the Kozol text until the
immersion weeks, again proceeding at their own pace. We discussed these two texts
informally during the immersion weeks.

I included two additional readings during the orientation week, “Report from the
Bahamas,” by June Jordan and “Social Class and Hidden Curriculum of Work,” by Jean
Anyon. I intentionally chose these two readings because their focus was not solely on
race but class and gender as well. Jordan discussed her realization, during a vacation in
the Balnmas, that “the usual race and class concepts of connection, or gender
assumptions of unity, do not apply very well” (Jordan, p. 29). It was her belief that
factors of race, class, and gender may be indicators of common conﬂict but are unreliable
when considered as elements of connection among individuals. Even though she
encountered individuals with whom she shared certain cultural aspects, she discovered
she had no real connection to these individuals, in spite of her beliefs of universal
solidarity due to race or gender.

The Anyon article focused on social class, deﬁning it as the way a person relates
to the “process and society by which goods, services, and culture are produced” (Anyon,

1980, p. 69). This article examined ﬁve elementary schools in contrasting social class

79

communities in the context of the types of tasks given to the children and in the types of
interaction. The article presented examples that illustrated differences in classroom
experiences, suggesting that knowledge and skills that may lead to social power, and
more socially acceptable occupations are made available to the more elite social groups,
but not to students fiom the working classes.
Activities

The activities I selected for the orientation week were critical for their content and
the discussions they prompted, but equally important was the sequence of the activities.
There were several goals behind the choice of activities and the order in which they
occurred. The initial goal was to establish some sense of trust among the participants, as
the issues involved were extremely personal and often controversial. A second primary
goal was to ﬁnd out as much about each other’s personal history and cultural background
in order to not only get to know one another, but to see the differences and similarities
among ourselves. A third primary goal was to begin to develop an awareness of our
beliefs and attitudes concerning cultural diversity, ﬁrst from an intellectual level, and
then from a more emotional level, and the origins of those beliefs and attitudes.

In order to quickly create an environment in which all participants felt
comfortable and safe sharing their thoughts, feelings, and opinions, I asked them to create
a set of ground rules for all to abide by throughout the experience. The ground rules
generated by the participants were: 1) to be honest with how we each feel, not worrying
about being politically correct; 2) to be respectful of each other’s faults and cultural
backgrounds; 3) to not be afraid to respectfully challenge one another by asking

questions, but to refrain from personal attacks, to focus on ideas; 4) to be comfortable

80

enough to say, “I don’t want to talk right now;” and 5) to put trust on the table and say, in
good faith, we are going to just trust one another. During the discussion that centered on
creating ground rules, it became clear that the participants were quickly becoming
comfortable with one another, evidenced by the ﬁ'eedom with which they spoke
concerning issues that were important to them and how they wished to be treated by the
others in the group. For example, one participant stated that if she made some type of
comment that was stereotypical, she would like for the others to point it out to her. “If
they don’t say that to me, I may not hear what Ijust said.... It would disturb me ifI said
something that held prejudice in it and I knew it and no one said anything, and I knew
that we all went to bed at night knowing that I said that. I would rather confront it”
(Whitney, group discussion, May 7). Another participant described her own cultural
background and experience, admitting her own sometimes stereotypical perspectives;
“Because I’m from the South, these things that you guys say to me are just completely,
sometimes they’re weird. And I’m putting you guys in the same category and
stereotyping everyone!” (Gail, group discussion, May 7). They also began to express
concern for each other’s comfort; “Does that feel comfortable to you all? Because I know
some people are not as conﬁontational in their personalities and that might be
uncomfortable for some people, so how do you guys feel about tlnt?” (Megan, group
discussion, May 7). Through their discussion and by establishing operational ground
rules, the participants began to have some level of ownership in the process, began to
express wlmt they saw as personal shortcomings, and began to express their own

concerns and concerns for each other.

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Additional activities during the orientation week continued to build on uncovering
our own personal histories, the differences and similarities between ourselves and others,
biases and stereotypes we unconsciously held, and how we viewed the word
“multicultural” in general terms and in the context of music education.

In order for the participants to be comfortable with one another and to quickly get
to know each other, I asked that we write our personal histories, to include our
upbringing, our cultural/ethnic background, our religious history, our education, our
family’s socio-economic leveL and our relationships with family members. We wrote our
autobiographies the evening after the ﬁrst day of orientation week; then, rather than just
having us read to one another, I had us talk through our histories and experiences. We
spent approximately four hours sharing personal information, telling stories about our
grandparents, describing particularly challenging times in our lives, and discovering some
important ways in which we were all similar and different. By exploring our cultural
backgrounds and life experiences, we began to reveal the roots of our beliefs and
attitudes toward peeple unlike ourselves, leading to discussions of why we react the way
we do, and how those ingrained beliefs might impact our teaching.

To explore their cultural backgrounds deeper and contribute to their own
recollections and experiences, I asked the participants to interview one of their parents,
asking their mother or father to share any stories or incidents they could remember about
their grandparents and great-grandparents. While discussing our backgrounds, several
similarities began to emerge. All of the participants had a very strong and loyal base of

family and ﬁ'iends. Four of the participants had very strong family structures and support.

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Even the one participant whose parents had divorced expressed how much she relied on
the support of her father and sisters.

All of the participants had siblings, and all of their parents attended college. The
parents of three of the participants hold degrees, and the other two participants had
parents that attended college but did not graduate. Their families highly value education
and have made sure that their children attend colleges and universities.

Each of the participants expressed how important faith was in her life. Three
were Protestant, one was Catholic, and one was Jewish Each of them regularly attended
church or synagogue and expressed how important faith was in her daily life. Several
participants discussed being called to teach, related being led to take this course, and
predicted that ﬁith would play a major role in the success of their ﬁrttue teaching
experiences.

All of the participants had traveled abroad more than once, either as a tourist, to
visit family, or as an exchange student. Three of the participants grew up in one place,
while the other two moved often. Three of the participants had an immediate family
member that was a cancer survivor.

After discussing our personal histories and experiences, we explored the word
“multicultural,” discovering that culture is not necessarily synonymous with race and
ethnicity. The participants were asked to generate as many dimensions of culture as they
could, reﬂecting on the dimensions of their own culture with which they identiﬁed. After
identifying aspects of culture such as food, dress, music, family structure, social etiquette,
standards of beauty, and religion, we reﬂected on the list, discovering we had left out

race, and that sexual orientation, social class, and gender appeared very late in the

83

process. This led to a discussion of how there could be conﬂict in the way we typically
identify others and the ways we would like to be identiﬁed. The participants realized that
the components of their cultures that were important to them centered around spirituality,
morals, and values, and that the basis for cultural understanding of people unlike
ourselves is typically centered around more concrete and behavioral aspects, such as
appearance, language, and approaches to non-verbal communication. In the context of
music education, the participants agreed that their students should go through a process in
which they identify their interests and their cultures. As they proceed through a survey of
diﬁemnt music ﬁ'om around the world, chosen based on the cultural backgrounds of the
students themselves, they would produce a portfolio in which they address their
perceptions, what they have learned, and how their perceptions possibly change.
Emphasis should be placed not on a sequence of musical activities, but on “how the
human spirit interacts with music.”

I administered a “Multicultural Awareness Quiz” on the third day of the
orientation week. The purpose of this quiz was to illustrate how om perceptions of reality
and what we learn through the media and the education system may often be incorrect.
The questions related to race, gender, and socioeconomic class. Sample questions are:
During what day of the year do women’s shelters report a 40% increase in call for help?
What percentage of US. newspapers do not have any Black reporters on staff? What
percentage of the 71,000 Americans employed as professional athletes are African
America? According to the United Nations Human Development Report, what country
has trained over 25,000 of its teachers, and as a result, over 3 million children, in human

rights education? After completing the quiz, and reviewing the correct answers, the

 

participants engaged in a discussion about how we receive cultural information, how we
process that information, how misinformation can contribute to stereotyping and
oppression, and how as educators they could challenge these stereotypes.

On the third day of orientation week, we also explored aspects of culture with
which we most strongly identiﬁed, and how we ourselves have been victims of bias or
stereotyping. The activity required that we identify the form most important cultural
attributes by which we deﬁne ourselves. The answers the participants chose reﬂected
back on the histories they had shared through their autobiographies, so this was not
necessarily new information. However, this activity revealed the characteristics that they
considered most important. For example, one participant shared that she viewed herself
as a Christian, a family member, a student and pursuer of knowledge, and a ﬁiend. All
ﬁve of the participants included their faith or spirituality, all ﬁve included an aspect of
family, four identiﬁed themselves as students, three identiﬁed themselves as musicians,
two identiﬁed physical characteristics, and two recognized the importance of their
cultural background. The choice of these categories by each of the participants was
enlightening, not only to them as they learned more about each other, but also to me, as a
researcher considering what each of the participants brought to this experience and how
that might effect their perception of events timing the immersion portion of the course.
M

I included two ﬁlms during the orientation week. We watched “The Color of
Fear” on the second day and “The Blue-Eyed Experiment” on the third day.

“The Color of Fear” presented an account of a men’s discussion group during a

weekend seminar. The group focused on issues of culture, particularly race, that they

85

experienced in each of their lives. The group was culturally diverse, made up of Aﬁican
Americans, Caucasians, Chinese, Japanese, and Latinos. The topics that emerged from
the discussion following this ﬁlm included: the diﬂiculty in viewing the world through
anything other than our own cultural lenses; that this difﬁculty is just human nature; that
members of the dominant culture do not think about racial issues because they do not
have to; that the culture of America is to be accepting of all cultures; that it is difficult to
think about demographic change and the possibility that the roles of majority/minority
might be reversed; that racism is not necessarily the White person’s responsibility; that it
is easy to be ignorant; that bias is something that is deeply ingrained and can never be
erased; and that even though people might consider themselves open and ﬁ'ee of bias, it
exists on a subconscious level, and there might be a fear of those biases actually being
exposed.

The participants continued to refer back to this ﬁlm throughout the rest of the
orientation week and throughout the immersion weeks. Their reactions to this ﬁlm
continued to evolve, and they became aware of new perceptions concerning their own
biases and how society functions in the United States in terms of cultural diversity.

“The Blue-Eyed Experiment” was a ﬁlm that depicted a training program that
many employers have used to help develop cultural competence among their employees.
The program was developed by Jane Elliott and evolved from an experiment she
conducted with her students when she was an elementary public school teacher. After the
death of Martin Luther King, Sr., she felt compelled to share the concepts of tolerance
and acceptance with her all White students, so she devised an experience in which the

students would know what it felt like to be discriminated against. She separated the

86

students according to eye-color and treated the brown-eyed students as inferior to the
blue-eyed. The structure of the training program was the same, with people of a particular
eye color subjected to verbal taunts, derision, insults, and made to feel intellectually
inferior. The topics that emerged during the discussion of this ﬁlm included: members of
the dominant culture do not have any idea what it is like to truly be discriminated against;
being able to empathize would make people more aware of injustice and want to do
something about it; all people have a responsibility in terms of cultural acceptance and
social justice; prejudice and bias have been perpetuated over centuries; ignorance and
non-action are as bad as negative action; people of color endure racism on a daily basis
throughout their lives; rather than feeling helpless and overwhelmed by the immensity of
this issue, people can make a difference in their individual lives and individual
classrooms.

There were much stronger reactions in the context of social justice to this ﬁlm
than to “The Color of Fear.” I had not consciously thought through the impact of which
of the ﬁlms should be seen ﬁrst, but there were obvious beneﬁts to the sequence that
occurred. The ﬁrst ﬁlm approached the issues of cultural diversity and racial intolerance
ﬁom a more intellectual viewpoint. The participants thought about this ﬁlm and went
through a logical process in trying to determine the impact of the ﬁlm. The second ﬁlm
made much more of an emotional effect. One participant noted,

This video was inspiring to me, opposite the other video. After the other video

[“The Color of Fear”], I think I probably even said this in our discussion, I felt

really frustrated. And I saw it [the issue] as too complex. I think the difference is

that this video went to the emotions, and these people’s feelings directly. Instead

87

 

of like a discussion where these men were trying to grapple with it intellectually.

So after this video, I feel inspired and more anxious to dedicate my life to this

issue. Whereas before I felt helpless to the issue. It’s strange how I had much

different reactions (Whitney, journal entry, May 10).

My own journal entry echoed what this participant felt — “Showing ‘The Blue-
eyed Experiment’ close to the end is good. It is more emotional and it’s good they’ve
aheady begun to think through things.”

The last day of the orientation week was spent visiting Detroit, seeing where we
would be living, meeting the music instructor with whom we would be primarily
working, and visiting the elementary school where we would be working.

I also asked each participant to answer a series of questions. The questions were:
1) Whatisteaching?2) What is learning?3) Whataretheroles ofthe studentandthe
teacher? 4) Describe what is needed to be a successful teacher in a culturally diverse
setting, 5) Describe your thoughts concerning the possibility of teaching in a culturally
diverse environment, 6) How do the attitudes and behaviors of students from culturally
diverse backgrounds compare to your own attitudes and behaviors? 7) How would you
characterize the learning ability of children from culturally diverse backgrounds? The
ﬁrst time the participants answered these questions was on the ﬁrst day of the orientation
week. They took time during class to write their answers to these questions. They
answered the same questions again on the last day of the immersion experience, but this
time I asked them the questions during their exit interview, and they talked through their

answersratherthanwritmgthemThecomparisonoftheanswersmthesesetsof

88

questions are included in data analysis in Chapter Five, not in a stand-alone section, but
integrated within each of the individual cases.
The Settmg'

There were three primary settings in which we lived and worked during this
course; one for the orientation week, one in which we lived during the irnmersions weeks,
and one in which we worked during the immersion weeks.

We spent the orientation week on the campus of Michigan State University, in a
conference room that was typically not available for classes. Because this week occurred
during the break between Spring and Summer semesters, we were able to meet in a more
intimate environment than that of a typical classroom. The small conference room
contained a large table and several comfortable chairs. Class sessions met from nine in
the morning to four in the afternoon Monday through Thursday, with a break for lunch.
We spent most of the day Friday in Detroit, getting familiar with the setting.

Dming the immersion weeks, we lived in an apartment used for housing for a
visual and graphic arts school in downtown Detroit. The building was located across the
street ﬁ'om the Detroit Institute of Art, and two blocks from Wayne State University in an
area containing museums, oﬂices, and businesses, with a fair amount of pedestrian traffic
that contributed to a feeling of safety. The apartment was large and comfortable, in an
older building with high ceilings and views of downtown Detroit. There were three
bedrooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, and two baths.

The primary site for the majority of our observations and teaching was a public
elementary school located in Mexicantown, an area in Detroit with a large Hispanic

p0pu1ation. The school was small, with only around 500 students, and the student

89

population was quite diverse, as described in Chapter Three. The building was old and
did not have a playground, lunchroom, or auditorium. A multipurpose room served as the
library, the nurse’s station, and ofﬁce space.

Even though the participants expressed some reservations about the conditions,
the building was equipped fairly well, with a computer lab, good- sized classrooms, and
adequate resources and materials. The library, while small and disorganized, contained
books both in English and Spanish Even though there was no lunchroom, lunches were
available and served in the classrooms. The restrooms, while needing some cosmetic
attention, were clean and functional. The music room was well equipped, with a wide
variety of Orff instruments, a piano, risers, percussion instruments, and a sizable
collection of music books and recordings. We did not visit in the other classrooms, so the
impressions of the participants were somewhat limited. Their observations and
viewpoints were an indicator of potential cultural conﬂict and culture shock at being in an
environment unlike that to which they were accustomed.

The Participants

Five individuals participated in this course. They were all female, and all music
education majors. Two were masters students working toward teacher certiﬁcation in
music education, and three were undergraduates working toward a bachelor’s in music
education. This section will introduce each of the participants and give biographical
infornntion. In spite of cultural differences, the deﬁning characteristics of all ﬁve of the

participants were quite similar.

90

C_annJLe

At the time of this course, Camille was 24 years old and in the second year of her
post Bachelor of Musical Arts and Masters certiﬁcation program. She had already taken
choral methods, elementary general methods, and early childhood methods. Her other
music education coursework included Teaching General Music to Secondary Students.
She had experience teaching early childhood music in the Community Music School at
Michigan State University.

Camille was born in Lansing, Michigan, but, because of her father’s profession,
moved often Her father is a chef, and her mother went to college to be a teacher but did
not graduate. Her parents divorced when she was thirteen, after moving back to
Michigan, and Camille ﬁnished high school there.

Her mother grew up on a farm and is one of eight children. This family apparemly
was not very comforting or supportive. Her mom’s side of the family is Scotch-Irish,
independent and strong. Her mother traveled to Belize after ﬁnishing high school and met
Camille’s father there. They moved to Michigan, married, and began a family.

Camille has one younger sister and an older adopted sister from Belize. Her father
was born in Belize, of Caribbean, Spanish, and Mayan descent. His mother was
somewhat of an entrepreneur, making bread to sell. She was one of the ﬁrst people in her
village to save her money and have a washing machine and a refrigerator. Otherwise, life
was fairly spartan, with no indoor plumbing. Camille experienced a closeness ﬁ'om her
father and his side of the family, because “they (her relatives in Belize) will do anything

for their children, they really will. There’s nothing that could separate them ﬁom their

91

child, which is really wonderful. That’s something that’s very different from what I
experienced on my mom’s side of the family” (autobiography).

She felt an attraction to her Hispanic culture, but had struggled with being
bi-racial and not feeling as though she really belonged in one place or another.

I always felt that there was just something special about where my dad came

ﬁom. But then I never really felt like I, I don’t have the typical, the stereotypical

Latina or Mexican look. Here in Michigan especially, if you don’t look Mexican,

you’re not Hispanicwand so I grew up with the music and the food, the lilt in the

language of their broken English. There’s just something about there that I wanted
back (autobiography).

Religion had been a big part of Camille’s life. She was brought up Catholic and
has continued to rely on her faith during difﬁcult times of her live, particularly during her
parent’s divorce and when her father was diagnosed with cancer. Dm'ing her ﬁeshman
year in high school, her father went to New York to be treated, and there were periods of
time when she did not hear from him and did not know if he was improving or not.
“When everybody else was worried about what clothes they were going to wear, or who
they wanted to go out with to the dance, I was worried about whether my dad was even
alive or not” (autobiography). It was during this time that faith and prayer became a vital
part of her life. As she struggled considering a career choice, whether to continue on in
vocal performance or change to education, she visited one of her aunts who was a nun.
She stayed at the convent and visited a music classroom where a music teacher was
working with elementary students. She believed that God led her to a career in music

education, although she has continued to sing.

92

Camille’s primary personal characteristics are deﬁned by her Hispanic culture,
her strong Catholic faith, her struggles in her immediate family, her desire to work with
young children, and her identity as a performing artist.
my

At the time of the course, Whitney was 20 years old and in her third year of her
undergraduate music education degree. She had taken elementary methods, but no other
methods courses.

She was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up in Livonia, in the same house
her parents moved into when they married and where they continue to live. She grew up
in a very close, supportive family, surrounded by both sets of grandparents as well as
aunts and uncles. She has a brother three years younger, and a sister who is ten years
younger.

She went to a small, private Lutheran elementary school, with only around 100
students. This school was affiliated with the church where her grandfather was the
minister. She considered this religious afﬁliation to be the core of her family culture:
“And that is what my family culture is, Lutheran ministers” (autobiography). In addition
tohergrandfhther,herunclewasaLutheranminister,aswellasbothgreatunclesand
both great grandfathers. Every male born on her mother’s side of the family for the past
two generations was a Lutheran minister. Both of her great-grandmothers were educated,
professional women, and her grandmother on her father’s side put herself through college
after marrying and having three children.

Whitney attended private school through ﬁfth grade, when many changes

occurred in her family life. Her grandfather passed away, so her family changed churches

93

to one closer to their home. That same year, her younger sister was diagnosed with
cancer, a very rapid myocarcinoma, which is a rare form of cancer that aﬂ‘ects the
reproductive organs. This was a pivotal time for Whitney’s family, as the treatment lasted
for two years, dm'ing which they were in and out of the hospital.

Whenever you have a big emotional thing happen to a family, a big crisis, it’s like

the attributes and values of that family are, you know, a light is shown on

them. . ..a big value of my family is family closeness, and loyalty and honesty and

openness (autobiography).

Whitney’s mother and father were very open about the illness, describing in detail
the symptoms, treatments, and procedures. They devised charts and diagrams to help
explain things to their other children. At all times, their parents talked to Whitney and her
siblings in adult terms.

They didn’t ever change their vocabulary, they didn’t ever change their

expectations when we were kids. And that affected a lot of how I feel like I’m

treated by people now. Because I hate being patronized, and I hate people

speaking down to me. . .(autobiography).

Whitney managed to have fond memories of the whole experience because of the
way her parents handled the situation. They had picnics in the hospital hallways, played
with the other cancer patients, and even built a facsimile of a CAT scan machine so the
younger sister could get accustomed to being in it.

Whitney’s faith had been extremely important to her, particularly being reared in

a family of ministers. Her family stressed the importance of the privacy of faith, as an

94

individual experience, and she had continued to rely on her faith for support and guidance
through her life.

Whitney switched to public schools in sixth grade, and was tracked into the gifted
and talented program. She became involved in choir and drama, and “became a dork. But
I never knew it, and I’ve always been oblivious to the social whatever.” She became
involved in many extracurricular activities, had lots of friends, went to parties, but “had
really a pretty dull life. Not anything racy, I came home and did my homework.” She
worked hard to succeed in high school, motivated by her parents who encouraged her to
“just do your best.”

After her ﬁeshman year in college, she studied abroad in Austria for a month,
then participated in an alternative spring break involving community work in Merida,
Mexico.

Whitney’s deﬁning characteristics come from her close-knit, supportive, well
educated family, her strong Protestant faith, her academic background, and her desire to
be the best person she can be.

Magaa

Megan had just ﬁnished her senior year as an undergraduate in musiceducation.
She had already taken elementary general methods and early childhood methods, but had
very little teaching experience at this time.

She was born in Michigan and is the second of ﬁve children. She and her
siblings have a wide range between her ages, 18 years between the oldest and the
youngest. She and her older sister grew up together, with her younger brother born ten

Years later.

95

 

Megan’s mother is half Italian and half English, part of a close knit family that
always celebrated holidays together. Because of Megan’s grandfather’s dominant
personality, they have always celebrated their Italian heritage.

Her father’s background is Western European and 1/16 Native American. Neither
of her parents have a college degree, although both of them attended. Her parents
married when they were 18, and her mother has always been a stay-at-home morn. Her
parents struggled ﬁnancially early in their marriage, but managed to provide a strong,
close family life.

I have immense respect for them because of their dedication to principle and

conviction. Rather than getting a job, my mother made extreme budget and

lifestyle choices to make this possible. All through my childhood, I never
remember going out to dinner with my parents. My parents couldn‘t afford to buy
us any new clothes, so we pmchased all of our clothes from garage sales.

Everything is relative. In comparison to my friends, we were very poor. In

comparison to the average world system, we were doing quite well

(autobiography).

Megan was reared in a tolerant and accepting environment, in spite of her parents’
backgrounds.

Both my parents grew up in prejudiced homes. My grandfathers would make

derogatory comments in hem of me as a child, and l have to imagine that similar

comments ﬂowed much more freely while my parents were children. My great-
grandfather on my dad's side was horrible. I can remember an instance as a child.

It's as plain as day. I was up north at his cabin. This was when ‘ crimping’ your

96

hair was the stylish thing to do for a third grader. My great-grandfather walked

by me, and made what he thought was a frmny joke, ‘ you look like a G—d—Damn

Nigger.’ Even just typing it makes me shudder. He was known for his foul

language. We would all just laugh at him when he would swear about his

daughter’s cooking, but even as a child I knew that this wasn't funny

(autobiography).

Her parents not only talked about the importance of being tolerant, but also
provided an example for Megan through their actions. One of her father's boyhood
friends became openly gay as an adult. His parents died, and he developed a drinking
problem. Even though his lifestyle choices were very different from her mother and
father's moral convictions, her parents gave him their support and love.

From time to time, he would call my parents, drunk and suicidal. Both of them

what always drop what they were doing to help him in his darkest moments. My

parents showed me, not with words but with actions, that regardless of your
differences in beliefs we have a responsibility to love others and act on that love

(autobiography).

Faith has always been an important part of Megan’s life, ﬁom her early
childhood. Her mother was a strong inﬂuence on her and her spiritual development.

Shortly after marriage, my mother began to seriously investigate spiritual truths.

She read the Bible ﬁ'om ﬁ'ont to back. My mother's relationship with God began

to grow. Every day my mother would wake an hour before my sister and I,

studying scripture and praying. This daily regimen would inﬂuence me more than

any words ever spoken (autobiography).

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Her parents valued not only spirituality but education as well. Megan was
enrolled ﬁrst in a Montessori school, then in a private Christian school with a strong
academic curriculum. She and her sister stayed in this school until Megan was in the
eighth grade, when they then transferred to a public high school.

Megan began to experience diversity at a young age, in spite of the homogeneity
of her school and community. The entire student population of her school was White,
except for two students, one of which happened to be one of her closest friends. This
student was from Iraq, and Megan spent much time in her home through high school
becoming acquainted with her culture.

Megan admitted that she had always been intrigued by people from diverse
cultural backgrounds in spite of the limited etlmic diversity in her own background.

I don't ever remember considering race in high school. I never had to. I do

remember my limited experiences with people of color because they were so

interesting and far and few between. I worked at a local family-owned market
and specialty shop for a couple of years. I can remember an Aﬁ‘ican-American
gentleman coming through my checkout line. I was beside myself with
excitement and nerves. I was always very curious about other cultures and just

‘other’ people in general. I can remember trying so hard to make him feel

welcome. I just wanted him to know that I was not prejudiced (as far as I knew at

the time) and I wanted to encourage him to come back... after he left, I thought, ‘
you know, I just wish that he could come through my line and I wouldn't notice
his color. Why do I have to notice it? That I wouldjust see a customer.’ It made

me mad that I couldn't do that (autobiography).

98

 

Her academic life continued at a state university in Michigan, where she
encountered more cultural diversity that she had ever experienced. As an undergraduate,
she had the opportunity to travel to Europe for six weeks. While there, she visited
Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, England, and Spain.

This was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. I loved the adventure. I

loved experiencing the language, the food, the music, the people, the art, the

tradition, and the architecture. The list could go on and on. The two weeks in

Spain were deﬁnitely the furthest from my culture I had ever been. The Germanic

countries have much more in common with the United States. I found myself

looking different than everyone in Spain. The food was drastically different. It
was very good for me to see people living in a world very different from my own

(autobiography).

The summer following her junior year, she traveled to Budapest, Hungary on a
mission trip with her church This trip was a pivotal moment as far as Megan’s faith was
concerned. She had been very independent, and a typical, rambunctious teenager up until
this point. Druing this trip, she got to know the man who would become her husband,
and they began to explore together the importance of their faith

I meded to make my faith my own. [My future husband] walked into my life. He

had an amazing relationship with God that he showed me through his actions. His

life was used to change mine. At that time we both really began to grow together
in our faith From that season on, my life has continued down this path, my faith

growing in importance. .This trip was especially signiﬁcant because my focus

 

was not on myself, but on reaching out to other people and accepting them just

where they were in life (autobiography).

Another life changing experience for Megan occurred during her junior year. She
became a Resident Assistant, overseeing a ﬂoor in a dormitory with 46 residents.
Because she interacted with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, she began to
become aware of the issues and challenges that culturally diverse people face.

This experience was a huge stretch. In addition to the campus activities and

college life, I was broadly trained in racial issues, sexual orientation issues,

suicide intervention, anything you can imagine as an issue/possibility in the dorm.

My direct supervisor who became a wonderful support and ﬁiend was half

Hawaiian and a gay man. Five of my fellow staff people were people of color.

These were really the ﬁrst candid relationships I had had with people of color,

who began to open my eyes to the issues they face every day in a White man's

world (autobiography).

Megan was married the month after our experience in Detroit ended. Her
husband is an assistant minister in a church in northern Michigan.

For Megan, her deﬁning characteristics were the importance of her faith, her
strong, supportive family, and her cultural experiences.

_G_ai_l

At the time ofthe Detroit course, Gail was 24 years old and hadjust completed

her ﬁrst year of her master’s degree in music education. She had already taken

elementary methods, instrumental methods, and early childhood methods. She had taught

100

as a substitute in the public schools in Richmond, Virginia, but had very little experience
at the elementary level.

Gail is the oldest of three children. She considers herselfa Southerner because she
grew up in Richmond, Virginia. Her parents have lived apart for about ﬁve years but are
not divorced.

Gail grew up in a very protective, sheltered environment with strict parents who
valued the importance of education

They were very strict bringing us up, and they were very protective. I wasn’t

allowed to watch t.v., I wasn’t allowed to see R-rated movies. . .My parents valued

education very highly. My mom, in fact, has a lot of problems because my brother

did not value education So he did not do very well in school. . .My mom cared,

though She pulled him out ofschool because he was acting out. They put him in

a military academy and he still had a bad attitude. So they put him into home

schooling. .There were a lot of ﬁghts growing up about grades. But I didn’t get

any pressure at all because I was ﬁne. And it was like, we g9 going to

college. . . (autobiography).

Although she described her family as very close and important to her, she
revealed that her parents were not necessarily open and communicative with her or her
siblings.

Ithinkmy momjust needstobeonherown. Myparents, theytreatuslikekids.

I’m 25, I’m tired of being treated like a kid! At Thanksgiving, I sit at the kids’

table! They don’t really tell us what’s going on with them. They have lived apart

for about ﬁve years, but they are still married. My mom is hard to get along with.

101

My dad is great for her. . .I don’t know what’s going on with them. I don’t like to

think about it (autobiography).

The grandparents on Gail’s mom’s side were Irish but lived in the United States.
Her grandmother was born in Ireland, and her grandfather in Michigan of Irish parents.
The family was Catholic, so Gail’s mom attended Catholic schools. She was the oldest of
six children and was very close to her father, but had not kept in touch with her siblings,
for the most part. Her father was in the Navy, so the family moved around often. Gail
viewed this side of her family as close, but admitted they did not see each other often

Her [Gail’s mom] brothers are, from what I can gather, all of her sisters and

brothers are pretty rebellious. I have one uncle who was a hermit for 20 years. He

did not speak to anyone else. He did not speak to his dad: they had a falling out.

He lived in Colorado, and just recently in the last ten years 1nd decided to go back

to school. And my grandfather apparently paid for it. So they lave kind of come

back together. My other aunts and uncles, they have a lot of issues

(autobiography).

Gail’s grandparents on her dad’s side were from rural Pennsylvania and struggled
with poverty. Gail described her dad’s side of the family as very close, visiting with each
other every Christmas and recently relocating to live near one another. She admired her
father, not only because he had been a good provider for his family, but was also well-
respected in the community.

My dad is really cool. He is somebody that I really look up to a lot. Because he is,

he isjust great. He is cool in that he is laid-back and he is also cool in that he

provides. He goes to work at seven in the morning and leaves at seven at night.

102

Every day in a job that I wouldn’t be able to do. Right now he is a computer
analyst...But the reasonI look up to him is mostly because he is such a leader in
the church. . .My dad is well-respected among the people in my chm'ch
(autobiography).

Gail described her mom as “pretty eccentric” and very opinionated.

If you think I’m opinionated, get to my mom and she will just totally be one side

or the other. It’s black or white. And if it’s not what she says, that is wrong. No

question, no argument allowed. Very autonomous. . .and that is still an issue with
me (autobiography).

Both of her parents were educated. Her father has a master’s degree in electrical
engineering, and her mother has a degree in art history.

Gail married in 2000 and credited her husband for providing a balance in their
relationship.

Ithinkltakeaftermy momIdon’t wantto,butldo. Andmy husbandisvery

good about kind of giving me the outside point of view of what I do and how it

looks to other people, and how I act. Howl affect other people. He told me many
times, you know, Gail, do you realize what you just said? We have good
equilibrium between the two of us (autobiography).

Educationally, Gail has always done well. She was a good student, earned good
grades, and was very involved in extracurricular activities. She vacillated a bit about a
career choice, ﬁrst majoring in trombone performance, switching to biology at her
mother’s suggestion, then ending up with a bachelor’s degree in music, specializing in

music industry.

103

Religion played an important role in Gail’s upbringing, and she continued to be
very involved in the Methodist church. She identiﬁed herself as Christian more than
Methodist. She attended a Methodist church at the time of this course, and had received
scholarships from the church Her church involvement, however, is somewhat
independent.

Irnadeapactwithmyselfto ﬁgure outwhatthiswhole Christianitythingwasall

about. I would read the Bible every night. I wanted to ﬁgure out what was going

onlreadachaptereverynight. And when] was 18,1kindofrealizedwhat it was
all about. And I became a Christian in my heart...I still have issues and I still
don’t go to Sunday School because usually I either know more about it than the
guy who’s teaching it, or I have questions that they can’t answer. And I don’t
wanttoputtheminabadsituation Soljust leave it aloneanddomy own

research I would go to any church, not just the Methodist. I identify myselfas a

Christian. Right nowI have the Methodist scholarship, so if I want to keep it, I

have to go to the Methodist church I’m not sure if I didn’t have the scholarship if

I would be there (autobiography).

Gail had the opportunity to teach a humanities class as a Teaching Assistant. She
described the course as ﬁve courses in one; a history of the United State combined with a
history of the arts in which she was expected to also teach the students to write, to speak
in public, and to think critically. She admitted that she was not well prepared for this.

Itwasreally hard formetoteachldidn’tdo itthe second year,Ijust did itfor

one year...You have to be a Renaissance woman to get it...I was a little

unprepared, I will say that straight up fiont. I didn’t know what I was

104

doing...Teaching the class, I’d totally researched a lot of that stuff, and learned

about it. ..I know the Harlem Renaissance, I know Black history, I had to teach it.

I know the Civil Rights movement, because I had to teach it. I feel like I know a

lot now. But I kind of came into this [the Detroit course] with the attitude, like, I

aheady know everything... I remember I got into your thing [the Detroit course]

and I was like, I've done this already! And I don't want to do this for another
week. I had already had to read a bunch ofstuffsirnilar to what you had us read.

Teaching that has totally helped me understand a lot more about stuff, I'm very

well rounded now (autobiography).

Gail’s deﬁning characteristics can be described as being reared by very protective
parents, the importance of family, her faith, and her academic background.

Bagel

Rachel had just ﬁnished her junior year in the music education program at the
time of the course. She was 21 years old and had taken several methods courses,
including strings, band, elementary methods, and early childhood. The only teaching
experience she had at that time was assisting in early childhood classes in the Community
Music School.

Shehad lived inthe same Michigantownall her life, alongwithherparents and
two younger sisters. Her family was close-knit, even though the relatives on one side are
largely in Israel. Her family tried to visit them every other year. Her grandparents on her
mother’s side live close by in Michigan, and she and her sisters spent many weekends

with them. Her father was born in Israel, immigrating to the United States in his 20’s. Her

105

 

mother was born in Pennsylvania, and her grandparents in New York. She has been able
to trace her great-grandparents to Russia.

She attended public schools ﬁ‘om kindergarten through twelfth grade and worked
to earn good grades.

I always would go to school trying to do my best, and most of the time I would

get really good grades. One day I came home and I think with a D. I was really

worried that my parents would be upset. But they told me, just do your best, and
that’s all they cared about (autobiography).

Several major events occurred in 1988. Her father was hit by a car while he was
riding a bicycle close to home. Rachel went to the accident scene but was not allowed to
see her dad. “It was just a really scary thing, they wouldn’t let me go to the hospital.” Her
youngest sister was born that year, and her grandfather on her dad’s side died. “That was
my ﬁrst experience with death I sort of grew up a little bit that year.”

The summer before her senior year in high school, her sister was diagnosed with
leukemia. After being in remission for some time, the cancer reappeared. After doing
considerable research, her parents took her for treatment to a hospital in Minneapolis.

That was my freshman year at college. So I would go to classes, and then would

drive home and take care of my (other) sister when she was home. Every weekend

I would ﬂy to Minnesota to be with my family. It was a really rough time

(autobiography).

The family’s Jewish faith proved to be a comfort during this trying time, and a

source of healing.

106

There was nothing they (the doctors) could do, they had never seen anything so
bad, and they said just keep her comfortable. But we all prayed and everyone
around us, they all prayed. And around the world, my grandparents in Israel. ..
and she ended up pulling through The doctors said they had never seen anything
like it (autobiography).

Rachel’s Jewish faith was very important to her, and she has continued to practice
it. However, she felt a bit ostracized from her Christian school friends. “I would always
feel slightly out of place around holidays just because I was the only one who was
celebrating Hanukkah or Passover. No one else really knew what I was experiencing.”

During her sophomore year, Rachel traveled with a group of Jewish students to
Israel. “And that was pretty much the ﬁrst time that I had really been exposed to other
Jewish people my own age. [The town where I live] doesn’t have a huge Jewish
population.” The following year, she decided to study in Israel for a little over a month

Rachel began playing the piano when she was ﬁve. She comes ﬁom a musical
family. Her mother played the piano, and her grandfather in Israel played the violin, once
performing for the king of Egypt.

Rachel’s deﬁning characteristics have been inﬂuenced by her strong Jewish faith,
her connection to her cultural heritage, her close, supportive family, and her identity as a
musician.

Critical Incidents
One advantage to an immersion ﬁeld experience is the opportunity for

spontaneous events that would not occur in a typical classroom setting. During this

107

immersion experience, two incidents became critical to the development of new
awarenesses for the participants.

The ﬁrst incident occurred during a visit to a high school with an all Aﬁican-
American student population Our purpose for visiting this school was to observe and talk
with the choral instructor. As the choir had just performed their ﬁnal concert for the year,
rehearsals were no longer in session The choral instructor offered to take us on a tour of
some of the classrooms, allowing us to observe teachers working with students. These
chssroom visits were unplanned. I had only intended to visit with the choral instructor.

As we walked into the second classroom, we lined up against one wall in order to
quietly observe. The instructor was a middle-aged, Aﬁican American male, dressed in a
three-piece suit, holding a white handkerchief. It immediately became clear that the topic
of discussion was the Rosa Parks incident and the Civil Rights movement. As we walked
in, we felt all eyes in the classroom on us, all African-American eyes. The instructor
encouraged the students to continue dialoguing, as they had apparently been actively
engaged in open discussion, but when we walked in the room the discussion ceased. He
also tried to lighten the atmosphere by making a few jokes about “these White people
aren’t gonna lynch you.” One of his students began to re-engage and, when asked to
deﬁne the word “discrimination,” responded, “hate!”

We left the room after about ﬁve minutes, and thanked the instructor for allowing
us to come in. As we went to 0m van, male students ﬁom the third ﬂoor of the building
began shouting Obscenities at us.

This incident was one of the most memorable ones of 0m experience. The

participants discussed it at length immediately afterward, and several discussed it again

108

during their individual exit interviews. Three of the participants mentioned it in their
follow-up interviews seven months later.

I have never felt like I felt in that classroom. Never. I felt, and I don’t even know

if I can put my ﬁnger on it. I felt uncomfortable. And I felt ashamed of what

White people have done to Black people in the past. And I felt like I was carrying

that baggage when I entered that classroom. Which is interesting because I don’t

think about that baggage day-to-day (Whitney, exit interview, May 25).

It made me really aware for the ﬁrst time of how some Aﬁ'ican Americans view

me as a White person I’ve never really. . .it made me aware of my Whiteness and

the history of White versus Black (Whitney, exit interview, May 25).

This particular experience gave the participants the Opportunity to feel what it was
like to be an “other.” Because we were engaged in an immersion ﬁeld experience, we
were able to experience this spontaneous event, immediately discuss it, and continue to
reﬂect on what it meant to each of us over the next few days. If this had been a course in
multicultural education on a college campus, this event would never have occurred.

The second critical incident occurred on the next to last day of the immersion
experience. We visited a magnet school with an all African American student population,
withstudents ingradesonethrougheight. Becauseitwasamagrret schooLtherewere
entrance requirements, uniform requirements, and no public transportation

We observed a choral instructor, who was White, working with a group of ﬁfth
through eighth graders as they prepared for a concert The instructor interjected

comments directed to us throughout the rehearsal, and then took time to visit with us after

109

her class. Some of the discussion among the participants afterward centered around
comments that she made.
I was kind of struck by her comment that you just become color blind. We have
been talking about really looking at differences in kids and so it was kind of
contrary to everything that we have been talking about (Camille, group
discussion, May 24).

This teacher also rmde the comment, “I like to win I like being in control. I like
being the boss of 400 kids.” Reactions to this statement ranged from “I would have loved
to hear her say I love nurturing and teaching 400 kids rather than...that was funny,” to
“At ﬁrst, I thought she was kidding. But I think she meant that she would like to be able
to mold them into what she thought was a beautiﬁrl musical product,” to “I thought it was
an awfully dictator statement to make.” The consensus was that “I think it’s hard in
general to try and decide what these people want, because if we meet them for halfan
hom', while we are trying to analyze the connotation of her statements. . . these are all
things that we don’t know.”

The participants also commented on the school, the type of students that attend,
and the families that they come ﬁ'om.

It is a completely different setting in that, in that environment, the kids deal with

really good home life and good family structure, parental involvement. And she

doesn’t deal with the same type of issues at the school that someone would at

.. .an average Detroit school (Rachel, group discussion, May 24).

110

Rather than there being so much of an issue of race, the participants agreed that
socioeconomic status and social class played a large role in how the instructor was able to
relate with her students.

I thought that the main difference of that school that we might be seeing was the

economic difference, socioeconomic. Because in terms of having both parents at

home, and that’s cultural, too, but I don’t know that that’s necessarily related to
race. ..So I can see how she, her, in that situation that she would say that she, her

teaching is not as much about race. . ..She admitted her school was more like a

suburban school. Which, I thought that’s wlurt it seemed like to me (Whitney,

group discussion, May 24).

Because this school seemed to be safe and more academically challenging, Gail
questioned why more urban parents did not send their children there.

So whynottryandsend yourkidsthere?Andifthatmeansthatyoulmvetohave

money, then you should work. . .to get to that point. . .What bothers me is that

people don’t realize that they can choose to send their students to some other
school. It bothers me that people don’t think that they can rise up, or that they can
try and make more money if they want to try and send their kids to another school

(Gail, group discussion, May 24).

She also questioned why some parents chose to have several children when they
could not then afford to take care of them in what she considered an appropriate manner.

They can limit how many kids they have so they don’t put themselves in the

situation where they don’t have enough money. And then they can send their kids

lll

to good schools if that’s what they, if they care about their kids (Gail, group

discussion, May 24).

Camille chose to counter these comments, because she had a different perspective
as a Catholic and a bi-racial. “There are millions of people in the United States and
around the world who cannot rise above what their economic status is.” This discussion
continued for approximately two hours, with both of the participants offering their own
viewpoints, most often conﬂicting and sometimes becoming quite emotional.

After some time, Whitney interjected.

I also see in the discussion a difference, a cultural difference about what success

is. One culture may say success is giving an education and getting a job and

rising. I see people coming ﬁom different situations where success is having your
kids come home safe and alive each night. . .but when a person isn’t worried about
those things, it’s easy to reach for higher things and to say that success is going to
college. But if someone starts down here where success is day-to-day, and success
is that you’re able to go to work, I don’t know that they can reach up there...it
might be more of a privilege and more of a success to raise a family that takes
care ofitselfand is strong in the community than it is to go to college and become
middle-class. That might be what is valued by these people (Whitney, group

discussion, May 24).

The conversation ended in rather a stalemate, with Gail maintaining her position
that it was reasonable to expect that all people should take on the American value of

working hard to get the best education possible.

112

If they [immigrants] come over to America, and they have different values and
one of those values is not to value education, then when they come to America,
they pick up that value of education, then okay. That means that they are
assimilating into what American culture is. And if they want to do that, then they
are going to have to take it upon themselves to provide better educations or the
best education, is my point. I’m not saying their values are wrong, that they
shouldn’t have them. I’m just saying that if they’re going to take these values of,
the American values, or White values, then they need to follow up on it, and do
something about it rather than just sit and watch. . .(Gail, group discussion, May
24).

This conversation continued to weigh on the two primary participants, who each

exhibited fairly high levels of discomfort and withdrawal. However, the issues brought

out in the discussion were pivotal. The participants discussed how people from different

cultural backgrounds deﬁne success, and how traditional, American ideas of success are

based on an Anglo, monetary, Protestant paradigm. They explored the idea that the

American Dream, knowing that you can do whatever you want if you work hard enough,

is often unrealistic and unattainable for people of other cultures. They discussed that it is

often difﬁcult for people ﬁom other cultural (ethnic, socioeconomic, religious)

backgrounds to function in mainstream American society. And several of them began to

realize that, as members of the dominant society, they have had opportrmities that many

people ﬁom other cultural backgrounds have not.

I think it’s hard for us as White to identify with the struggles that they go through

and how diﬂicult it is (Megan, group discussion, May 24).

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It’s just hard to think in someone else’s shoes. . .even though you think you might
understand, you’re still, you’re not, you’re not that person You don’t understand

exactly what it would be like (Rachel, group discussion, May 24).

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CHAPTER FIVE

Results

The purpose of this study was to examine the personal conceptualizations of a

group of pre-service music education students, by focusing on how they talked about

learning to teach music in the context of cultural diversity, and to probe the relationships

among these conceptualizations prior to, during, and after an immersion internship

experience in a culturally diverse setting. The following questions will be speciﬁcally

addressed:

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

How do pre-service music teachers talk about their beliefs concerning
teaching music in a culturally diverse setting?

How do pre-service music teachers’ personal histories inform or inﬂuence
their beliefs about teaching music in a culturally diverse setting?

Are the beliefs of the pre-service music teachers challenged or altered during
the immersion internship, and if so, how do the pre-service music teachers talk
about any new awarenesses?

What aspects of the immersion internship experience do pre-service teachers
identify as most valuable or that contribute to the development of new
perspectives?

As a result of the immersion internship, do pre-service teachers feel more
knowledgeable and/or conﬁdent about teaching in a culturally diverse setting?

Do they express more interest in teaching in a culturally diverse setting?

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This chapter will present an analysis of the data gathered during the course in which these
pre-service teachers participated. The analysis of the data from all ﬁve participants
suggested that three of the cases had sufﬁcient data to point out the similarities and
differences among the participants. The two remaining participants each had similar
reactions and responses to the ones that are included here. Megan’s responses were very
similar to Whitney’s, falling into many of the same categories. Rachel needed to process
ideas before she could talk about them. Consequently, she did not participate as much in
the discussions, needing to reﬂect before she felt comfortable sharing her ideas. When
looking at the transcripts, Rachel’s talk was minimal. The responses she did make were
often similar to Gail’s responses. The addition of the remaining two cases would have
added no new understanding of the impact of the experience. The three cases presented
here captured the full range of both similarities and differences, and their responses
formed the essence of the experience. I have categorized the discussions of the research
questions according to how each of the individuals addressed them.

Pre-service wic teachers’ % concew’ g their beliefs about teac ' music ' a

culturally diverse settmg'

I conducted a constant-comparative analysis of the transcripts from all audiotapes
recorded over the course of the study, as well as transcripts ﬁom interviews, and
individual journals. By coding the data, then reﬁning the codes, categories began to
emerge across the discourse of each of the participants. I was able to group these
categories into four primary thmres that were appropriate for organizing the comments of
each of the participants. These primary themes were Expectations, Preconceptions,

Reactions, and Impact. The categories under each of these primary themes revealed how

116

the participants talked about their beliefs concerning teaching music in a culturally
diverse setting.

_Cam_i_11.§
Expectations

The initial expectations that Camille expressed during the ﬁrst few days of the
orientation week on campus revolved around ﬁve central issues: her role as a teacher,
developing self-awareness, possible bonds with the students due to her Hispanic heritage,
classroom management, and apprehension of the unknown.

Role as a Teacher.

At this time, Camille identiﬁed her role as a teacher as being a positive inﬂuence
on the life of her students.

We are in this ﬁeld to reach kids, and we want to change their lives, and we want

to be there to be a role model for them, and show them that involving their world

with art and music is a way of expressing themselves, and a way of knowing who
they are and where they come from, and where they can go (group discussion,

May 8).

Rather than focusing on the mechanics of teaching and teaching techniques,
Camille appeared to have a broader perspective as to wlmt she expected from this
experience.

I think we’re all at the point where we want to learn more about ourselves. We’re

all looking for ways to improve our world and improve our lives and how we can

help others as teachers, and not feed into the world of cynicism (group discussion,

May 8).

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Developing Self Awareness.

From the beginning, Camille expressed a desire to challenge her own
preconceptions and attitudes, and displayed a willingness and openness to discovering
new awarenesses.

This is the beginning of possibly a life clmnging eXperience. Maybe it is the

thought of learning about myself and my ideas about racism. I am very excited to

learn more about my prejudices and also to learn from my peers (journal entry,

May 8).

She seemed trusting of her classmates and expected to learn from them as well.

I am quite conﬁdent that during these next two weeks I will be able to ‘risk’

breaking down my personal boundaries. I am positive that my classmates will

help me learn more about the motives and/or ‘cause and effects’ of racism within

intercultural relations (ioumal entry, May 7).

By the middle of the orientation week, Camille was coming to some new
awarenesses about her attitudes, but continued to remain eager and willing to explore
these even ﬁirther.

Today I was overtly reminded that I do have certain prejudices. . .I hope this

experience will help me get over certain prejudices that I have and will open my

eyes to my imperfections. I am willing to change if given the chance (journal

entry, May 9).

At the end of the immersion experience, Camille reﬂected back on the

expectations she brought with her to this experience.

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I think I came into the course wanting to develop knowledge of myselfand howl

truly, truthﬁllly view others. And if I did have any prejudices or airs that made me

uncomfortable, how I could overcome them and have power in exploring, and just

really make myself a better person (exit interview, May 25).

we Bonds with Hispanic Studeng

One of the issues Camille had struggled with for most of her life was her mixed-
race heritage. She had expectations that were unique ﬁ'om the other participants due to
the fact that we would be working in an area that was predominantly Hispanic. Because
her father is from Belize, and because she has strongly identified with her Hispanic
culture in the past, she anticipated being able to relate to the students on a cultural level.

I naively assumed I would be able to bond with some of the students to a

certain extent because I believed we shared a common Hispanic heritage. As a

child of mixed races, Hispanic and Caucasian, I looked at this opportunity as a

chance to reach out to the Hispanic community. I wanted to be accepted as a

person of Hispanic heritage. I wanted to be labeled Hispanic, Mestiza, or Latina
because I thought it meant I had a chance to connect with my surroundings on a
cultural level. I wanted to be one of them (paper, Fall 2001).

This issue proved to be one of the primary conﬂicts for Camille during this
experience. As she continued to struggle with her own identity, she looked forward to
making a cultural connection with these Hispanic students.

All of my life I have dealt with a desire to be accepted within the Hispanic
community. This has been a point of contention for me throughout my adolescent

years and beyond. Painfully, my peers never categorize me as a Hispanic. . .The

119

color of my pale skin and the ‘Norteno’ dialect of my Anglo speech reveal that I
am the ‘other,’ a cultural outsider. . .It was within this ambiguity that I convinced
myself that this experience would be different. I romanticized about the
possibility of connecting with the Latino students in our ﬁeldwork by using my
cultural roots and Spanish surname to establish a path towards commonality. I
held these students close to my heart and took it upon myself to attempt to
personally connect with them on a cultural level (paper, Fall, 2001).

C sroom ement.

While Camille held a number of optimistic and hopeful expectations for this
experience, she expressed a number of apprehensions as well. This anxiety was partially
due to the fact that she was a personal ﬁiend of the music teacher at our primary
observation and teaching site, and had heard about the difﬁculties and challenges this
music teacher faced.

[The music teacher] has told me that some of these kids, you know, to get

them to listen to her, she is completely not herself. You know, raising her voice,

and she is not like that at all. Just alot ofthingsthat I would neverpicture...

(group discussion, May 10).

She expressed concerns about classroom management and administrative issues at
the very beginning of the course.

I’m looking at how you lundle the discipline at schools, dealing with not having

any connections to the kids [in the urban setting]. Seeing their problems and how

to deal with administration, just a lot of different things. Teacher issues

(discussion, May 7).

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After we moved to Detroit, and Camille experimented with a teaching segment,
her apprehension centered around her lack of experience and potential classroom
management issues. She was concerned about working with upper elementary children,
as all her teaching experience had been with younger students. She asked her classmates
for support, in anticipation that her lessons with older students might not go well.

I’m not comfortable with choir. I’m not comfortable with older kids. With my

infants and stuff I’m okay, with my preschool, I’m just ﬁne. And in this

atmosphere, I need to be probably more aggressive. So if you guys see me totally
blacking out, just tell me. And I’m praying that this won’t happen now

(discussion, May 14).

I was nervous; concerned with what might happen, howl would lmndle a

discipline problem, and how these kids would react to me. Would they like the

music? Would they participate? (journal entry, May 16).

Apmhension of th_e Unknown.

Traveling into urban Detroit, Camille had concerns for her safety and how she
would handle potentially disruptive situations during her teaching. These fears were
reinforced by her family’s reactions, based on Detroit’s reputation as an unsafe and
dangerous environment.

You know, do you lave to worry about gangs? Safety in your classroom? Do you

have to worry about, you know, things like that. How do you develop your

peripheral vision while you’re teaching, but also, you know, mentoring the
classroom. Are they going to kill each other or are they actually going to learn?

(discussion, May 7).

121

The whole idea about going into an urban setting and teaching, I have a lot of
fear. And, you know, my family members are saying, you’re going into Detroit?!
You’re going to teach in the schools?! You’re not going to be safe! .. .if you grew
up in suburbia, you hear about guns and we’re going to walk in and you’re going
to come out with these kinds of things, you know? (discussion, May 9).

She was particularly concerned that violence might erupt while she was teaching.
Children who are in gangs or part of the violence, may be violent. You can never
really tell what they’re thinking or what they might do. And that one little time
that you do something, it’s always kind of scary to me (discussion, May 16).

[I was] maybe a little scared. I think I was, like, what amI getting myself into?

I’m leaving everything that I know for two weeks. Throwing myself into

something that was completely foreign. . .I never lived in an area like that (exit

interview, May 25).

She expressed her greatest fear as how the students would possibly react to her as
she attempted to teach.

My biggest fear is that they’re going to come up and go, you don’t know

anything. You’re not my teacher, and you don’t have any right, you know?

(discussion, May 14).

m

From data collected early in the experience, I found that the largest number of
Camille’s statements concerning expectations centered on apprehensions and fears,

although her expectations for the course in general were hopeful and positive. After

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Camille took time to reﬂect on the experience, more of her expectations, as she recalled
them, fell into the category of developing self-awareness and her Hispanic heritage.
Precon tions

The categories that emerged as Camille’s preconceptions included the role of
human nature, discrimination as a societal problem, her empathy with students who are
typically viewed as “other,” her view of herself, and fears.

Role of Human Nature.

Camille’s initial attitudes toward culture as it is viewed in this cormtry had to do
with the role of human nature. As we discussed the topic of racism on the ﬁrst day,
Camille offered that racism might be built in because of our nature as human beings.

Do you think, though, that it’s part of human nature to want to be connected with

people that look like you and act like you, and have the same culture? I mean, as

much as it is the system, it’s reinforced in human nature. So as much as we try to
break the system, you know, you have to somehow break human nature to look at

the diversity in wanting to look at each other as individuals rather than a

group. . .it’s part of our pack being... (discussion, May 7).

She reemphasized the role of the “pack” mentality in commenting on how
difﬁcult it is to be non-conformists.

.. .humans are ‘pack’ creattu'es. We follow rather than diverge off into originality.

We are always affected by what others presuppose upon our behavior. We as

humans want to be accepted, and not stick out, and deﬁnitely not challenge

conformity (journal entry, May 10).

123

In discussing whether it is right or wrong to hold prejudice based on past
experience, Camille again referred to the role of human nature.

You know, we are so trying to think that this [racism] is not right. And it’s the

ﬁrst thing that we think about, but there is so much underneath that, that goes

back to that core of how we experience life that it can’t be ever, ever erased. And

will always determine how we view our relationships (discussions, May 9).

Discriminatiom Societal Problem,

Camille also initially viewed discrimination as a societal problem that is
extremely difﬁcult to overcome.

It’s just really a part of, it’s been part of society for so long and it’s just ingrained.

It’s so full of tension (discussion, May 7).

She also viewed racism as something that everyone has to work to overcome, that
it is not a White problem.

It’s easier trying to...rather than thinking about changing the way we think as

humans. And putting it as the White man’s burden, you know? There is so much

anger among diverse groups that we need to face it together (discussion, May 9).

Camille also felt, because she viewed intolerance as a societal issue, that it was
not her personal problem to try to solve.

And if we walk around with our tails between our legs, making up for something

that I know that I didn’t have any part of, and how am I supposed to help make it

better? (discussion, May 21).

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The encounter at the African American high schooL described in Chapter Four as
a critical incident, served as a catalyst for Camille’s expressions of racism as being out of
her control.

His [the social studies teacher] comments about ‘ﬁ'eedom of spwch’ and ‘white

lynching’ made me feel as if I was supposed to ask for forgiveness for atrocities

for whichI lmd no part (journal entry, May 21).

It was also easy for Camille to see discrimination and intolerance ﬁ'om more of a
global perspective, with power in society being more of an issue than race.

There are countries all around the world where people are being overtaken and

being enslaved...So it’s not necessarily, it’s a power thing, it’s not as much as

color and racial differences make a difference. It’s just, to think that it is only
because of the White and Black, that kind of upsets me a little bit. I think it’s

more a power goal (discussions, May 21).

Even though Camille did not feel that pre-service teachers were taught to give
instruction so that all children would become the same, she felt that the “system”
encourages conformity and makes seeing cultural differences difﬁcult, that this
“sameness” is also a societal problem that is difﬁcult to overcome.

I think it’s the system, I don’t think it’s necessarily that you’re taught that way.

Because now I would think there is more attention to looking at individual

diﬂ‘erences, and looking at different gifts that the kids bring into the

classroom. . .But I think the system itself tries to bring out this huge enculturated

glob of students who should all think the same, all dress the same, you know. It’s

really frightening to think about that, but then you look at the other side, and how

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can you really teach a classroom of sixteen different languages and be authentic

and help them ﬂourish in their culture, but also help them survive in this country?

(discussion, May 9).

Engrathy wrt'Eh Studen_t_s~=

Because of her mixed-race background, and struggling with her identity, Camille
initially felt that she would be able to empathize with students who have been
traditionally viewed as “other.” During a conversation about the role of the teacher, and
the importance of unconditional love, Camille expressed that some students may not be
receptive to this because of anxieties about daily life.

It’s the survival thing, and whatever you’ve, and I know what there is in my past,

and some of us who have had tragedies in our lives, or whatever. Whenever you

kick into survival mode, all other things in your life take a back seat. Like, the

thing you are really looking for, looking towards, is getting through the day. You

don’t really think about, you know, who really loves me? You’re just really

looking for how you’re going to get through the day and wake up the next

morning. . .those desires of being loved take the back burner, and if you constamly

are growing up in an enviromnent where you’re in survival mode for thirteen

years, the concept of unconditional love is desensitized, and they don’t know what

it is (discussion, May 8).

View of Self.

Conﬂict arose that Camille had to confront as she began to become aware of her
own biases, in the context of her view of herself as an accepting, tolerant person. “Yet I

struggle with this idea [that she has prejudices] since I have thought of myselfas an open-

126

minded individual who values differences rather than mundane conformity” (journal
entry, May 9).

Egg;

Some of Camille’s preconceptions were presented as fears. She expressed concern
about the changing demographics in our country, and becoming the minority.

Then what you said about the demographics changing, I agree. There’s going to

be a time when the tables are going to turn. It’s scary to think about. I think

maybe because I just don’t, don’t like the idea that, and the, racism happening.

And to think of it happening in my lifetime, and happening to me, at a level I

can’t control or can’t do anything about. Researcher: Are you talking about you

becoming the minority? Camille: I can see it, yeah. Did you ever see the movie,

White Man’s Burden? Where the White man is the minority and the Black man is

the majority. And so the ﬁlm, the whole thing, it’s really amazing. He was the

recipient of the African American man. I can see that happening. It [the concept]

was just so foreign (discussion, May 9).

Summary.

Camille expressed preconceptions that focused on the difﬁculty in overcoming
intolerance based on the role of human nature, discrimination as a product of society and
one of global responsibility, her empathy with students of Hispanic cultures, her views of
herself as an open-minded individual, and her fears that she might become a recipient of

racial bias.

127

Rmions

Because the topics we focused on during this experience were extremely personal,
and due to the controversial nature of the issues we addressed, each of the participants
had a wide variety of reactions to events during this course. They reacted to activities that
I lmd prepared, to ﬁlms and readings, to each other, to observations, and to their own
teaching. I sought to identify the most salient reactions and categorize them so I could
determine which were the most signiﬁcant out of the many that the participants
experienced.

For Camille, there were four central categories of reactions: cultural conﬂict,
helplessness, the role of the teacher, and student aptitude.

Cultural Conﬂict.

Camille had struggled with her own identity as a product of a racially mixed
marriage. Because her father is from Belize, she was able to identify with her Hispanic
heritage, but at the same time had struggled with where she belonged in society, as her
mother is Caucasian.

Ialwayskindofstruggledwithwheredolﬁt. Youknow,dolﬁt inwith,Iwas

born and raised in the United States. And I look Caucasian. People think of me

and the ﬁrst thing they see, they don't know that I'm Hispanic until they hear my
last namemand so whenI was watching the video, it really angers me that our
society has to be this way. And that we have to choose really, one or the other.

Especially for me. It's like I always, what do I do, what do I choose (discussion,

May 9).

128

It was this personal, cultural struggle that served as a catalyst for the cultural
conﬂict that Camille encountered during this experience.

The ﬁrst incident of cultural conﬂict occurred as we visited the area in which we
would be working. We drove through the local neighborhoods and visited the school that
would be our primary site. We had discussed that this area was one of low socio-
economic status, but Camille was not prepared for what she saw.

I was speechless when shown the houses of the prospective students. The

condition of the surrounding houses clearly suggests low income and low socio-

economic class. I tried to mentally prepare myself for what I might see, but I

didn’t expect it to be that bad. Boy, was I wrong! how can a country that

supposedly values her inhabitants and/or citizens allow such poverty in inner

cities? (journal entry, May 11).

She reiterated this in her exit interview. “I remember driving around the city. I
guess it reminded me of Belize, or third world countries. And I was upset” (exit
interview, May 25).

Camille had time to reﬂect on this initial exposure to the setting and wrote about
these reﬂections in a paper for an ethnomusicology class.

It was upon entering into the project as a naive and relatively inexperienced

educator that I tried to prepare in my mind the type of environment I would

encounter in Detroit. However, the assumptions I formulated before entering the
research ﬁeld could not have prepared me for what I would encounter in

Detroit. . .My ﬁeld notes suggest an unexpected degree of separation from the

idealism. My statements accurately reveal my lack of previous exposure with this

129

environment and the unsettling feelings that surfaced when encountering

unfamiliar situations. Clearly, ﬁom this preliminary exposure to my research

environment, my notes suggest that this was my ﬁrst experience with urban

poverty (paper, Fall, 2001).

The strongest cultural conﬂict occurred as a result of Camille feeling that she had
a common cultural connection with the students in the setting. She confronted this
conﬂict head on when watching a Cinco de Mayo celebration at our primary site. It was
at this time that Camille experienced what it could be like to be an “other.”

To my surprise, the eye of a woman in her late thirties immediately caught my

attention and I smiled at her with the innocent hope of establishing a connection

within the communal audience. Alas, she glared at me sending a begrudging

smirk my direction as if to clearly insinuate that I, an outsider to this community,

was intruding. It was at this moment I realized I was not welcome. I was an

outsider (paper, Fall 2001).

She was caught off guard by the content of the celebration because of her own

cultural expectations.

Culturally, there were some shocking behaviors. I am very familiar with the Latin

culture, and I found the movements too suggestive and inappropriate. Kids were

dancing sexy and singing songs about inﬁdelity. Totally inappropriate for school

behavior (journal entry, May 16).

I was totally, I was really shocked. Part of me shouldn’t have been shocked

because Spanish people are very melodramatic (discussion, May 16).

Rather than experiencing any type of cultural connections, Camille experienced

130

only cultural conﬂict, which revealed her own stereotypical expectations. For Camille,
this cultural encounter served as a catalyst for self-examination as to her own cultural
identity and the way that she viewed others. This cultural conﬂict and the reﬂection and
examination that resulted were the most signiﬁcant reactions that occurred for Camille in
this experience.

Helplessness.

A common initial reaction for pre-service teachers who participate in a cultural
immersion ﬁeld experience is a sense of helplessness in the face of what seem
insurmountable problems and issues. Many of these feelings of helplessness emerged
after viewing the ﬁlms “The Color of Fear” and “The Blue-Eyed Experiment.”

I was upset because, it seems like, herewearetryingto learnhowto make things

better. And there really isn’t anything we can do. It’s like I feel this compelling

need to go and do something, but I just don’t know how to reach out. And at times

I feel like whatever I try to do wouldn’t be accepted because. . . (discussion, May

11).

When discussing White privilege, Camille again acknowledged her feelings of
inadequacy. “I always knew it was there. I’ve always seen it. But it’s just.. .I just don’t
know how to ﬁx it now. And I don’t think it will go away” (discussion, May 11).

Camille also expressed feelings of helplessness and ﬁ'ustration in trying to
imagine what it would be like to be an educator in a culturally diverse setting.

...just knowing the reality of, the reality ofhow long, and ﬁ'ustrating it is to be in

education or administration. Teachers drop out, they quit, they can‘t take it

because they're not supported. And this, I am realizing how much inner strength it

131

is going to take. To try and overcome whatever institutional problems we have to

deal with. Personal issues and also social issues. That's why I'm probably feeling

overwhelmed (discussion, May 11th).

These feelings of helplessness emerged throughout the ﬁeld experience,
particularly after the experience in the social studies class at the African American high
school, described in Chapter Four as a critical incident. When discussing how teachers
and administrators interacted with us as we visited their schools, Camille expressed
frustration with how she assumed people in the setting viewed us.

I’m getting upset. I just don’t see what is wrong about it if we’re supposed to

educate ourselves and open boundaries and open doors and get rid of all this crap

that surrounds us in our society. . .It’s just ﬁ'ustrating because whenever, there’s

like nothing tint we can do...And Ijust even, and what can we do? It’s [racism] a

thing that’s going to continue oﬂen (discussion, May 21).

Her journal entry for that day conﬁrmed the frustrations she expressed in the discussion.
Today I felt very low. I think it has to do with the high school visit that we did
this morning. I, as a teacher, looked at this opportunity as a learning experience,
and in turn felt as if the social, racial, and economic baggage from past
discrimination has placed an unreasonable barrier between myselfand ‘progress’

(journal entry, May 21).

132

Role as a Teacher.

Camille's ideas about the role of the teacher evolved during this experience.
When asked at the beginning of the orientation week to express what she thought the role
of the teacher in the classroom was, she replied,

[the] teacher is there to facilitate learning for students -- this involves designing

formal lessons and taking informal opportunities to reach the students. [Teaching

is] imparting knowledge successfully; providing experiences for students that
change the way they look at things (open ended survey, May 7th).

After the ﬁrst visit to our primary teaching site and talking with the music
instructor there, Camille thought about her own role as a teacher, as she interacted with
students during her teaching segments in this setting.

This makes it clear to me that I have to be careful when approaching situations

that are different to what I am accustomed to. For instance, I cannot place any

preconceived judgments on the abilities of the kids, I cannot look to what these
kidsdo_n_9_t_ haveandpitythem,andIhavetobeopentolearnﬁommy
experiences at a ﬁrsthand account... the last thing these kids need is a naive
outsider who looks at what the students do not have rather tlmn what they can

accomplish (journal entry, May 1 1).

Her view of the role of the teacher had already shifted from a facilitator who
designs formal lesson plans, to someone who pushes herself outside her own comfort
zone in order to interact more effectively. “So, I think it is clear that my mission here
will be to cross personal comfort boundaries that affect how I relate to others who are

diﬁ‘erent than myself’ (jorn'nal entry, May 1 l).

133

Camille also expressed ideas about the role of a teacher in the context of the
classroom management issues. When we arrived at our primary teaching site on the
second day of the immersion week, we discovered that someone had defaced the piano
keys by writing an obscene message to the music teacher. Camille reacted to this incident
in a way that revealed some of her deepest initial concepts about being a teacher.

It just goes to show that as much as you lay down your heart for these kids, they

can easily tear it out. I learned ﬁ-om this experience that as a teacher we have to be

strong individually, conﬁdent, and not let issues that are out of our control get to
us. But it does become hard, to ignore those types of problems (journal entry,

May 15).

By her choice of words, " lay down your heart for these kids," it appeared that she
saw herself making personal sacriﬁces in order to reach "these kids."

Close to the conclusion of the immersion weeks, Camille’s perspective progressed
from that of a facilitator to someone who pushes her personal boundaries and to someone
who becomes cognizant and comfortable enough with the students’ cultures to the degree
that she can immerse herselfin their cultural practices.

What gains respect for the students is the basic desire to treat each child as an

individual with many gifts... if the teacher comes in with issues, prejudices, or

assumptions, the experience will not be successﬁrl. Every teacher should

‘assimilate’ into the cultural practices of the students to a certain degree in order

to see where they're coming ﬂora and to establish a practicing language between

teacher and student (journal entry, May 22).

134

After a short time for reﬂection at the end of the immersion ﬁeld experience,
Camille's description of the teacher's role changed dramatically from a lesson planner to
an enabler.

Teaching is empowerment. Giving students the emotional support to believe in

themselves and then they can accomplish anything. No matter what barriers are

there, you know? I don't mean that you ignore the barriers, but by working
through the barriers and working towards their personal best...giving them the

power to understand their potential (exit interview, May 25).

Camille’s ideas about teaching and learning had evolved from a perspective based
on transferring knowledge and concentrating on content to a shift in thinking that a
teacher does not merely teach a subject, but a student.

After even further reﬂection, Camille commented on her initial goals as a teacher,
and how her own beliefs and attitudes about teaching in a diverse setting could possibly
impact her effectiveness.

After traveling to Detroit, I realized that my previously formulated and

romanticized goals, such as showing my prospective students that life does not

have to be what one is given, reaching out to marginalized children lost in the
education system, giving each child encouragement and individual direction, and
showing my prospective students that musical expression is a basic human need,
seemed incredibly simplistic. I had to determine if my romanticized goals would
accommodate these forgotten members of society. If not, I had to ﬁgure out a way
to reach them by separating myself ﬁom previous stereotypes and perceptions

regarding urban education (paper, Fall, 2001).

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By this time, Camille was examining her own goals as a teacher and realizing that
it is through awareness of her own attitudes and beliefs that she might begin to reach
some sort of common ground with her students. It was through this ﬁrrther reﬂection that
Camille was more fully able to articulate how she saw her own role as a future teacher.

This experience taught me that educators have a responsibility to look past prior

assumptions and enter into unknown territory with a passionate intent to learn

more about their smroundings, their skills, and their craft. I will possibly never

fully understand other cultures, but it is the process of learning about myself that I

can attempt to learn about my students (paper, Fall, 2001).

Student Aptitude.

After having been in the ﬁeld setting, observing others teach, and experimenting
with teaching segments of her own, Camille began to react to the students in the music
classrooms and the musical abilities they demonstrated. Even though from the beginning,
Camille stated that students in this setting would have the same learning potential as any
other student, she felt that their levels of achievement would depend on their
environment. From the ﬁrst observations, Camille felt that many of the behavior
problems occurred as a result of students with high musical aptitudes not being
challenged.

It is easy to see that she [the music teacher] struggles with ﬁnding activities to

reach all levels. It is almost as if the upper grades are not challenged. I say this

simply because I think may of the behavior problems come from a lack of
structure. The older kids ﬁom third to ﬁfth grade deﬁnitely check out of activities.

I wonder why? My gut tells me that these kids are bored (jourml entry, May 14).

136

As she witnessed music classrooms in a variety of culturally diverse settings, she
reacted with some surprise to the musicality exhibited by the students. “Musically these
kids are right on target. There is some great musical talent among the students.
Rhythmically they are excellent” (journal entry, May 15).

The band itself sounded great. The kids love to play music and it is clear that the

music program is a large part of each of the members lives. I was sm'prised that

the band sounded as well as it did. Kids share mouthpieces and the instruments
are in poor condition. But, there were numerous students who show immense
talent. The brass section has great sound. Some kids were playing better than high

school and college students. This was very impressive (journal entry, May 22).

I was moved to tears by the maturity of musicality ﬁom her students. They sang

beautifuﬂy and I felt as if the students loved music class and valued their teacher

(journal entry, May 23).

They (the students) weren’t helpless kids; they were artists, musicians, and

creative individuals (journal entry, May23).

These reactions reveal that, in spite of her statement that students in this setting
would have the same learning potential as other students, that perhaps subconsciously she
still expected them to demonstrate lower levels of achievement, evidenced by her surprise
at their abilities.

SAM

Camille’s reactions during the duration of this course centered largely on the
cultural conﬂict she experienced as a result of her own mixed ethnicity and her desire to

have some type of cultural relationship with the Hispanic students in this setting. This

137

reaction was unique to Camille among all the participants. Her other more typical
reactions included a sense of helplessness in the context of making any kind of step
toward overcoming bias and intolerance, the way she viewed the role of a teacher in a
culturally diverse setting, and surprise at the high level of the students’ musical aptitude.
Impact

The categories addressed as those having sonre sort of impact on the participants
in this study concern nrore immediate impressions evidenced during the experience or
shortly thereafter. Long term impact will be discussed in relation to research question
number three.

Camille expressed the impact of the course as new awarenesses that developed
throughout the experience. She talked about these awarenesses at two different levels:
personal awareness and social awareness.

Personal Awareness.

Camille reached several new personal awarenesses over the course of this
experience, most of which centered around her own bias and intolerance and how to
overcome them. Early in her journal, she addressed her own beliefs and attitudes, and her
willingness to transform them.

I do have certain negative ‘prejudices’ toward Aﬁ'ican Americans, gays, and other

people. At some point in my life, I have been conditioned to outwardly avoid

others to a certain extent in an eﬂ‘ort to keep myself in check with wlmt is

expected of me from society and “religious” values. Yet I realize that we as a

human species all have certain prejudices. There is not one person on this earth

that does not have some sort of negative mental representation or conditioned

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response towards people that are different ﬁom themselves. Yet it is only when

we become a_w_ar;_e of those prejudices that we are faced with the dirty truth that

prejudice exists among all humans at a semi-conscious level. This in and of itself

is very depressing and unsettling. (journal entry, May 15).

She confronted her biases toward Aﬁican Americans when she observed what she
considered an extremely successful teacher working with a group of students, all Aﬁ'ican-
American, who were completely engaged, focused, and enjoying their music making.
Even though she stated that she intellectually knew that Aﬁican Americans have as much
learning potential as anyone else, she uncovered and began to face the attitudes that she
perhaps had not even been aware of.

I would say that if I have any biases or prejudices, it would probably be towards

African Americans. I’ve never really understood the culture. I sometimes have

been confused and frustrated by double standards. And not understanding why

they're there or why within the culture someone could do something, if you're not
inside the culture it' 3 considered different. So it was really, really moving when
you see in [the music teacher's] classroom kids which just love to learn. I don’t
know if it's because I was being forced to, you know, but you know, Aﬁican

Americans don't value an education to the extent, or they're lazy or unmotivated, I

mean, I’ve always known that's not true. But maybe subconsciously, you know,

you carry that around with you, and after seeing that, it was just like, wow, now

I'm know. I knew the truth. And these kids, no matter where they come from,

because that area was not a very nice area, but they were dedicated and they were

very bright and very talented (exit interview, May 25).

139

The cultural conﬂicts that Camille encountered led to new awarenesses
concerning her own stereotypes about the Hispanic culture and how those biases could
possibly impact her relationship with her students.

In result, I ended up generalizing about a culture I thought I had connections to. I

wanted to reach out to these kids, but the reality of the situation led me to realize

that I held stereotypical ideas on what the Mexican/Latin American cultm'e is. I

was unfamiliar with the struggle to be categorized as Latino within a

dysﬁrnctional social system. I would never understand the cultural signiﬁcance of

the Cinco de Mayo celebration since I am not a member of their struggle, their
community, or their urban lifestyle. I could not identify with my

students...(paper, Fall, 2001).

Her new awarenesses about her biases and assumptions resulted in her
considering how her teaching would look different as a result of this course.

I know I’m always going to carry it with me, whenever I see a child ﬁom a

different culture, or which has low social status or color, race, sexual orientation. I

wouldreallytryto givewhatIcantothatpersonandreallynotmakeany

assumptions. I think that is really the big issue (exit interview, May 25).

When Camille ﬁrst visited the primary school site and the neighborhood, she
focused on what the children did not have in terms of housing and educational resources.
By the end of the experience, her focus had shifted from what the children lacked to what
they were capable of and how to access those capabilities.

After this experience, it’s really kind of rmde me think about all the other issues

that I wanted to touch on and wanted to see how to incorporate into my teaching.

140

The fact that these children, not looking at these children as what they don’t have,

and whenI ﬁrst came in and we drove around, it was like, gosh, look at this....to

want them to succeed and to want to be their personal best, and not look at social
issues that will hold them back, but to really give them the opportunity to believe

in themselves (exit interview, May 25).

As Camille considered what it would require to be successful in a culturally
diverse setting, she expressed concerns that success could possibly be determined by the
race of the teacher as compared to the race of the students. She observed that settings in
which the teacher was the same ethnicity or race as the students automatically made that
teacher an insider and could contribute to a certain degree of success. Conversely, if the
teacher was viewed as an outsider racially or ethnically, success might be diﬁicult to
attain. These considerations were challenged as she talked with a student teacher that she
considered successful based on classroom observations.

Itwasalso encouraging to seethat ifateacherwalks into anurbanorculturally

diverse environment, what gains respect for the students is the basic desire to treat

each child as an individual with many gifts. I was encouraged to see that a white
teacher in a 100% black school could feel as if there were no barriers of racism
and economics between the students and the teacher that [would] impede
instruction. I gathered ﬁ-om [her] that if the teacher comes in with issues,
prejudices, or assumptions, the experience will not be successful (journal entry,

May 23).

Camille began to be aware that there were other more potent factors that affected

success in a culturally diverse setting than sharing a common racial or ethnic background.

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These ideas were reinforced after observing and talking with an African American
teacher in a school that was predominantly African American.

I was struck by her [the music teacher] comment that she as a black woman had to

‘learn to talk black’ after coming from a highly multicultural neighborhood of

Arabic culture. So her success with the students is not completely determined by

her race. It is her compassion, willingness to be visible, active in her

administration and with parents, and personal character that make her an

exemplary teacher (journal entry, May 23).

She also came to new awarenesses concerning her own goals as a teacher and her
abilities to work with older students. She had expressed doubts about even pursuing a
teaching career, feeling that she should return to vocal performance. This experience
appeared to alleviate her doubts and fears regarding her insecurity about her teaching
ability. “I’ve kind of come to an understanding that I am stronger thanI think I am. That I
canlnndle,lcanhandle...andlreaﬂywanttodothiathatteaching iswhereIthinkI
need to be”(exit interview, May 25).

Social Awareness.

Camille began developing a new sense of social awareness fairly early in the
experience. After spending a week living and working in Detroit, she went home for the
weekend because she was employed as a wedding coordinator. When she returned
Sunday evening, she shared an event with the rest of the group that demonstrated a
developing awareness of bias and intolerance.

I was doing the wedding rehearsal and the groom’s brother started stepping, like

an African American sorority. And he said, why don’t we just step down the aisle.

142

And his brother said, not in my wedding. You can go to Zimbabwe if you want.

They were both White. He was dead serious. And I, I was like, I thought it would

be really cool (discussion, May 21).

She stated that her new social awareness would possibly be a consideration when
she began looking for a job as a music teacher in the public school system. As she was
one semester away from student teaching at this point in time, she had already begun to
think about the possibility of looking for a position in a culturally diverse setting. This
comment was placed in the larger context of some type of call to action concerning social
justice. “I just feel really a call to social justice now more. It will be hard for me to really
look at. ...schools and their ignorance and have tolerance for it” (exit interview, May 25).

Camille also came to see that the problems encountered by culturally diverse
students were not necessarily because of their own backgrounds or lack of abilities, but
because of the challenges they face in a structured education and social system that is not
sensitive or responsive to their particular needs. “What was surprising to me was the
amount of kids that were held back because of the school system and the environment, or
teaching strategies. But it's not the kids, it's the other factors. That upset me” (exit
interview, May 25).

Because ofthe apparent disparitythat Camille sensed betweenherown
educational background in middle-class suburbia and these culturally diverse students,
and because of the perceived lack of adequate support ﬁom the education system, she
came to realize that she would have to look at teaching item a different perspective.

Thesekidswantto learn. ThaLIthinkthat'swhatI sharewiththem. ButIhave

the resources, and more resources than they have. So I think that they don't really

143

see what potential they have. I don't think it's reinforced for them at home or at
school. So whatever values I have 1nd about education and about developnrent is
going to be different from whatever they have. No matter if I'm Hispanic or, you
know, or if I'm halinspanic and halfCaucasian, you know. I mean, they'll be
diﬂ‘erent. But they want to learn, they come to school. It's just that the
environment doesn't make it easy for them. And they lose their desire. And they
need good teachers to help bring them back around (exit interview, May 25).
m
By looking at the way Camille talked over the course of this experience, it is clear
that she came into the experience willing to look at herself, and because of the
experiences she encountered, she came to new understandings about herself, about others,

and about teaching.

Emﬁons
Gail expressed initial expectations concerning the course and the ﬁeld experience.

These expectations focused largely on the issues of classroom management and teaching
techniques. She expected to get as much teaching experience as possible over the course
of the experience. She also expressed expectations concerning how participants in the

group would interact with each other.

144

Classroom Mement and Teaching Techniques.

Gail’s primary expectations centered around the topics of class management and
teaching techniques, and whether these were handled any differently in this particular
setting than in other settings, speciﬁcally suburban. “So the reason I'm doing this is to try
to see classroom management skills and to see, like, if people do things in Detroit that are
ethnic” (discussion, May 7).

D__ersire for Experiaagg,

Gail expressed an interest early on for teaching in a culturally diverse setting, so
one of her primary expectations was that she get as much teaching experience as possible
in this particular setting.

Well, um, I lived with my husband's family for the summer and they lived across

the street from housing projects. Um, Hispanic. This is in Falls Church, Virginia

which is right out of Washington DC. but, it' 3 urban, the gangs. His best friend is

Black and mentally retarded. And it's just, I think that that was my eye-opener

thatmaybelwanttotryandto,um, getasmuchexperienceaslcantoteachin

inner city because I would like to teach in a multicultural setting. I just want that,

Idon't knowwhy! Sollike, um, thecloserl gottotheinner citythemore,um,

musically, um, more things were verbal, I guess? It's hard to explain, but I

enjoyed it (discussion, May 7).

During her exit interview at the end of the experience, Gail conﬁrmed her
previously stated expectations that gaining experience teaching in this particular setting

was the primary reason for her participation in this experience.

145

Researcher: what did you come into the course expecting to leave with? Gail:
Um—m-m, (5 sec. pause) experience working in inner city schools and experience
teaching in the setting that would be best. Researcher: Now that we are at the end,
is the outcome different ﬁ'om your expectations? Gail: No. Researcher: So
everything that you expected out of the course, you got? Gail: Uh-huh [yes] (exit
interview, May 25).

As Gail began to think more about the possibility of teaching in Detroit, she
reﬂected that another reason why she enrolled in this course was to become familiar with
the area so that she would be comfortable returning on her own.

That's kind of another reason I did this, to meet people in Detroit so I can

start,youknow, cominghereand interningandstuff. SoImayjust dothatfora

month. Next May, if I have the time, you know, to watch somebody else (exit

interview, May 25).

Expectations from Other Participants.

The only other category of expectation that emerged ﬁom Gail's dialogue
concerned an expectation for the way the others in the group would interact with each
other. Dming the activity when the participants generated ground rules for this
experience, Gail offered a contribution to those ground rules, expressing an expectation
for both individual and group behavior during the experience.

Researcher: OK, who else has something to add? Gail: Respectful. Researcher:

Describe it. Gail: Respecting of each other's faults and each others, um,

background. Researcher: Cultural background? Gail: Yes. When 1 was like,

smiling when you talked about that man, that Black man that came to buy stuff; I

146

was like laughing because that's exactly what we talked about in IAH [a

humanities multicultural education course required for undergraduates in which

Gail was a Teaching Assistant]. So I don't mean to be...(discussion, May 7).

The last sentence in the statement, which was unﬁnished, implied that Gail had
concerns about how her own actions and perspectives would be viewed by the others.
She, like the other participants, expected a certain level of respect in order to feel safe and
comfortable sharing her comments, insights, and reactions with the group.

Summary.

Gail expressed only a few expectations concerning wlmt she wanted out of this
experience, and only expressed these expectations when asked either at the beginning of
the course or during the exit interview. She wanted to gain as much teaching experience
as possible, to see management techniques, to become comfortable with the area, and to
feel comfortable offering her comments to the group.

Precoacgptigm

The majority of the preconceptions that emerged ﬁom Gail's talk over the course
of the experience fell largely into the category of stereotypical comments. Other
preconceptions were in the categories of discrimination as a societal problem, what it
means to be American, and personal expertise. Gail also shared preconceptions in the
form of prejudices that she admitted she held.

Stereotypical Cements.

The stereotypical comments that Gail made can be classiﬁed into the following

categories: racial, economic, ethnic, cultural, and gender.

147

Gail initially expressed a belief that intolerance, and racism in particular, are
problems of society at large, and not necessarily the problems of the dominant, White
culture.

We are not the problem. Racism is not just the white person' 3 problem. It is

everybody's problem. I honestly believe that it is not up to the white person to

bring people out of the ghetto. True, there are some things that white people do
that perpetuate the system, and thus the cycle of poverty, but I also think that it is
each person's responsibility to try to get out on their own. And it is the white
person's responsibility to recognize the system and stop perpetuating it. Right now

I think the system is law enforcement and welfare (journal entry, May 8th).

In the same journal entry, she counters her own argument that it is the
responsibility of each individual to better themselves, commenting on the difﬁculties
encountered by African Americans living in the inner city. She quotes Myron Magnet,
author of The Dream and the Nightmare: The '6 Os Legacy to the Underclass.

‘If you're raising your children encouraging them to be black and to

identify with the mass of black people - and you make this a crucial element in

their lives -- then in fact you're conditioning them, almost, to be poor, to not

subscribe to the same values that you yourselfare living by.’ While I don't agree
fully with the statement, it may be applied to inner city blacks. The author tells
the story of a young black man who went oﬁ' to college on a scholarship. He
learned to not be prejudiced, he was getting a degree to be able to get a good job
that would get him and his family out of the ghetto. He came home, though, and

was so distanced from his peers by his new worldview that he wound up trying to

148

make up for it by joining them in their drug deals and vandalization. He was shot

a few days later (journal entry, May 8th).

By including these two entries in her journal, Gail appeared to be struggling with
her own preconceptions of racism, its effects, and whose responsibility it is to see that
people who are oppressed can overcome its effects. “Is it possible for people to get out of
the ghetto? Is there really too much racism to let them be free? (Journal entry, May 8).

Gail attributed the actions and attributes of Aﬁ'ican Americans to possible effects
of slavery, making generalizations that, to her, may be one explanation of why Aﬁican
Americans today are perceived the way they are, in her view.

Would these people act this way if there had not been slavery? To me,

the effects of slavery are still felt today. For instance, black women are very

strong: mentally, physically and emotionally. In slavery, the male ﬁgure had no

reason to work hard for his family. He could not make money and provide, he
could not protect his family ﬁ'om the whip or ﬁom pain...the whole point ofthis
discourse is to introduce the idea that black women in general are very strong,
independent, and self-sufﬁcient today. It dates back to slavery (jom'nal entry, May

8).

Because of Gail's view of the effects of slavery, she also expressed a
preconception as a generalization of how Aﬁ'ican Americans today perceive education.

Another example is through education. Slaves were not allowed to be

educated. I would argue that on a realistic level, it wasn't until only two

generations ago that all blacks were getting grade school education, and about one

generation ago did many blacks go to college. Not to mention that any black over

149

the age of 45 probably went to segregated (and inferior) schools. From slavery to

segregation, the Aﬁican American person has, to me, been conditioned against

valuing education (journal entry, May 8).

Economic issues also formed the basis for some of Gail's preconceptions. During
a discussion about voluntary segregation in the area, she pointed out that there were
issues other than personal comfort that result in people ﬁom various racial and ethnic
backgrounds tending to live in segregated communities.

And there's also other things though. Issues to think about, like, realtors

and do they show people, Black people, the White neighborhoods, and you also

have to think about poverty, and trying to rise up out of that, and normally people

live in the city if they don't make as much because it's cheaper to get around.

They don't have to have a car. And you just take bus transportation. So in a way

there's outside, you know, the system is also a force there, too (discussion, May

8).

In the context of this conversation, in which the group was discussing why
Aﬁican Americans and Whites in our local area are segregated, Gail appeared to be
suggesting that there was a large African American population in the city because
African Americans in general do not have sufficient income to live in the suburbs. She
indicated that our society perpetuated this by making it difﬁcult to for the Aﬁican
American in the city to ”rise up."

Because of her own cultural background, Gail had some initial preconceptions
about the behavior of persons ﬁom particular ethnic groups.

Part of some of the reasons my mom acts the way she does is because

150

she's Irish. And so I would say that it's not necessarily coming ﬁom pride as much

as it is, oh, okay, so that's why she does that. Whenever you're pure anything,

you're going to be acting that type of personality. And my mom is pure. So I'm

wondering if that's maybe why I personally would want to know if my husband

was Scottish, okay? I don't mean to make these generalizations, or these
stereotypes, but at the same time in my mind I will do that anyway. Because my
mom, I think, she deﬁnitely has more of a leaning towards alcohol than my dad.

It's not that she drinks or is an alcoholic, but that may be because it's something

tlmt's been passed down through the generations. So going back to the Irish thing,

I mean, the Italians are known to be what, loud, conﬁontational? (Discussion,

May 9).

Dining early group discussions, the participants were asked to deﬁne culture. The
conversation centered around the characteristics that deﬁne a group of people, but Gail
pointed out that a dictionary deﬁnition of culture could also be art, music, literature, and
drama

And that's a lot of times how, at least, nations I think other than the United States,

identify themselves ﬁ’om each other. The United States I don't think has that. For

instance, London is theater. Russia is ballet. When you think France, you think
music, when you think Italy, you think opera. So each one has their own culture
and the United States, when you think the US, you think football (discussion,

May 8).

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This preconception in the form of categorizing countries by which art form they
are associated with may have been Gail's own personal preconception, or her
generalization of how she believed people as a whole identiﬁed these countries.

Gail expressed preconceptions about the environment associated with the culture
of inner city schools in terms of safety and in terms of her own teaching.

I think that is great [bussing White students to a more cultrn'ally diverse

school] for the elementary age, but I don’t agree with it for the high school and

middle school level. There are gangs at this age leveL and if it was my child I

wouldn’t want them to have to deal with gang recruitment. Also there is the safety

factor. This is also reﬂected in my ideas about teaching. If I teach in a

multicultrnal setting that is urban, I would only want to teach at the elementary

level. Granted, bad stuff happens at the elementary level, but you don’t have to
deal with gangs, drugs, sex, and ﬁghts as much. I feel much safer in an

elementary school (journal entry, May 10).

Coming from my own background, I always equate inner city schools with drugs

(discussion, May 17).

Gender issues also emerged as preconceptions for Gail. In discussing a social
situation during which individuals were telling racial jokes, she made the comment that to
her, racism was more visible in males than females.

Gail: But the people who were saying stuff that were racial jokes were, I don't

thinkitwasreallymeanttobedemeaningasmuchasitwasmeanttobeﬁmny.

But only the males were doing it and the females were just like, laughing. And

watching it. And I don't know if this guy felt like he had something to prove or

152

whatever, but I think it had something to do with his background. Researcher: So

you're making a big generalization here that racism is perpetuated by the males?

Gail: No, but maybe that has something to do with it? I don't know. I don't think

racism in general is perpetuated, but I can see it more with males than females

(discussion, May 9).

Most of the preconceptions that emerged from Gail’s talk were in the form of
stereotypical comments that could be interpreted as forms of prejudice. By the second
day of the course, Gail was sharing with the group her admission that she had certain
prejudices.

I have a question for everybody. What if, so are you allowed to be prejudiced

based on your experience? Should you be allowed to hold prejudice based on

experience? Based on generalizations of what you have seen?...Well, I mean is it
right or wrong? Because we're all talking like it's completely wrong to say...but if
you have had an experience in a class where a Black man has hurt you, then is it
maybe your right to have it? I was wondering. Because I have prejudices. I know

what they are. I haven’t said them yet, but I know exactly what they are. And I

know them because I have had experience. I was wondering what you guys think.

Do you guys think that's wrong? (Discussion, May 9).

Gail discussed these admissions of prejudice in the context of her experience
working and teaching in a variety of environments with culturally diverse people. Rather
than being inﬂuenced by the media, as most of the other group members felt they were,

Gail expressed that her views about culture emerged from her own personal experience.

153

“I think that my basis for cultural understanding just comes from my experience rather
than the media. I deﬁnitely ﬁlter out a lot of the stuff that I hear” (discussion, May 8).
She described one situation in particular that had affected how she viewed people
from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
But I will tell you, like, when I was teaching piano lessons, the people that were
White and middle-class always paid on time. And the ones that were immigrants
and other ethnicities, were always late. Every single time except for one person.
But then, on the other hand, the people that called, the ethnic people that called,
whether it be Black or immigrants, were more likely to take lessons than the
White people that called. So I have come up with these generalizations in my
head. That's all that I'm talking about...but I have seen certain generalizations in
my mind that I have come up with since I've been in the workplace, and I am just
kind of wondering if you guys thought it was right or wrong, and I know that I am
always going to have it too, no matter what. No matter what I do, I will always
think, if I'm going to be teaching a Black person, I will always wonder, okay, are
they going to pay me this month or not? But then at the same time, I have to give
them the beneﬁt of the doubt. . .I don't mean to be prejudicial, but I just have
generalizations in my mind (discussion, May 9).
It took a great deal of trust and vulnerability on Gail's part to share these
preconceptions and admitted prejudices with the rest of the group. Not only did she admit
her own biases, but it also appeared very important to her to get feedback ﬁ'om the group

whether they viewed this as right or wrong.

154

Personal Expertis_e,

Gail initially viewed the educational process in our country as a type of
Americanization. This was one of the many times when she chose to share her academic
knowledge with the group as a way of expressing her own beliefs.

It's really an educational process and it's been an Americanization process

ﬁ'om the beginning. From the 18005. It didn't start until the 18403. Music wasn't

even introduced until after the Civil War when all the people that were playing in

the bands were starting to look for jobs. So they started teaching music in the
schools. And so what did they teach? They taught band, you know band music.

The typical polkas, that kind ofthing. While Sousa wasn't until the 1900s, but

Americanization is deﬁnitely in our educational system. You talk about English as

a second language, I don't know howl know this, but there are two schools of

thought. You teach the student with their own language or you just immerse them.

I don't teach it as a second language or anything, but, people want to be

multicultural, but at the same time, it's still Americanization (discussion, May 9).

American Idenﬁty,

One of the preconceptions that Gail discussed in her journal was what it means to
be identiﬁed as American. She initially did not understand why members of other ethnic
or racial groups would want to be identiﬁed as something other than just American.

Why does this black man [Victor, in ‘The Color of Fear’] want to be

called ‘African American?’ What is American to him? Is it not himself? Let’s say

someone who is mostly Italian in descent calls himself Italian-American. If they

went to Italy, they would be American. Italians would look at them and laugh,

155

‘Italian? You are American! You use too much water, etc., etc., you are diﬁ‘erent!’

I don’t see Latino or Hispanic dwellers of the US. calling themselves ‘Latino

American’ or ‘Hispanic American.’ What is it about blacks and Asians that makes

them want to differentiate themselves ﬁom being just ‘American?’ (journal entry,

May 8).

During a group discussion about people of mixed races, like Camille, Gail noted
that the way that a person is viewed racially might be based on which races are part of
that person’s background or on their appearance. This discussion led to her questioning
her own ethnicity, how she perceived herself.

See, if you are Chinese, half Chinese and half White, then you are

Chinese. You're not just White. Or if your mom is Black, you're going to be

considered Black. Because you have just 1/16 of it. And the same thing with

Japanese. I don‘t know about Hispanics. I probably have like 1/16 of American

Indian in me, but I'm not American Indian. I my have 1/16 of German in me but

I'm not German. I'm an American or what ever, I don't know. Goodness gracious!

(Group discussion, May 9).

This perception, that as a Caucasian person one is not a member of a particular
ethnic group, but an American, is often a typical response ﬁ'om someone who is a
member of the White, dominant culture. They identify themselves as American, thereby
implying that to be an American means to be like themselves.

ﬁll—mm

Gail’s preconceptions were, in her own words, based on her personal experiences.

These preconceptions were predominantly expressed as stereotypical remarks that were

156

race, economic, ethnicity, culture, or gender based. She was able to establish a level of
trust among the other members so that she openly admitted some of her biases and why
she felt she had them.
Reactions

The reactions that Gail demonstrated and expressed during this experience fell
into several categories. These categories are identiﬁed as: classroom management and
teaching techniques, a sense of helplessness, student aptitude, personal expertise,
stereotypical comments, herselfas a person, cultural differences, and the critical
incidents.

Classroom Mmement and Teaching Techpiques.
Gail appeared to be uncomfortable with the learning process exhibited by the

 

students in an elementary music class. Their learning process was apparemly much
different than that to which she was accustomed. The students who were most engaged
were not the ones who were quietly working on their project but were the most vocaL
energetic, and rambunctious. The teaching techniques also appeared to be based more on
product than process, which also may have been different ﬁom what Gail was
accustomed to.
It is important that she [the music teacher] stresses the product, not the process.
In the ﬁfthograde class especially. The groups that were the quietest, the ones I
was itching to reward, were actually the least creative. The most creative group
was the six boy rowdy group. Their process to get the product was slightly
unsettling to me -- they were extremely noisy and disorganized at ﬁrst (jom'nal

entry, May 14).

157

After her ﬁrst teaching experience with the third, fourth, and ﬁfth graders, Gail
expressed some initial feelings of inadequacy concerning her own management
techniques in the context of the management techniques of others in the group.

Well, I taught today. I'm not sure what to think of my teaching. Some things went

well, some things didn't go so well. I think that compared to the girls that taught

the younger levels, I did not do well. In other words, their classroom management
was perfect and mine was not nearly as good. On the other hand, they team taught
for the younger grades (which was easier). So considering the challenge of my

situation, my teaching went okay (journal entry, May 16).

Because Gail at this point had very little teaching experience at the elementary
level, it was a normal reaction for her to question her own teaching abilities. Also, from
the beginning Gail challenged herself as far as her teaching experiences during the two
immersion weeks. While the other participants chose to team-teach in the younger
grades, Gail made the decision to teach by herself for her very ﬁrst teaching segment.
Also, rather than choosing the younger grades with whom she may have been more
comfortable, she chose to work with the three upper grades on her ﬁrst day of teaching.

By observing and teaching in a setting different ﬁ'om what she was accustomed
to, Gail was able to see how particular methodologies could be effective in different
classroom environments with different types of students.

Giving each student individual attention is absolutely wonderful for these types of

kids. That is where I think the Gordon method meets the inner city kids well. If

you have a kid acting out, give them your individual attention in the form of

patterns. If you teach patterns at the beginning of class, and give them individual

158

patterns, you'll have them for the rest of the class. I'm beginning to think that's the

best way to tie them in. Each of the girls [the other participants] in the lower

grades did that, and the kids hardly acted out for them after that” (journal entry,

May 16).

Helplessmss.

After viewing the movie, "The Color of Fear," Gail expressed a sense of
helplessness when considering how one person can nuke any kind of contribution toward
changing intolerance and bias.

Well, where is the practicality? In that discussion? There's David, you know, the

beginning of the movie he is one way and at the end he sees it differently. But

how is David going to go out, or how can anybody in that group go out, and you

know, and not do this racism, this prejudiced kind of stuff? (Discussion, May 9).

Student Aptitu_c_l_§,

Even though Gail stated early on that she believed students in culturally diverse
and/or urban settings have the same learning potential as students in suburban settings,
she expressed some surprise at the apparent high musical aptitude of the students that she
observed and worked with.

I thought she [the music teacher] was asking too much for the third grade when

she asked them which phrase went up at the end of the song ‘Each of Us is a

Flower.’ But they got it after two tries. Which goes to show that if you challenge

these kids, they will rise to the challenge (journal entry, May 15).

159

Her [the band director] band really impressed me. Her 8th grade band sounded
better than one of my high school bands. They must be wonderful kids to work
with (journal entry, May 16th).

I loved that the students [middle school bands students] would start a song just for
ﬁrn before and after class. That was pure genius to me. The rhythm section had a

great groove for the songs. I really enjoyed listening to them (journal entry, May

 

22).
Persorml Expe_r_tise.

Gail was the one person in the group who shared a lot of academic knowledge
about cultural issues. She appeared to be well read and, because she was a teaching
assistant for two semesters for a multicultural education course, she had addressed many
of the speciﬁc issues before.

Iteach,ItaughtaclasscalledIAH201 andone ofourreadingswas something

called Arrangement in Black and White and it's by Dorothy Parker... And so it's

just a satire on White people trying to treat Black people with ultra respect, but at
the same time it means that there is something underlying that's different, that
they think is different. And so that's why I was laughing, I wasn't trying to, you
know, I just, these things that you guys talk about, we've all talked about this.

And I talked about it for two semesters, um, and another thing you were talking

about, I can remember what, afﬁrmative-action. I mean, we get into all that stuff,

so I, all these... (discussion, May 8).

 

160

At times it appeared that Gail offered her academic knowledge as explanations of
her own actions or comments. This sharing of personal expertise also seemed to be a
factor that contributed to a kind of alienation from the rest of the group.

I just, the whole mentality is different ﬁ'om what I've been used to. That's ﬁom

students that I talked to in general, that's not necessarily you guys. I don't know

what you guys are thinking about that at all. It's just that I don't mean to be
haughty or anything, I just, I just have different ideas or a different background

(discussion, May 8).

These comments came on the ﬁrst day of the course, as the participants were just
getting to know one another. The use of the wor "you guys" and the way Gail used
these words could possibly have begun building a type of barrier that essentially isolated
Gail from the other participants. This isolation was evidenced throughout the experience
by Gail being a kind of loner, often walking by herself, sitting in the very back of the van,
and keeping social interaction to a minimum.

Gail continued to make comments about her personal expertise over the course of
the three weeks. These comments appeared to demonstrate that Gail saw herselfas
different ﬁom the other participants, both in experience and knowledge.

I have listened to all of you guys talking and this is exactly what we talked about

this semester in IAH. And I'm actually thinking in my head, okay, so what would

she [one of her Aﬁican American students] say about this...but I've actually kind
of already seen this as far as how they [Aﬁican Americans] act (discussion, May

9).

161

 

 

It was apparent that Gail considered herself somewhat of an expert on issues of
cultural diversity. When asked at the end of the course what was the least valuable part of
the experience for her, she expressed that because of her academic background and
personal expertise, much of the content of the orientation week was redundant for her.

It was ﬁ'ustrating when [six second pause] because I had already thought about a

lot of the stuff anyways by teaching, and I had already done two of your activities,

and. . .I’m more of a hands-on, practical person. I learn by experience rather tlmn
by talking or even writing or watching. So for the, the most. ..I could have
probably done without a lot of the ﬁrst week stuff and gone straight into the

second. And that’sjust my background because I...I taught a class on all this, so I

already had to research a lot of it (exit interview, May 25).

Stereotypical Comm___e_n_t__s_.

The reactions that Gail expressed as stereotypical comments fell into similar
categories as her preconceptions. The comments she made can be categorized into ethnic
comments, racial comments, and cultural comments.

Many of the reactions that Gail shared with the group were a result of observing
teachers working with their students in a variety of settings. After observing the music
teacher in the primary setting working with a group of ﬁfth graders, Gail raised questions
about the role of the White students in the class.

Is it just me or do the white kids get the answers correct? There's always one or

two in the class that ‘get it’ or lead - and is it the white kids? Brandon was a

leader in the ﬁfth-grade class - not without some struggle, but is this the white

person's nature? To dominate? (Journal entry May 14).

162

 

After observing a choral instructor working with students at an all African
American magnet school, Gail expressed her surprise that a magnet school for gifted and

talented children could be 100% Aﬁ'ican American.
I was surprised to ﬁnd a gifted and talented school all-Black. And I thought there

would be more White people in it. Because I assumed, based on my experience,

that there are more White people in the gifted and talented, because I taught in a

school that was gifted and talented, and the gifted and talented classes were all

White with maybe two Black kids. The regular classes were half and half (exit

interview, May 25).

This comment refers back to Gail's belief that her perspective of culture was
almost entirely based on her own experiences, not outside inﬂuences such as the media.
In this conversation, Gail implied that Aﬁ'ican American students are not as bright as
Caucasian students. This stereotypical assumption came out of Gail's personal history and
experience. This perspective also appeared in Gail's comments after observing the music
teacher at the primary setting for the ﬁrst time. “Coming from a White background, I

noticed that the ones that got the answers were often White” (discussion, May 14).

View of Self.
A few of Gail's reactions gave insight as to how she viewed herself as a person,

and how she chose to deal with issues of intolerance and discrimination. During one
discussion, one of the participants made the comment that it was easier to be ignorant

than to face racism and bias and do something about it.
I don't know ifI wanttoreaditagain [adisturbing book].Irememberedjust

having bad connotations, and just like in the movie, I couldn't watch the part

163

 

 

 

where she was getting raped because it just hurt. I couldn't watch it. So I am just
offering that. As a counter argument to the fact that I'm just ignoring it, or I just

don't want to have to deal with it. It's more like, psychologically, I can't deal

(discussion, May 9).

Cult Differences.

As Gail observed in a variety of settings, she began to notice cultural diﬁ‘erences
among the students in classrooms.

Henryisthe boywiththebraid. Whyishecoveringhisfirce?This ishiswayof

dealing with an uncomfortable situation. I wonder why his hair is so long. I

wonder if he acts up a lot or not. Is it is culture to have long braided hair? (jomnal

entry, May 15).

Not only did she notice cultural differences among the students, but also among
the teachers that we observed and the way they interacted with their students. Some of the
differences she observed in the way these teachers ran their classrooms could be
accounted for by differences in culture, not merely differences in teaching techniques.

“I think she [the band director] is going to use tough love on the students. She was really
nice (always smiling, always cordial) to us, but she cl'mnged her voice for the students.
She's going to be really mean and she will get results” (journal entry, May 17).

These comments followed a visit with an Aﬁ'ican American middle school band
director in a school with 100% African American student population. Our visit with this
teacher occurred on a day when the students were to attend only the second half of the
school day. In spite of this, many students came in and out of her band room, even though

they were not required to be there.

164

 

Cra' ical Incidents.
Two critical incidents occurred during this experience that were described in

detail in Chapter Four. Gail had strong reactions to both of these incidents, exhibited in
her journal, her exit interview, and particularly during group discussions.

The ﬁrst critical incident was described in detail in Chapter Four and involved our
observation in an African American high school history class after visiting with the
choral instructor.

During the group discussion concerning our visit with the choral instructor, Gail
commented on the somewhat stiff interaction between this instructor and our group, and

possible reasons for this.

You [researcher] are an older generation, though. You are older. And I mean older

White person, no matter where they [Aﬁican Americans] grow up. They're going

to have a little bit of baggage. I'm not saying you're old, but I'm saying that, like,

she might see you as being a threat or whatever. Since you grew up in the South

(discussion, May 21).

This stereotypical comment, that the instructor, as an African American, might
feel threatened because of my presence as an older White person from the South, was
Gail's perspective on a possible explanation for the apparent discomfort displayed by the

choral instructor.
Gail also expressed her own discomfort when some of the participants asked

questions about the choral instructor's private life, and how she balanced her professional

life with her life outside of school.

165

 

 

I was uncomfortable when you guys asked her about her private life. . . When I

think of private, for us, it is easier to talk about because we don't really have

anything that we want to hide. We don't have to worry about having husbands that

beat us, or having kids that are in jail, or whatever. And I'm not saying that that's
what her situation is. But for me, I wouldn't ask that just in case there was

something there that I don't want to have her thinking about (discussion, May 21).

Gail's assumptions about this woman's personal life were based on stereotypical
beliefs that African Americans have more violence and crime in their lives than Whites
do. The use of the words "us" and "we" demonstrated that Gail viewed herself and the
other participants as members of a cultural group that has fewer social problems than
Aﬁ'ican Americans.

Gail expressed concern at the academic level of the teacher' 3 presentation in one
of the classrooms we observed. This caused Gail to compare what she saw in this
classroom with her on experience as a student.

I was amazed to ﬁnd out this was an 11th grade class -- there were words like:

scared, scarred, sacred on the board for vocabulary. I knew the difference between

these words in fourth grade. Is this really their level of vocabulary? I ﬁnd it hard
to believe, but if so, there's something wrong. It seems like having these types of
vocabulary words is 1) old school 2) derogatory to those students 3) is targeted
toward students that are dyslexic. His [the teacher’s] vocabulary list on the board

really bothered me (journal entry, May 21).

Gail appeared to feel that the reactions and responses we received ﬁ'om the

teachers and administrators that we met were not sincere.

166

 

 

Every single person that greeted us in the school smiled. All the adults, that is. I
got some pretty mean looks ﬁ'om some of the kids, though I felt like they were all
saying, ‘See, we have a good school here so come and work in Detroit public
schools!’ Another thing I noticed was that she [the choral instructor] laughed a lot
with the other teachers. Were they putting up a good front? I felt like a lot of what

went on in the school was fake (journal entry, May 21).

As we left the building and moved toward our van, male students on one of the

upper ﬂoors of the building began to shout obscenities at us.

A bunch of boys were yelling obscenities at us as we got into the car. I was

actually used to this -- it didn't surprise me. I guess I've experienced it before in

different places I've been. I've learned not to look. It was so ironic because
everything we saw up to that point was just peaches and cream - everyone was
happy and learning was good and the school was a safe environment. (The metal

detectors at the door made me feel much safer), the teachers laughed and had a

great time (journal entry, May 21).

This comment conﬁrmed Gail's earlier statements that the way she viewed culture
was based on her prior experiences. The fact that she considered it normal for Aﬁ'ican
American males to yell obscenities was itself a stereotypical perspective. It was unclear if
she believed that the metal detectors at the door actually made this a safe environment, or
whether they eased her initial apprehensions and fears

I felt uncomfortable at the school not because I was white and everyone else was

black, but because everything was so fake. I got bad vibes from the school. It

wasn't really the students as much as it was the teachers. It was actually almost

167

 

relieving to have those boys yelling at us as we left - it let me know that these are

real people. I wonder what the teachers thought of us. (Or what they thought of

each other!) (Journal entry, May 21).

After observing the civil rights discussion in the second classroom, Gail
commented on the manner in which the instructor appeared to present the material, and
his own personal interest in the topic of the civil rights.

The second teacher we saw was discussing the civil rights movement. It's

interesting to hear a black teacher talk about the civil rights movement after

teaching IAH 201 [a humanities multicultural education course in which Gail was

a teaching assistant]. He seemed to take it personally that black people had to

ﬁght for their ﬁ'eedoms. What is the point of that, other than to make white people

look like the bad guy and feel guilty? (Journal entry, May 21).

As the participants continued to discuss this incident, and how they felt while
standing in a classroom of all African American students who were discussing the Civil
Rights Movement, Gail explained that she had not felt uncomfortable in this setting.

I didn't feel uncomfortable, but I think that's because I taught in IAH and

I was listening and trying to take notes in my brain. How does he teach this

differently ﬁ'om me? Okay, he's been there, he's done that, that would have been

nice if I had been there and done that. You know, I was taking notes, of how he
taught and I was looking at the people [students] and realizing that they were
completely enthralled with what he had to say. And trying to think of how I would
have done it. To try to make it as good a teaching experience (discussion, May

21).

168

 

 

This comment referred back to the primary reason Gail enrolled in this course, to
gain new understanding of teaching techniques and methods. Rather than focusing on the
opportunity to experience what it is like to be the “other,” or on attitudes and beliefs
concerning discrimination, Gail chose to focus on the teaching strategies of the instructor,
how they were different ﬁom her strategies, and what she could learn ﬁ'om his methods.

The second critical incident, which is also described in detail in Chapter Four,
occurred after having observed a choral instructor at a magnet school with a student
population that was 100% African American. Initially, all of the participants in our group
contributed to a discussion that began as reactions to the teaching they observed and the
choice of repertoire. It evolved into a rather emotional discussion between Gail and
Camille, who each held strong views about issues that emerged in the conversation.

Because this was a magnet school, with admission requirements, uniform
requirements, and no transportation system, the participants began discussing the culture
of the school, and what types of families would send their children there.

Researcher: What kind of cultural values do the people hold in the school? Gail:

Very Anglo. Academic. I’m just agreeing that it was...but I don’t think, okay,

yeah. I would agree that yes, academics are valued and education is valued, and
we automatically associate that with Anglo. Which is kind of ironic. Stereotypical

of us (discussion, May 24).

It would be interesting to know how many students in that school had to have

federally provided lunches. I would guess very few (discussion, May 24).

The participants agreed that the main difference between this school and others

we had visited was not necessarily based on racial issues but on socioeconomic issues.

169

 

 

 

Discussion began to center around how students with high aptitudes could possibly have
fewer opportunities for academic success because of socioeconomic reasons. This topic
was the catalyst for the two-way discussion between Gail and Camille.
I think though, I would like to say that I would send my child to that school
because it’s safe, and that’s what I would care about more than whether or not it
was academically hard or easy for socioeconomic status. That school was all

Aﬁican American, and it’s a safe environment. So why not try and send your kids

 

there? And if that means that you have to have money, then you should work your

butt oﬂ‘ to get to that point, so you can send your kids to that kind of school. What

bothers me is that people don’t realize that they can choose to send their students
to some other school. It bothers me that people don’t think that they can rise up,
orthat theycantryand make nrore money ifthey want to tryand sendtheirkids

to another school (discussion, May 24).

Camille, being ﬂour a family that had struggled ﬁnancially as well as being of
mixed race, disagreed with this philosophy, stating that there are many families who
struggle and have difficulty changing their circumstances. Gail agreed, but still insisted
that there are alternatives available.

Well, that’s right [that it is difﬁcult for some to “rise above”], but they can send

their kids to good schools if they want to. They can work for $5.15 an hour, 40

hours a week at McDonald’s. Actually, McDonald’s is now seven dollars an hour.

And they can make a living off that, not much. They can limit how many kids

they have so that they don’t put themselves in the situation where they don’t have

170

 

enough money. And then they can send their kids to good schools if that’s what
they want, if they care about their kids. That’s my point (discussion, May 24).

Because Camille is Catholic, she took the comment about limiting family size as a

personal affront. Gail persisted in her reasoning that all families should make choices so

that the parents might be able to provide for their children.

Well, then, they need to be able to provide for those kids. If they’re going

to have kids, they need to be able to provide for them. They need to be able to
know that they can work hard enough for them. I understand that you, that people
might have religious beliefs, and I know that is a Catholic thing, but when family
planning doesn’t work, it’s a responsibility. It’s the parents’ responsibility, if they
have those kids, to be able to provide for them, number one. And number two, to
care about them enough to send them, if they, if they have a car, which most
people have a car probably that live in Detroit. ..(discussion, May 24).

Gail expressed a view that other cultural interpretations of what is valued my be

incorrect, if it means having more children than you can ﬁnancially take responsibility

for.

If your religion does that [prohibits birth control], then that is holding you back.
From being able to provide for your family. You, these things, you may say they
are cultural, but what if those things aren’t necessarily, you know, culturally
right? That’s the problem, is, culturally, in Afi'ica, and culturally in other places,
people have too many kids who they can’t provide for. Because that’s their
culture. Well, that is holding them back ﬁom being able to provide for their kids

(discussion, May 24).

171

 

There were moments when Gail admitted that she agreed with Camille to a certain
extent and even began to realize how she came across during her several monologues.
But even so, she relentlessly pursued her notions about oppressed peoples being able to
rise above their circumstances and better themselves. “I, somehow in a way, I kind of
believe, agree with you and stuff? I know that there is White privilege in that it’s hard to
get out of the ghetto, it is hard to get out of your situation, it’s hard to uprise, to rise up
economically” (discussion, May 24).

That, to her [a Hispanic mother] is the best perception [putting her children in a

community school] and I’m saying that my perception is better! [laughs] which is

White, yes. Which is White stereotyping, White supremacy, Whiteness, White,

Anglo, be like me, be Anglo, be like me. So, and yes, I see that I’m coming across

like that. And I understand now what you are saying (discussion, May 24).

Whites have an easier time. Well, 1, yeah, that’s part of the problem, granted.

Whites contribute to the system The system holds people down, of the other

races. And other races have a hard time getting, you know, other races, new

immigrants, and Aﬁ'ican Americans, have a hard time going upward mobility. But
ifthey care enough, and they want it, and they work hard, I think that they can

send their children to college and the cycle will be broken (discussion, May 24).

You can always do that [better yourself]. There’s no law that says you have to go

to whatever school your neighbor is in. They may say that that’s what you’re

supposed to do, but you can always ﬁnagle. I’ve seen it done. It happens, and so

my point is if you put your child in a good environment, that’s academic, and that

172

helps them rise about their situation, then you can, they can possibly go to college

(discussion, May 24).

Toward the end of this lengthy debate, several participants brought up the topic of
values, and noted that different people value different things, and some see success one
way, and others view success in different terms. Gail then expressed her own viewpoint
about how education should be valued.

Well, if they come over to America, and they have different values, and one of

those values is not to value education, then when they come to America, they pick

up that value of education, then okay. That means that they are assimilating into
what American culture is. And if they want to do that, then they are going to have
to take it upon themselves to provide better education, or the best education, is my

point (discussion, May 24).

After reﬂecting on this discussion overnight, Gail admitted that situations might
be much more complex than she was allowing for.

About Camille’sand my argument—Iamsurprisedatalotofwhatcameoutof

my mouth, and yet, not surprised in a way. I understand Camille’s side of the

issueandunderstandthatthingscanbe a lot more complexthanthey may seem.

But I still think that parents should be held responsible for giving the best

education they can to their children IF they aspire to tlmt. In other words, if

you’re going to talk the talk, walk the walk. I don’t have a lot of sympathy for
fakeness. It’s all about accountability, and there are many factors that play in the
role of living to one’s full potential. Should someone be held accountable for their

works, actions, mistakes? I would like to think the answer should be “yes,” but

173

that is not for me to decide. Everyone has a different viewpoint on things and

everyone approaches life differently. There are a different set of “rights and

wrongs” for different people.

Yet it is this mentality that is letting so may people get away with so
much. What is right for one person (or what one person values) may not be right
or valuable for another person. Yet there should be, if one believes in a righteous
God, one right and wrong. This may be different for diﬁ‘erent people, but they
should still be held accountable for their own version of ‘right and wrong’
(journal entry, May 24).

This discussion was lengthy, lasting about two hours. It began in the van, as we
were leaving the magnet school. Gail was more vocal during this time than she was at
any other time during the experience, and more vocal than any other participant at any
other time.

Mm

Gail’s reactions that she shared in discussions, journal entries, and interviews fall
largely into the two categories of stereotypical comments and responses to the two
critical incidents. In spite of her personal expertise and academic knowledge in the area
of cultural diversity, she made the largest number of stereotypical remarks of all the
participants. These comments did not appear to diminish over time, and even though she
appeared aware at times of how intolerant she sounded, she continued to express this
perspective.

The responses and reactions that Gail expressed are typical of many pre-service

teachers. As White, middle-class members of the dominant culture, we tend to view

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ourselves as cultureless, making it difficult to become aware and accepting of the cultures
of others. Pedelty (2001) described the inﬂuence of individualistic principles on the
ability to view ourselves and others as cultural beings.
For US. students, thinking about other people as “others” threatens deeply-held
beliefs that we are, in fact, ﬂee-thinking, acultural beings who take each person
on his or her own merits, no matter what their race, creed, or color. However, that
is an impossible ideal. . .all our thinking is at least partially crafted through
enculturation, and our reality is inevitably conditioned by the stock of symbolic
materials (i.e., culture) available to us. For students weaned on the ideology of
individualism, this is a difficult lesson to learn. Rather than examine the cultural
bases of their thinking, therefore, many students prefer to deny any sort of
“cultural anchoring” and thus are controlled that much more by it” (Pedelty,
2001, p. 29).
Maher and Thompson (1997) also discussed how Whiteness often becomes the
norm for “American” and may shape the culture of the classroom.
Among the most powerful mechanisms maintaining the superiority of dominant
voices is the failure to acknowledge and understand how assumptions of
Whiteness shape and even dictate the limits of discourse in the
classroom. . .Whiteness, like maleness, becomes the norm for “human;” it is often
the silent and invisible basis against which other racial and cultural identities are
named as “other,” and are measured and marginalized. .To become White has
often been constructed as synonymous with becoming truly American” (Maher &

Thompson, 1997, p. 323-324).

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Gail, like many other pre-service teachers, had apparently not yet come to
understand her own position as a member of the privileged class, and being self-
admittedly individualistic, had found it difﬁcult to think of herself as being a member of
the dominant culture. This, as well as her own cultural history, had caused her to retain a
worldview that was based on her preconceptions and her own experience.

M

This experience had a positive impact on Gail in terms of how she viewed her
classroom marmgement skills, student aptitudes, and her comfort level in a culturally
diverse setting. She also gained a new perspective on the city of Detroit in general and
the possibility of pursuing a teaching career there.

Classroom Mmement.

One ofthe issues that Gail focused on ﬁom the beginning ofthis course was to
learn more about effective classroom management techniques. Through observing her
fellow participants and music teachers in a variety of settings, and by experimenting with
her own teaching, Gail felt that she was successﬁrl in becoming more proﬁcient at
classroom management.

“I’m really glad I took this class because it has helped me so much with

classroom management. I really like how the Gordon method ﬁts in with inner

city kids. 1) The Gordon method allows students to mess up and still be valued as
part of the class. . .They [two of the other participants] could have gotten mad at

the child for not following directions, but they instead empowered the children. 2)

I like how Gordon involves individual attention. That seems to be the best way to

get kids to be involved. Usually the kids that act up are doing it to get attention.

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ie: [sic] Dayondre: he was gooﬁng off so I did a few patterns with him and he 1)

let out all that energy with creative patterns 2) was good for the rest of the class.

This doesn’t always work, but it is something that is musical, is empowering, and

positive” (journal entry, May 20).

W092»;-

Gail’s perception of Detroit changed over the comse of this experience. She
previously had been primarily concerned about issues of safety, which were allayed. But
she also admitted how surprised she was with the high musical aptitude of the students,
implying that she had originally thought that students in the inner city would have less
ability than students in the suburbs.

Detroit is like a diamond in the rough. It has such a bad reputation - nobody

wantsto comenearherebecausethekidsare ‘so bad.’IheardaboutDetroit

schools all the way from Virginia when I ate lunch with other teachers while
subbing. It’s not that bad! . . .These kids even though they have behavior
reputations across the nations, are like a secret waiting to be formd. They are

talented! They’re intelligent! They’re musical geniuses waiting to be found! I

think Detroit kids are way cool (journal entry, May 23).

But their aptitude, I think, in general, is very high.” Researcher: “Is that different

ﬁom what you thought before?” Gail: “Um-m, no. I knew that already.”

Researcher: “So you were surprised at the music...” Gail: “Well, I was surprised

that they were that high. Like, I taught in pretty much the same kind of diversity

setting, and I thought those kids were high aptitude musically. But they weren’t as

high as the kids that are in Detroit. Like, these kids are really high conrpared to

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what I’ve seen elsewhere. That’s what I’m...That’s what I’m thinking. So, yeah, I

was surprised at how good they were, but I wasn’t surprised that they were better

than what I. ..than what I had seen with others (exit interview, May 25).

Comfort Level.

Gail’s changing perceptions about the city led her to consider the possibility of
possibly teaching in this setting or one that was similar.

I used to be completely against teaching band in middle or high school because of

all the guns and violence (in an inner city school). Now I would be much nrore

open to that option, especially because it gives these kids such a great sense of

family and caring ﬁ'iends (journal entry, May 24).

Gail’s apparent change in perception was so strong that, when asked to describe
any changes in herself, she commented on her new awareness of the potential for
teaching in the city.

Researcher: Do you look at yourself any differently as a result of this course?

Gail: Oh, yeah. It’s, um-m, it’s been a deﬁnitely an enlightening experience about

Detroit. That’s something that I, uh, came in deﬁnitely just to ﬁnd out about

Detroit. But Detroit has a huge reputation. To me now it’s a lot better than it

seems. So I’m not, you know, against moving to Detroit and teaching high school

or middle school, which I was completely against before this (exit interview, May

25).

m

Gail was certainly affected by this experience in the context of learning more

about the city and the students there. She became more comfortable in this setting, so

178

much that she gave considerable thought to returning for some type of internship and
considered the possibility of seeking employment in the city. She also came to realize
that the students she observed and worked with were very musically talented. She was
able to see how methodologies would be appropriate in a variety of settings. The
experience also satisﬁed her expectations concerning classroom management, and
becoming more skilled in a variety of teaching techniques and methods.

My
Er_<p_egtations

Whitney expressed a few expectations for what she anticipated gaining from this
experience. Even though she did not explicitly share many of her expectations, the ones
she did share can be grouped into the following categories: cultural awareness, classroom
management, expectations ﬁom other participants, self awareness, comfort level, and
apprehension.

Cultural Awareness.

Early in the orientation week, Whitney acknowledged her own lack of
understanding of people from diverse backgrounds. One of her expectations was that she
gain more knowledge about how cultural diversity impacts how families and
communities operate, and how that knowledge would inﬂuence her teaching.

I ge_all_y feel like that’s [experience with other cultures] something missing in my

life. In that I was not given, like, not like something was stolen from me, but

something, I don’t know, a deﬁcit that I have. . .I should learn more about

different family structures and different community structures and, I grew up a

certain way. To be able to relate more to how another person has grown up, what

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they deal with day-to-day. It’s just a huge interest and a huge thing that I don’t

have a lot of right now. And obviously, that, that will affect my teaching

(discussion, May 8).

Classroom Mﬂgement.

Whitney expressed concerns about classroom management issues because this
setting was so different ﬁ'om anything she had ever experienced. Because she was a
novice teacher, these concerns were very typical.

Entering the situation, I didn’t know what to expect about student behavior — I

laid kind of prepared myself for the worst. . .I’m not quite sure what I was

expecting (journal entry, May 14).

I’m very nervous about management. Like, I have no techniques. Do we use her

[the music teacher] techniques? What are they going to respond to, that’s my

big... (discussion, May 14).

Some of the management issues Whitney expressed concerned the behavior of the
students. When one of the students wrote an obscenity on the piano keyboard, Whitney
seemed to accept this type of behavior as typical

She [the music teacher] looked upset, and I would have been too. But overall, as

an observer, I wasn’t shocked or surprised at all. I wasn’t surprised that kids

would use that language, or that they would destroy property. It would hurt my

feelings a little as a teacher, but it didn’t shock me at all (journal entry, May 15).

E_xp_e_ctations fi'om Other Participants.

Whitney participated in generating a set of ground rules and expressed her

personal expectations from others in the group. She expressed a desire for others to

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challenge her opinions and beliefs, particularly if she said something that could be
interpreted as stereotypical.

Whitney: I would say, and I don’t know how to phrase this, but something about

vocalizing our thoughts. I mean, obviously not all of them. I mean, we all have

thoughts to ourselves. But, just in all my relations in general, I am a very, a

confrontational person. I’d rather hear it than know that someone. . .it would

disturb me if I said something that held prejudice in it and I knew it and now one
said anything, and I knew that we all went to bed at night knowing that I said that.

And I would rather conﬁont it. Researcher: How can we word that? I know what

you are talking about, but how can we word it? Whitney: To hold each other

accountable for, does that. . .does that feel comfortable to you all? Because I know
some people are not as conﬁ'ontatiorml in their personalities and that might be
uncomfortable for some people, and how do you guys feel about that? Researcher:

Okay, listen to this. Do not be aﬁaid to respectfully challenge one another by

asking questions. But reﬁain from personal attacks. Focus on ideas. Is that what

you’re talking about? Whitney: Exactly (discussion, May 8).

Self Awareness.

Whitney came into this experience with high expectations for developing new
awarenesses concerning herself and her attitudes and beliefs. She appeared willing to
explore her preconceptions, biases, and attitudes, and to learn from the perspectives of
others in the group.

I expected to leave having had a lot of self reﬂection on what I thought on these

issues, which happened. You’re probably going to ask what actually happened,

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but I expected to have a lot of discussions. I expected to be exposed to a lot of

different perspective that the rest of the group brought in (exit interview, May 25).

I’m so glad that I have this opportunity to explore these issues, even if they are

constantly overwhelming, because as a white person, I may not have been forced

to put so much of my emotion into this, through my life experiences alone

(journal entry, May 9).

Comfort Level.

Because Whitney knew that this experience would include teaching and living in
a setting that was different from any that she had experienced, she expected to come
away with a higher level of comfort working with and being with people of diverse
cultural backgrounds.

I expected to leave with a better understanding of the Detroit public school system

and what it actually means to teach in an urban setting as opposed to just my

stereotypes about the urban setting. I guess I, I just expected to leave with a

higher comfort level with students of different cultural backgrounds (exit

interview, May 25).

Apprehension.

Although Whitney did not explicitly state any fears or anxieties she held as
expectations, these apprehensions emerged as she talked about her reactions throughout
the experience. Most of her apprehensions concerned feelings of being safe in this
setting, and not knowing what to expect. “I was expecting, I was expecting weapons. I

was expecting metal detectors at the elementary schools” (exit interview, May 25).

182

m

The few expectations Whitney shared were nrade during group discussions,
during her exit interview, and in her journal. In addition to typical expectations, such as
classroom management issues, and apprehension being in a new setting, Whitney also
expressed a willingness for self-exploration and a desire to develop new cultural
awarenesses.

Preconpeptiona

During our dialogues, Whitney revealed several preconceptions that she held
concerning herself and others. These preconceptions may be sorted into the following
categories: stereotypical comments, American Identity, the role of human nature, her
view of herself, and discrimination as a societal problem.

Stereotypical Comments.

Whitney made only a few comments during this erqrerience that could be viewed
as stereotypical. She tried to be very aware of these types of comments and expressed a
desire for the others to call them to her attention.

When discussing her personal history, Whitney explained that she attended a
parochial elementary school. She revealed a stereotypical assumption that people of other
cultures have less ﬁnancial resources than Whites do. “I went to a parochial school. There
was no diversity because there was tuition” (group discussion, May 8).

American Identity;

As a member of the dominant, White culture, Whitney had a preconception of

American culture and how people ﬁom diverse backgrounds should be viewed.

183

As a United States citizen, I was insulted by the suggestion the movie [“The Color
of Fear”] made that, as people of the United States, we have no speciﬁc culture or
ethnicity. I believe that the culture of the United States is to welcome and
celebrate all cultures and ethnicities — the nation was founded on freedom of
speech, ﬁeedom of a religion, etc. In the video, Victor said that you have to throw
away your ethnicity to become American. In contrast, I believe that you celebrate
your ethnicity as an ‘American’ — as well as the ethnicities of others - and we all
beneﬁt! (journal entry, May 9).

This entry indicates that Whitney viewed American culture from her own
perspective and experience as a White, middle class individual. As with Gail, Whitney’s
preconception was typical, a view of Whiteness as the norm. At this point, Whitney was
unable to recognize or understand her role as a member of the privileged class.

m Role of Human Nature.

During group discussion, Whitney expressed how she felt human nature plays a
role in how we see ourselves and others and the difficulty in trying to overcome our own
limited perspectives.

And I think it’s human nature to see the world through your own perspective,

which is constructed through your experience. And I think he [David in the video

“The Color of Fear] was having a hard time stepping back, and I think this is

human nature that, if I’m to look at the situation, I’m looking through my lens,

through my eyes. And that’s built around my culture, and I think it’s hard for

people to relate to things that are different and to sit back and to say, wait. And to

184

say, what does it feel like to be in this person’s situation (group discussion, May

9).

This discussion led to a comment about how difﬁcult Whitney believed it is for
Whites, as members of the dominant culture, to recognize and address issues concerning
cultural diversity, primarily because, as members of that culture, Whites do not have to
face those issues.

But I think it’s hard for humans, just for human nature to identify emotionally

with someone else. Because you just don’t think. . .and I think that goes along with

what is your culture as a White American. How David [in “The Color of Fear”]
never thought about that. And it’s because he didn’t have to (group discussion,

May 9).

Whitney began to reﬂect on this issue from the ﬁrst day of the orientation week.
Even though she felt that human nature plays a large role in how we view ourselves and
others, she speculated that being able to change our perspectives would contribute to
bettering our society in general.

Unfortunately, it is human nature to ﬁlter everything through our own

perspectives, which are constructed through our experiences — a change in

perspective and some empathy may go a long way - in all social issues, not just

racism (journal entry, May 8).

View of Self.

Early in the orientation week, Whitney revealed that she did not view herself as a
member of a speciﬁc culture but simply as Caucasian. Through this discussion, she began

to question the concept of her own culture.

185

While I’m a German descendent mostly, I’m pretty much a European mutt. But I

don’t know. I’ve never talked to any of my ﬁ'iends of different racial groups about

this, but I get the feeling socially that the Black population feels that there is a

Black culture. Whereas I don’t know that there is a Caucasian culture (group

discussion, May 8).

Whitney continued to question her own perceptions of herself as a citizen of the
United States, as a member of a cultural group that had, in her view, no discernible
culture.

And that’s why David on the video had no concept of what it meant to be of the

United States, because there is no United States, like, there is no culture. That’s

kind of weird. And that’s actually kind of sad, that I don’t have a culture

connected to the country where I grew up, to relate to. . .To say that I’m ﬁ'om the

United States, it doesn’t mean anything (group discussion, May 9).

Whitney also considered herself a tolerant and accepting individual. This was not
stated explicitly as a preconception at the beginning of the experience but emerged dining
a class activity and as she reﬂected back on how her perception of herself had changed. “I
may be a Christian, but I’m not intolerant or judgmental” (group discussion, May 11).

Let me tell you a little about howI felt when I started this class: I considered

myselfan open and accepting person. . .I was curious about the culture [of others]

and intrigued by people different than me (for example, evidenced by my trip to

Merida, Mexico), but this was deﬁnitely not a daily thing (journal entry, May 24).

186

Discrimination as a Societal Problem.

After viewing the ﬁlm, “The Color of Fear,” Whitney spoke about her perception
of discrimination as a societal problem and not one for White people alone to solve.

And a lot of the men in the group also said this is the White man’s problem and

this has to be solved by the White population. And because the White population

is bigger, than other populations, that’s true. So if the Caucasians change the way

they think, that would help. But I think that it is something that everyone has to

look and address (discussion, May 9).

After a brief time of reﬂection, Whitney reiterated her view that intolerance is a
societal problem, not necessarily an issue for only Whites to remedy.

I think if we all changed what there was to change in ourselves, then we could

make the world a better place — but I feel like pointing ﬁngers does just the

opposite. For example, in the video [“The Color of Fear”], Victor said “racism is

a white problem.” These kinds of comments come out of anger, but aren’t true.

It’s everyone’s problem, and everyone’s responsibility to change. . .people must

become accountable for their treatment of other, regardless of race (journal entry,

May 9).

S_u_m__marx

Whitney’s preconceptions about herself and others came ﬁom her own
perspective as a member of the dominant, White, middle-class culture, and ﬁ'om her own
experiences. Several of these preconceptions emerged ﬁom her reﬂections rather than

being explicitly stated during the ﬁrst few days of the course. Although the number of

187

statements that could be labeled as “preconceptions” were few, they could be clearly
grouped into the categories described above.
Reactions

Reactions began to emerge ﬁom Whitney’s dialogue and journal early in the
orientation week. Her reactions were grouped into the following categories: cultural
differences, culture shock, helplessness, student aptitude, student behavior, fear,
American Identity, experiencing being an outsider, and moves toward new awarenesses.

giltpral Differences.

After the ﬁrst day of observing in the setting, an elementary music classroom,
Whitney began to notice how cultural diﬁ‘erences between the instructor and the students
could possibly create conﬂict.

In the ﬁfth grade, [the music teacher] asked them [the students] about their

weekend, and a girl commented ‘you ALWAYS have a good weekend.’ I

wondered how she [the music teacher] felt after that. That seemed to be a

reﬂection of how that girl sees her as an ‘other’ who does not relate to her life and

culture. I think that comment had more to do with economic class than race.

While it isn’t a big deal for her [the music teacher] to have a barbecue, some of

these kids may never have had that experience, and may resent her casual

discussion of it. At that moment I saw her [the music teacher] and the class as two
forces working against each other, instead of getting together (journal entry,

May14).

Even though this was the beginning of our immersion experience, Whitney was

already becoming aware of the importance of understanding more about the lives of

188

students and the backgrounds they come ﬁom, and how that can contribute to effective
teaching and learning.

During our initial observations in the elementary music classroom, Whitney
began to be aware of how the groups of culturally diverse students would separate
themselves when asked to form their own groups for certain activities.

I thought that when the kids grouped themselves, there were racial tendencies

between the groups and in. . .in the ﬁrst grade, the White boys were together, and

in the kindergarten the White boys were together. And in the third grade, the

White girls sat together. . .I didn’t see any tendencies with the African Americans.

That they really grouped together. Really, it was the White kids. . .But when there

were only two White girls, they went together (group discussion, May 15).

Because Whitney had only experienced suburban school settings where the
majority of students were White, observing how culturally diverse groups may interact
within their groups began to lead her to a new awareness of cultural differences that may
exist in school settings.

Whitney also began to become aware that persons from cultural groups other than
the White middle class face challenges concerning how they are viewed, how they view
themselves, and how they view members of the dominant culture. During lunch-time at
our primary observation site, the participants had an opportunity to talk with two ﬁfth
grade students, one of whom was Aﬁican American, and the other Hispanic. One of these
students asked one of our participants, a very fair, blonde-haired, blue-eyed female, what

culture she was ﬁ'om. The student continued by saying this participant looked American.

189

This led to a discussion of how persons ﬁ'om other cultures may equate being American
with being White and the difﬁculties they face in identifying themselves as Americans.
“It was actually, it was ﬁ'ustrating for me to hear her say that to [the other participant]
because it was the ﬁrst time I heard that come out as a feeling in real life. From a real
person instead of a concept in a movie” (group discussion, May 16).

This awareness of the challenges that people ﬁ'om diverse cultural backgrounds
face in this country was reinforced for Whitney during a conversation with a parent of
two of the Hispanic students that attended the elementary school in which we were
working.

It struck me that the world is such a different place for her than it is for me; it

made me think of a post-modem perspective - her reality has been so much

different than mine. I was really touched by her story. I can’t imagine the courage
it must have taken to get through the experiences she told us about. . .It is so
amazing to me to realize how dramatically different some of our lives are, and

how much we can learn ﬁ'om each other. What a wonderful challenge, as a

teacher, to teach to all of these different personalities from different backgrounds

(journal entry, May 23).

Near the end of the ﬁeld experience, we observed a White choral director working
with a group of all Aﬁican American students in a magnet school. After the rehearsal, as
we were talking with the instructor, she made the comment that “you just become color-
blind.” Whitney reacted to this comment during later discussion, noting how it was

contrary to the discoveries she had made concerning cultural differences.

190

I don’t know why, I don’t know what her strength is, or why she would say that.
But everything that we’ve been talking about is recognizing differences in kids,
and kids are kids, in that they all need love, and with the puberty thing they go
through, and hormonally, kids are kids. And their need for attention and that. But
culturally, we all come from so many different places, that you cannot ignore
culture in your teaching (group discussion, May 24).

During the discussion after the second critical incident, which focused on
oppressed people trying to make their world better and the challenges they face, Whitney
interjected with her own observations on how cultural differences inﬂuence perspective.

I also see in the discussion a difference, a cultural difference about what success

is. One culture may say success is giving an education and getting a job and

rising. I see people coming ﬁom different situations where success is having your
kids come home safe and alive each night. . .Or, you know, keeping your kids out
of gangs. But when a person isn’t worried about those things, it’s easy to reach for
higher things and to say that success is going to college. But if someone starts
down here where success is day-to—day, and success is that you’re able to go
work, I don’t know that they can reach up there. . .The concept of people having
success in reaching above and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is very
different from, to use your [Gail] family as an example because you’re talking
about them. . .So I’m seeing just so many different factors, and I want to comment
on the religion, the religious beliefs and the culture of religion. Of having a big
family, or a small family, and that having a big family prohibiting success. . . To

those people who have those beliefs, it might be nrore of a privilege and more of a

191

success to raise a family that takes care of itself and is strong in the community

than it is to go to college and become middle-class. That might be what is valued

by those people. So, I just think there are so many different perspectives, and I

think it’s hard to classify...(group discussion, May 24).

Not only had Whitney become aware of cultural differences in the classroom
setting, she also began to realize the importance of the role of culture within communities
and society in general.

Culture Shock.

It was not until the third day of being in the setting that Whitney expressed
feelings of anxiety due to the differences in the school environment. Whitney’s previous
experiences were all in suburban, middle class schools, so this environment became
challenging for her.

Today was a long day. It wasn’t teaching for the ﬁrst time that wore me out;

rather, I felt in ‘culture shock’ as strange as that sounds when watching classes

today. .. The noise level in the room, the constant disorder and disrespect —- it
became this blur of commotion which I wanted to jump in and stop, but had no

control over. .. (journal entry, May 16).

Helplessgress.

When members of the dominant, White cultm'e ﬁnally look at issues of cultural
diversity in depth, it is typical to experience feelings of ﬁ'ustration and helplessness.
Whitney experienced this during the ﬁrst discussions in the orientation week.

You know, like, I feel very overwhelmed by that. By the whole structure that

we’ve all been talking about, human nature and social structure and everything,

192

and it’s been existing for centuries, that I feel, like, how is it ever going to

change? (group discussion, May 8).

These feelings of helplessness were enough of an issue that she continued to
reﬂect about them, including them in her journal “On another side of the issue, I still feel
ﬁ'ustrated with how b_ig this issue is! I feel like we can talk about it for decades of our
lives, and still not reach all of the factors” (journal entry, May 9).

Student Aptitude.

Like the other participants, Whitney seemed to be surprised at the level of musical
aptitude of the students in the music classroom where we observed and taught. “The
kindergartners had a great sense of heat, of beat competency. I was impressed with them”
(group discussion, May 15).

Student Behavior.

Whitney seemed to struggle a bit with the issue of the students’ behavior. In her
journal, she included two rather conﬂicting entries written after our ﬁrst day observing in
the setting.

But, just like [a classroom teacher we met] suggested, it seems like all the

behavior problems were typical kid problems that you’d ﬁnd in classes anywhere:

kids speaking out of turn, disorder during transitions, some pushing, teasing, etc.

That was a pleasant surprise for me. I’m not quite sure what I was expecting. It

was good to see these kids, although from a different culture/socioeconomic class,

being kids (journal entry, May 14).

In the next paragraph in her journal, Whitney gave a very different impression of

the students’ behavior, one that was quite different ﬁom what she was accustomed to.

193

In terms of behavior, I thought that the kids were very physical and very deﬁant. I

was shocked in the ﬁrst hour class when they were playing Orff instruments and a

boy hit another boy with the mallets, instead of playing the instruments. When

[the music teacher] asked a ﬁfth-grade girl to join the group, she said Na and

refused — I hadn’t seen that kind of blatant disrespect for authority in a classroom

before. The kids were physical in general — pushing, hitting, kicking — even the

girls, which really surprised me (journal entry, May 14).

Her journal entry two days later still reﬂected the anxiety caused by the students’
behavior, behavior that was unfamiliar and unacceptable to her. “I felt like the kids had
control of the room, and there was way too much disorder. Kids (mainly the upper
grades) were walking around the room like they owned the place, disrespecting each
other, and nothing to stop them” (journal entry, May 16).

Leg

Rather than reacting to events and discussions by expressing fears about being in
an inner city setting, Whitney shared that her fears were that she might actually be biased
or prejudiced in some way.

For me, and this is kind of, I’m just laying this out on the table, but, for me it’s

kind of fear of what is subconscious in me. And what is deep inside that I have

never stopped to think about, and really don’t want people to know. It might be
nasty. And there’s a fear kind of, of being exposed and having to talk about these
issues, and saying things just, things coming out of my mouth that I didn’t intend
to sound the way they did. But that because they did, it shows me something

(group discussion, May 9).

194

Because she viewed herself as an open and accepting person, Whitney was
anxious that she might discover, through this exploratory process, that she was not as
tolerant as she would have liked to believe. The admission of her fear demonstrated not
only her reﬂection on the discussions, but also her level of trust among the other
participants.

It took a lot of effort for me to let my guard down and admit that I was scared of

the nasty stereotypes that may be inside of me. . .in fact, I’m sure there are some in

there - but it was so hard to take the ﬁrst-step and admit that I’m part of the
problem... I’m so glad that I feel so comfortable with this group — people seem

genuine and caring, which I think we all beneﬁt ﬁ'om (journal entry, May 9).

American Ideﬂy=

Some of Whitney’s ﬁrst observations about American Identity came after
watching the video, “The Color of Fear.”

After watching the video, I have a lot of thoughts about what it means to be a

White American. I think it means an inherent social comfort that comes out of

being around [people] who mostly look the same as you.. .Because of the comfort

level, I think that many White American never stop to think what it feels like to

be without that comfort. Also, because Whites view themselves as similar to so

 

many of their peers, many don’t consider race/ethnicity to be a deﬁner of whom
they are as people. I think that’s one of the reasons the White man in the video,
“The Color of Fear,” had a hard time understanding - because he had never
stopped to identify with how the other men experience being a minority, and

because he never stopped to identify with how being in the majority had affected

195

him...I thought that those were powerful moments because they conﬁrmed that

the feeling of being ‘different’ was not part of his life. I think that this applies to

many White Americans. Therefore, how can that man appreciate the fear, anger,
etc. of the minority if it is so far ﬁom his personal experience? (journal entry,

May 8).

Even though Whitney wrote about White Americans in general, her earlier
comments concerning her view of the world as seen through her own lens, through her
own culture, implied that she also had a difficult time identifying with “others.” She also
had not looked at race or ethnicity as deﬁning who she is.

After group discussion and time for reﬂection, Whitney quickly realized that her
own cultural lens colored her view of being an American.

The video we watched today really changed my perspective on things. I’m

realizing that I look at society and history as a member of the dominant culture.

As I look back on my lastjournal entry, it’s so clear now that I was talking about

America and America’s values from how Eye experienced them. . .Obviously as a

white, middle-class, Christian. America (the United States) seems like an open-

minded, accepting place. However, now I can see how people of minority
cultures/ethnicities do not feel that the United States welcomes and celebrates

them! (journal entry, May 10).

Eamriencm' g Being g Outsider.

Several instances occurred in which Whitney realized that she was the outsider.
This feeling ofbeing in the minority was a new experience for her, one that served as a

catalyst for developing new awarenesses.

196

I’m not trying to say that it is a make believe thing [young kids having to deal
with cultrn'al issues], but I’m just saying it is so foreign to me. That I could barely
fathom how real it was for them. I understand how real it is for them. But for me,
as an outsider, not even being a part of the culture at all. . . (group discussion, May

16).

The school that served as our primary site, an elementary school with a large
Hispanic population, celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a large assembly in which students
performed a variety of songs and dances. While watching this celebration, Whitney
became aware how conspicuous her physical appearance was, being fair skinned and
having red hair.

I also felt that it was interesting, and maybe this was the only time that happened

to me, to stand outjust because ofthe waythat I look... AndI felt that inpeOple,

people look at you up and down like they would on the street. But it feels
different (group discussion, Mayl6).

DuringourvisittotheallAﬁicanAmericanhighschool, whenweobserved inthe
classroom during the Civil Rights discussion, described as one of the critical incidents,
Whitney also became aware of her “otlmrness.” “That was kind of like what Megan was
saying, you know, as a visitor, I felt out of place, especially in the second class. When we
went into, because of what they were talking about” (group discussion, May 16).

Whitney was able to take this experience of being the “other” and think about it in
terms of her role as a future teacher and how her “otherness” would possibly impact the

interaction between her and her students.

197

This encounter with being the outsider brought Whitney to new realizations about

herselfand her place in society as a White person, and the responsibility that goes with

that.

I felt awkward when we walked into [the teacher’s] classroom, mainly because of
what he was teaching. Because of my skin color, I felt like a representative of the
discrimination and injustice that blacks in the United States have faced. Even
though I wasn’t alive with Rosa Parks, I felt like part of the problem, sitting in the
classroom. I think it’s interesting that I’m not normally so acutely aware of my
place (as a white person) in our country’s history of discrimination. In that
classroom, all I could think of was the injustice “my people” had caused “their
people.” And I was ashamed (journal entry, May 21).

Mavga Toward New Awarenesses.

Whitney began shifting her perspective and moving toward new awarenesses

relatively early in the experieme. The video, “The Color of Fear,” was one of the ﬁrst

catalysts for leading Whitney to new insights. She reacted to the ﬁlm and to the

discussion about the challenges that people of other cultures face in this country.

In reading my last entry, I feel guilty because I feel like I trivialized the loss and
pain of minorities in the United States. I could imagine that many people living in
the United States now and in the past, may resent the claims our government
makes to be so open. I really never thought from that perspective before...I guess
thattlreonlywayto leamisto dive inandtryto sortitout, butasI learnmore,

it’s still embarrassing to realize how little I know (journal entry, May 10).

198

 

Whitney was also beginning to beconre aware of the privileges that she had as a
member of the dominant culture, privileges that members of minority groups do not have.

In the video today, I was really impacted by one of the comments from a black

man in the video. He said, “we as parents spend so much time keeping his (their

son) self esteem up that we lose the time he could be learning.” That blew me
away — it really made me think about how many challenges minority groups face

— even in parenting their children! . . .This just really opened my eyes to the

challenges people go through, that I don’t have to (journal entry, May 10).

After viewing “The Color of Fear,” Whitney also experienced ﬁ'ustration and a
sense of helplessness. Then after viewing “The Blue Eyed Experiment,” only a day later,
she noted the change in her perspective. This shift in perspective could be attributed not
only to Whitney’s initial changes in her perception but also to how she was able to better
relate with the content of the second video. Being female and a prospective teacher, it
was easier for her to connect with the idea ofcultural intolerance and how it could impact
students in a classroom. This second video also served as an important catalyst for
Whitney’s shifting perception.

This same video led Whitney to the realization tint she was responsible for
perpetuating the problem of intolerance through her inaction. “This video was really
powerful in showing how non-action can be as bad as negative action” (group discussion,
May 11).

The issue of inaction emerged again after the ﬁrst critical incident, the visit to the
all Aﬁican American high school and the classroom discussion of the Civil Rights

movement.

199

It makes me ill. It makes me mad that our country tries to stand, self-righteous, as
‘the land of the ﬁee,’ when it has a history of persecuting, enslaving, and
chastising almost every ethnic group to land on its soil. It really makes me sick
black people are so hill of hate and ignorance. And it’s been a big realization to
me that inactivity and ignorance allow the hate to persist. I’m humiliated that I’ve
been both inactive and ignorant, and therefore part of the problem; I feel dirty and
ﬁlthy — for ideas I’ve had, but mainly for my inactivity (journal entry, May 21).
Whitney had a strong academic background, tracked in gifted programs, and is a
member of the honors college as an undergraduate student. She had been aware of the
social injustices committed by this country and aware of the history of slavery and
persecution, but until she experienced what it felt like to be an outsider, those issues were
not meaningful for her. By this point in the experience, Whitney had made a dramatic
shift from her previous preconceptions that the “culture of the United States is to
welcome and celebrate all cultures and ethnicities’ (journal entry, May 9).
Whitney began to realize that these issues, many of them new to her way of
thinking, were complex and required continual effort and attention.
It’s been hard for me to talk about a lot of issues, and I’ve been
uncharacteristically quiet. I think this is because I have paye_r thought about a lot
of these issues before -— so many discussions are brand new, and I’m still trying to
make sense ofall ofit...I feel like I may be still putting the pieces ofthis
experience together months or years from now, as I live more life (journal entry,

May 21).

200

 

SMIL-

Whitney shared many reactions with the group from the very ﬁrst day of the
course. These reactions centered not only on her view of herself, but her on view of other
cultures as well. These reactions led Whitney quickly to developing new awarenesses
concerning her role as a White, middle-class American, as well as discovering how
cultural diﬁ‘erences can impact teaching and learning.
1mm

As with the other participants, the categories addressed as those having some sort
of impact in this study concern more immediate impressions evidenced during the
experience or shortly thereafter. Long term impact will be discussed in relation to
research question number three.

Whitney expressed the impact of this course in terms of both her professional life
and her personal life. The categories that emerged that could be identiﬁed as those having
an impact on Whitney can be grouped under personal awareness and social awareness.

As a child, my mom would say to me, “remember that the world exists outside

your own little bubble.’ That comment really reﬂects my experience in this class -

a reminder of what exists outside my white, middle-class, college student ‘huhble’

of existence. And a reminder of what exists outside of the suburban school world

of our typical observations and methods classes. In that way, this class performed

a dual function of sorts -— opening thoughts in my personal life as well as in my

professional life (journal entry, May 24).

Personal Awa_raness.

201

 

One of the ﬁrst steps in becoming culturally self-aware is to examine the
stereotypes and biases that inﬂuence the way each of us views the world, as well as the
way we see ourselves. Whitney admitted to having biases, and continued to explore these
perceptions throughout the experience.

Just to start, this experience forced me to explore the stereotypes I hold —— this was

hard for me, personally, because I have a perfectionist nature. It was a challenge

for me to admit to myselfthat I hold preconceptions, and that, if left unexplored,
these preconceptions will hurt my relationships in my personal life and in my

teaching (journal entry, May 24).

Realizing how ignorant I have been up to this point [has been a real challenge].

And chipping away at, opening a door in myself; and letting all the nasty out, and

being ableto putthose onthetable andopenup sothatlcan learnmore, because

Icould've... AndI actually did itthe very ﬁrstweek, andI said, I remember

saying, we were sitting outside, and I said, you guys, this is a big trust issue for

me. I have to tell you that I have stereotypes! And just saying that was very
difﬁcult for me! Because of how I look at myself to be a culturally interested,

accepting, Christian woman. It's very hard... (exit interview, May 25).

She realizedthatthebeliefsandattitudesthathadbeen formed ﬁ'omherown
personal history and experience inﬂuenced the way that she saw herself, as well as her
world-view. “It [the course] really changed the way I look at people now, knowing that I
view them through my own lens, which is nude of my culture and values, which may be
totally diﬂ‘erent than anyone else’s” (journal entry, May 24). “I really have come to

believe that understanding yourself is the ﬁrst, because if you don’t understand how you

202

ﬁt in, how could you possibly start to relate to how anyone else feels, or feels about
you?” (exit interview, May 25).

Because of the changes in her self-perception and the perception of people of
diverse cultural backgrounds, Whitney looked at her role as a future music teacher ﬁ'om a
new vantage point.

I also truly believe that children are all very different — child to child, school to

school, culture to culture. I believe it foolish to treat any children the same. I think

that a dedicated, eﬂ‘ective teacher should try to relate to the culture of the students

- try to understand how that child enters your classroom (their values, experience,

etc.). 1 had never considered this before (journal entry, May 24).

But I feel like I have a start in, um, exploring a whole new, a whole other side of

teaching and what it means to be a teacher. That I had not even considered before

this class. And I didn’t go in with that expectation because I hadn’t even thought
about that side. That’s something, that’s one of the Mg; things that canre out of
the, that, you know, here’s teaching, here’s what we’re taught in methods classes,
here’s what our intuition tells us, and here’s this totally other side that no one had

really brought up until now (exit interview, May 25).

Because of her experiences during this course, Whitney expressed that she now
had a different perspective as a music educator concerning issues of “multiculturalism,”
typically addressed in music education program from a content basis rather than a
process basis.

Before this class, ‘multiculturalism’ meant singing ethnic songs in the classroom!

Now, I see ‘multiculturalism’ in the music classroom as a conscious

203

 

understanding of the various cultures of one’s students so that one may provide

the most effective instruction and guidance possible (journal entry, May 24).

It was evident that Whitney had shifted from an emphasis on content to an
emphasis on the processes of teaching and learning and how those processes may vary
from student to student and teacher to teacher.

It’s so clear to me that if I teach from my perspective, expecting students to learn

ﬁ'om one teaching style and to live up to white, middle-class expectations, I

wouldn’t be teaching so that my students could reach their full potential. Teaching

should be about adapting instruction to best meet the needs of individual students

- one of the biggest needs of the student is instruction that relates to their culture

and view of the world. I think it’s sinful for teachers to expect students to ﬁt into

his/her mold. To celebrate students as individuals, and to best engage and teach
them, you must understand where they’re coming from — culture. I had never

thought of any of these issues before (journal entry, May 24).

Whitney believed at the time that this experience would inﬂuence where she
would choose to be employed as a music teacher.

This class, no matter where I wind up teaching, added a whole new layer to my

concept of what makes a successful teacher. I would honestly feel disappointed to

teach in a homogeneous school, after this experience. I feel as though a door has
been opened to a whole new side of teaching, and I can’t wait to walk through and

apply it in the classroom (journal entry, May 24).

Whitney clearly expressed the wide-ranging impact of this experience for her as

an individual.

204

 

My thoughts on culture and race and teaching have extended so far beyond these
comments. This has been a learning experience for me in terms of gaining
competence in teaching, in terms of developing relationships with the other girls
here, in terms of challenging my philosophies of music education, and even in
terms of spiritual growth. (journal entry, May 24).
Social Awareness.
Socially, Whitney became more aware of her role as a member of the dominant
culture and the struggles that people from diverse cultural backgrounds may experience.
Since I started this class, I have noticed ignorant racial/cultural comments much
more. I have taken an increased interest in racial and cultural issues in our
country. I think I walk away ﬁom here with a more consistent interest and
awareness of other cultures — and not just that they exist, but that they struggle in
this country, and that my experience as a white American is very different fi'om
theirs (journal entry, May 24).
She had become aware of belonging to a culture, the White, dominant, privileged
culture, not the “American” non-culture that she had previously identiﬁed with.
Whitney: Because it [the ﬁrst critical incident] made me really aware for the ﬁrst
time of how...some Aﬁ'ican Americans view me as a White person. I’ve never
really. .. Researcher: It made you more aware of your Whiteness? Whitney: Of
my Whiteness and the history of White versus Black. I’ve been in the past aware
of my Whiteness in terms of White privilege, but really not so much until I came
into this class. . .Because I would probably be one of those people in denial about

White privilege. Knowing that the concept exists, but choosing not to think about

205

in. Um, where now I’m very acutely aware. Which is a big change (exit interview,

May 24).

I see myself as a member of the White, privileged social group. And I see myself,

I am very, I am very aware ofrace and culture in our country whereas before this

course, I, I am embarrassed to tell you how ignorant and blind I was to all these

issues before I went into this course (exit interview, May 24).

Whitney felt a call to social action, brought on by her recognition that non-action
and ignorance contribute to intolerance as much as negative actions.

A big realization I had from this program is the negative power of inactivity, and

ignorance. Those are like my two words! It’s my phrase that I read in my journal.

And I, I felt very dirty and...I’m getting emotional! Very upset reﬂecting on it the

past two weeks because I was one of those people who chose to ignore the issue.

And by choosing to ignore the issue, I think you perpetuate the issue. And that

really upset me! (exit interview, May 24).

Stunning.

According to Whitney’s talk, this course made a considerable impact on her both
as a person and as a future music educator. She became aware for the ﬁrst time ofher
own biases and prejudices, which inﬂuenced how she viewed her own goals for teaching.
She also became more socially aware, both of her own place in society and the
responsibility that comes with that, and also the challenges faced by persons of diverse

cultural backgrounds in this country.

206

Pre-service magic teaahers’ personal higpries and how they inform or inﬂuence beliefs

about teachmg' mgic in a cuMlly diverse setting
The participants in this study came into the experience with well developed

 

beliefs and preconceptions that can be described as history-based lay theories (Holt-

Reynolds, 1992). What they have learned in their preparation programs, including this

course, has been dependent on the cultural and cognitive knowledge acquired earlier

(Brookﬁeld, 1995; F lavell, 1984; Weinstein, 1990). I examined transcripts of

discussions, interviews, and journal entries to uncover how the participants’ personal

histories affected their beliefs about teaching music in a culturally diverse setting.
Camille

Camille’s cultural background was highly visible as an inﬂuential factor in
shaping her beliefs about teaching in a culturally diverse setting. Camille is bi-racial as
her fatherisHispanicandhermotherisCaucasian. ShehadbeenrearedasaCatholic,
and that faith continued to be a predominant part of her life. Her parents were divorced,
and her family Ind been through some ﬁnancial difficulty.

As discussed previously, the pivotal issue that emerged hour this experience for
Camille was the cultural conﬂict she encountered. She came into the experience
anticipating an automatic bond with the students based on their apparent mutual Hispanic
backgrounds. She expected to have insights into teaching and working in this setting,
because she believed she and the students shared a cultural heritage. When conﬂict
occurred in the form of a type of culture shock during the Cinco de Mayo celebration, she
tried to explain the behaviors she observed by sharing what she knew about the Hispanic

culture.

207

 

The only thing I can think of is that with this culture, physicality and religion are

a large part of the Latin life style. Latinos are very passionate and sensual people.

They take pride in their ‘humanness!’ And bodies. This is so different than Anglo-

White body image issues. To pray in school also reﬂects the strong connection to

the church. It is an odd relationship. But very visible within the culture. Very

interesting to observe all of this at a public school (journal entry, May 16).

Camille not only felt a connection to the Hispanic students, but to all students
who could be considered “other.” This emerged after she reﬂected on the ﬁrst critical
incident. She took oﬂ‘ense to the Aﬁican American instructor’s assumption that she was
White.

He [the teacher] was making assumptions about my life and making light of my

desire to educate myself and set a path for ‘making a difference.’ How dare he!

He has no idea what struggles I have gone through. Just because my skin is

‘white/fair,’ I am supposed to be a stuck up ‘white girl’ who has had life fed to me

by a silver spoon (journal entry, May 21).

One of the goals that Camille held as a future music teacher was to be able to
touch the students and provide a way for them to ﬁnd success and fulﬁllment in a setting
where challenges and obstacles were the norm She was able to relate to the comments a
high school choral director made because she identiﬁed with students who struggle.

I realized tonight that _I_ was that kid she mentioned about ﬁnding solace in music

class. When my life became unbearable, I lived to go to music class and escape. It

was hard to be in a school of kids who do not identify with my struggles, yet I can

see some similarities of family dysfunction. If I had not had music, I do not know

208

 

where I would be today. Probably on the street or constantly searching for a place
of peace. I think it was through music that I discovered my “gifts” and realized
that through this God-given phenomenon I have the opportrmity to express
myself. This impacted me greatly today. It brought up many unpleasant memories
and feelings. Mainly due to my past, but also a strong sense of responsibility to
provide other kids a solace through music (journal entry, May 21).

This desire for empathy became a challenge for Camille as she began to recognize

 

the differences between her life experience and the experiences of the students.

Because I felt a connection to some of these kids because I too felt that music was

a sohce. My home life was bad. I was uncomfortable but then the part that upset

me was that as much as I wanted to agree and empathize, I have no right really

comparing myself with these kids because what they erqrerience is so, so much
diﬁerent, and at a deeper lavel than what I experienced. And not to trivialize my
experience, or their experience, but it just made me feel, like I, I. ..I’m close to
them but not. So it was kind of hard. I can understand, but then not ﬁrlly. And,
and,andmyfearwouldbethatthekidswouldnotunderstand, howIcould

understand them (exit interview, May 25).

This apparent association with people who are oppressed or who struggle also was
evident during the discussion with Gail after the second critical incident. Camille
understood how diﬂicult it might be for people of diverse cultural backgrounds to
procure the best possible education for their children. “Overall I feel as if Gail does not
have any idea what it is like to struggle or to be held back due to race or economic

issues” (journal entry, May 24).

209

Camille’s faith played a signiﬁcant role in her life, in the decisions she had made,
and in how she saw herself as a music teacher working with young students. After
visiting with a band director who talked about the role of faith in her life as a teacher,
Camille expressed what she saw as personal goals for her own teaching. “I was also
impressed with how faith centered she [the band director] is. It is encouraging to see a
teacher who draws ﬁ'om her faith. I hope I can be a strong teacher centered in faith,
compassion, and skill advancement” (journal entry, May 17).

_Gail

During Gail's talk in group discussions, in interviews, and in journal entries, she
made comments that exempliﬁed how her cultural background has inﬂuenced her
thoughts about teaching and working in a culturally diverse setting.

Gail grew up in the South, in a relatively homogeneous setting.

I grew up in a mostly white neighborhood with mostly white friends. Sometimes

I wishI had grown up in a more diverse area, but my parents chose to live in a

community on the edge of the suburbs that was almost rural. I remember riding on

the bus and wondering if the black girl in my neighborhood felt ostracized or

different when she rode the bus (journal entry, May 7).

Because of her academic background, Gail brought certain issues and ideas into
this experience. She always did well academically and, when observing in one of the high
schools, made comparisons between her own academic knowledge and that of the
students we observed. “I knew the difference between these words in foruth grade. Is this
really their level of vocabulary? I ﬁnd it hard to believe, but if so, there's something

wrong” (journal entry, May 21).

210

Gail’s personal experience also inﬂuenced the way she viewed the academic
potential of students ﬁom diverse cultural backgrounds. Because she taught as a
substitute teacher in a school for the gifted and talented where the student population was
almost all White, she was surprised to ﬁnd a gifted and talented school in Detroit that had
a student population that was all Aﬁican American. This surprise implied that she did not
believe that Aﬁican American students had the same academic potential as do White
students.

Gail admitted to having certain prejudices, based on her personal experiences.
When describing a time when she was teaching private piano lessons, she noted that she
always received payment on time ﬁ'om people who were White and middle-class.
However, people who were of other ethnicities were always late in paying her. This
experience, among others, had led Gail to view people of particular ethnicities and races
in a stereotypical manner.

But I have seen certain generalizations in my mind that I have come up with since

I've been in the workplace, and I am just kind of wondering if you guys thought it

was right or wrong, and I know that I am always going to have it, too, no matter

what. (group discussion, May 9).

Her conﬁdence in her own academic knowledge seemed to supersede any
potential for personal development or growth in this experience. Rather than take the
opportunity during the orientation week to explore her own beliefs and attitudes, where
they come from, and how they might impact her teaching, she would have preferred to go
straight into the immersion experience because of her prior knowledge. “I could have

probably done without a lot of the ﬁrst week to stuff and go straight into the second. And

211

that's just my background ‘cause I, I taught a class on all this, so I already had to research
a lot of it” (exit interview, May 25).
Gail reminded the group throughout the experience of her academic expertise
on the topic of cultural diversity. By relying on her academic knowledge, Gail appeared
to view herself differently from the other members of the group, resulting in a type of
alienation. She also used her cultural background to justify her behavior.
So some of these things you guys talk about, it’s I'm like, it's because I've already
been through all that and I've heard it, and some students I had last semester were
just completely culture shocked when they came to [this university] because there
were Black people here. And to me this [the university] is like White, because
I'm ﬁom the South, so these things that you guys say to me are just completely,
sometimes they are weird (group discussion, May 8).
Gail described her home life as strict, where good behavior was always expected.
She also described herself as a well-behaved child. Being reared in this environment
meant that Gail had certain expectations about student behavior, even though these
expectations might not be realistic for students ﬁom a culturally different background.
Does she [a Hispanic parent] realize Detroit's reputation? Now I realize I have
just gone ﬁom ‘Detroit is not so bad’ to ‘Detroit public schools are not the best
thing for her children.’ The former has to do more with teaching -- I feel much
more comfortable teaching in Detroit because now I know it's hill of talented and
wonderful kids. The latter statement has more to do with the question “are

Detroit public schools the best place for certain children?” My answer would be

212

no, I do not think so. Not if your child is a behavior problem. If that's the case

you should keep them at home and home school them (journal entry, May 23).

It was at times difﬁcult for Gail to cope with student behavior that was so
different from that what she was accustomed to, different ﬁ'om her own behavior as a
student.

Well, when I grew up, I was a pretty good kid. I mean, I didn't really, on the

outside I was not very mean. I didn't have an attitude toward my teachers for the

most part. And I was a, I didn't really act out. I was pretty quiet, pretty studious,
pretty individualistic. So, the fact that I was quiet and individualistic and not

really...part of any social strata took me apart ﬁ'om the students because this is a

very talkative, sociable, very socially active group of people. And the students are

socially very, very talkative (exit interview, May 25).

Gail expressed a tendency to view people ﬁ'om other cultural backgrounds as
lnving typical behaviors. She admitted that this was a stereotype and used her mother's
cultural background as an example. “Whenever you’re pure anything, you're going to be
acting that type ofpersonality. And my mom is pure... 1 don't mean to make these
generalizations, or the stereotypes, but at the same time in my mind I will do that
anyway” (group discussion, May 9).

17111143.!

Whitney was brought up in a nurturing, open, and honest family environment, one
in which her parents treated her and her siblings with respect. Her parents always spoke
to her as though she was an adult, evidenced by how they handled Whitney’s sister's

illness.

213

Because of the environment in which she was brought up, one in which education
was highly valued and one in which she was encouraged to always do her best, Whitney
always had high expectations for herself. At the same time, even though she considered
herself a perfectionist, she was willing to explore her attitudes and beliefs in order to
uncover any bias or intolerance.

Because Whitney had always attended middle-class suburban schools, both public
and private, she had certain expectations about student behavior. At ﬁrst, Whitney
noticed the similarities between the students in our primary site and herself and her
younger sister. “The ﬁfth grade girls reminded me of my sister, and watching the students
interact brought back a lot of my elementary school memories” (journal entry, May 14).

But in the same journal entry, Whitney expressed her shock at the physical and
deﬁant behavior of the students. Because of her background, she was not accustomed to
this type of student behavior, and contradicted her earlier observation that the behavior
problems were ”typical kid problems that you'd ﬁnding classes anywhere.”

Because of the closeness and openness of her family, in the way that love was
expressed, Whitney recognize a potential problem that she might encounter as a future
teacher.

And it's interesting as a teacher what you set up to do, what are your goals. Is it

our job to love the kids and educate the kids, or just educate the kids, or

predominantly love the kids, and the education is secondary? That's a struggle I

know that I'm going to have. I wear my heart on my sleeve. And I can see myself

getting very emotionally attached to kids. Are we there to love them? Or educate

them, or both? (group discussion, May 9).

214

Whitney did not make any additional comments that could be explicitly linked to
her personal history and/or her cultural background. She was incredibly open to self-
exploration and quickly developed insights that grew out of her self-examination. I can
only infer that this growth might be partially attributed to the openness, honesty, and
support that she received during her upbringing.

mm

The analysis of the data revealed that the personal histories of these participants
inﬂuenced the way they viewed themselves and the way they viewed others. These
ranged from empathy with others, to stereotypes based on personal experience, to
expectations concerning student behavior. The results in this study conﬁrmed what
previous researchers have found concerning the powerful inﬂuence of pre-serviee
teachers’ personal histories (Cole & Knowles, 1993; Zulich, Bean, and Herrick, 1992).

If Beliefs of Pre-Service Music Teachers are Challe ed ' the Immer ion
Internship, and Their Talk about Any New Awarenesses

In order to determine if any of the participants’ beliefs had been challenged or
altered, I examined the transcripts for the exit interviews conducted at the end of the
immersion experience. I was also able to examine some additional data sources that,
while not part of the initial study, provided fiirther insights into new perspectives that had
deve10ped over time. There was no evidence in the literature of any long-term immct of
immersion ﬁeld experiences such as this one, and using these additional points of data
collection, even though this was not a longitudinal study, added to the richness of the
data, providing a window for examining possible impact over time.

These additional data sources included transcripts of interviews conducted at least

seven months after the end of the immersion experience, as well as papers the

215

participants had written for other courses, and data that I was able to gather during a
conference presentation eight months later in which all the participants were co-
presenters. Again, this analysis is presented by individual participant.
.CLnn'lls

This course had a signiﬁcant impact on Camille in terms of her own cultural
awareness as well as awareness of the culture of others. She came into this experience
anticipating some type of cultural bond with the Hispanic students that we would be
working with. Her cultural expectations were challenged as she observed a Cinco de
Mayo celebration in the elementary school.

I remember standing in the hallway waiting for that Cinco de Mayo, tlmt whole

event was just a cultural disillusionment for me. Because I was expecting to see

snippets of my nostalgic Mexico that my grandmother talked about, that my dad

talked about. They would go into Mexico, and the old world charm. And I saw

urban reality. And I saw a new culture that I never, the Mexican-American, and

Americanized cultme. And the feeling like I didn’t really have any connection

with them. (follow-up interview, December, 2001).

Her desire for a cultural connection, generated by her own identity struggle as a
bi-racial, resulted only in cultural conﬂict, revealing her stereotypical expectations.

I expected to see a traditional celebration of Mexican heritage at the student

assembly. Instead, I witnessed an urbanized American Mexican culture that did

not have any connection to the nostalgic memories told to me by my Yucatan

grandmother. . .I opened myself up to disillusionment by raising personal

expectations and attempting to connect to my surroundings based on treasured

216

cultural memories. I was in for a drastic shock (paper, Fall, 2001).

Being able to reﬂect on this incident and the conﬂict it created enabled Camille to
recognize the stereotypical beliefs that she held about her own culture as a Latina and the
Hispanic culture in general. “I wanted to reach out to these kids, but the reality of the
situation led me to realize that I held stereotypical ideas on what the Mexican/Latin
American culture [should be]” (paper, Fall, 2001).

Because her cultural beliefs were challenged, Camille took the opportunity to
explore herself and her feelings about cultural diversity. Over time, Camille came to
believe that the primary beneﬁt of this experience was new awareness, both of herself
and of others.

But for me, the self-actualization as a teacher within this project was a lesson in

self-awareness and cultural awareness. That's what it was. I think tlmt I can walk

into, I would have a different perspective as a teacher walking into a classroom
now than I did if I hadn't participated in this. It's more about being open to what

other, what my students have to deal with. And what they, you know, how can I

expect myself to be a good teacher if I can't, at least attempt to understand. And I

think that comes out of awareness, of awareness of myselfand also of them. It's a

marriage between. . .that's why diversity is, it's a really hard word to really

tackle. . .I really feel strongly about this. It has been a lesson... in self-awareness.

In cultural awareness. My own culture, the cultures that were surrounding me in

thatmoment, andhowInowhere inEastLansing lookatcultureandseedifferent

culture. Seeing the culture of my family, the things that happen today, what I do

217

really isn't that different ﬁ'om other people. It really is a lesson in self awareness

(interview, Winter, 2001).

As a result of these new awarenesses, Camille developed new perspectives on her
responsibility as a future music educator.

As an educator, my experience in Detroit helped me to see that cultural awareness

and self-discovery are one in the same. This experience taught me that educators

have a responsibility to look past prior assumptions and enter into unknown
territory with a passionate intent to learn more about their surroundings, their
skills, and their craft. 1 will possibly never fully understand other cultures, but it is
the process of learning about myself that I can attenrpt to learn about my

students. . . I now have the desire to transcend what I thought were personal

“cultural disabilities” and use my “in between status” to learn how I can educate

Hispanic children without biases. I now better understand that culture is

subjective and dependent upon environmental elements and it is largely

dependent upon personal history (paper, Fall, 2001).

Camille also realized that these new perspectives, of herselfas a Latina and as a
music educator, and others’ cultural backgrounds, were not ﬁnalities but open doors that
would lead her to ﬁrrther personal growth

And the most important lesson learned ﬁ'om this ethnographic experience is that I

have a long way to go before I will fully discern my mission as a music educator,

as a citizen looking for social justice, and as an inquisitive ethnographer. In
reality, I am on my way towards enlightenment. I simply just have to let myself

dance (paper, Fall, 2001).

218

Camille's overall view of diversity in general also took on a new perspective.

I guess I’m, the whole word diversity has a whole different meaning for me now.

Before I just really was in this box thinking of diversity as being race and

ethnicity. Because that's what I was struggling with personally at the time. But

right now, diversity is so much bigger thanI ever gave it credit for (interview,

Winter, 2001).

By looking at how Camille talked about her beliefs and attitudes at the end of the
immersion experience and also how she talked about these perceptions seven months
after the experience, it was clear tlmt this course challenged and altered her beliefs about
herself, helping to resolve some of her own identity conﬂict. She became aware of some
of her own biases, how her beliefs could impact her teaching, and became much more
culturally aware, so much so that she felt a call to social action.

_Gail

The beliefs that Gail held that were altered or challenged centered around her
preconceptions about working and teaching in an urban, culturally diverse setting. These
beliefs were focused on Detroit in particular, her role as a teacher, and the students in
Detroit schools. After time, Gail also demonstrated a change in how she viewed
“multiculturalism” and the way she interacted with people from cultural backgrounds
different from her own.

Gail had typical beliefs about Detroit concerning safety that she based on her
previous experience. After the immersion weeks, those preconceptions had changed.

I remember I had a friend go to Wayne State for an interview last year for medical

school. I remember being very concerned for her safety -- she was traveling alone

219

to a city with a large reputation for crime. Now I wonder why I made this

assumption. It seems so foreign to me, to think that inner city people are bad

(journal entry, May 24).

I have been to Detroit public schools, and seen no violence and no guns. Nobody

confronted me as I walked halls -- nobody gave me a hard time as I walked the

streets. Over all, it's been a positive experience (journal entry, May 24).

Because of Detroit's reputation and because of the preconceptions that Gail held
about students’ reported behavior, she initially believed that she would never consider
teaching in a middle school or high school in a setting like Detroit. After visiting and
observing in many schools and after gaining teaching experience in one particular setting,
Gail changed her views about teaching at the secondary level “I used to be completely
against teaching band in middle or high school because of all the guns and violence (in an
inner city school). Now I would be much more open to that option,” (journal entry, May
24).

Gail also developed a new perspective about the term "multiculturalism." After
several months had passed since the experience, she realized that she would have to be
clear when she used the term in conversations, particularly with other educators. To Gail,
the term "multicultural" now held a broader meaning, one that went beyond race and
ethnicity, but she realized that for many people, multicultural means multiracial.

For instance, this word multicultural, to you and I, I think it means the values, the

beliefs of somebody when they're growing up. So I told this to [a band director]. I

would love to teach in a multicultural setting. And he went on for 20 minutes

about how it doesn't matter what color skin you are, what matters is the

220

socioeconomic background and how that is what he has had to deal with on a
daily basis. He was just trying to tell me that it's not really multicultural here [in
his school]...I was thinking after that, I have to be careful. I cannot use that word
multicultural without it meaning multi-race to the human, average person
(interview, Winter, 2002).

As discussed earlier in this chapter, Gail reacted with surprise to the high musical

aptitude of the students we observed. This surprise indicated tlmt, in spite of what she

said during orientation week, she did not expect the students in Detroit to be musically

skilled or have as much potential as students in the suburbs. This preconception was

clearly altered after having spent time observing and teaching.

First of all, the students in Detroit are like a diamond in the rough. They have so
much potential, so much desire to learn. Musically, they are light years ahead of
most suburban and rural schools. Their culture (whether it be African American,
Hispanic, Asian, or Muslim) is saturated with music and dance. The students
grow up with music all their lives, which helps give them great musical potential
by the time they reach elementary school. Indeed, the quality of playing in [a
middle school in which we observed] astounded me. Their instruments were held
together with duct tape, but they sounded great (paper, Fall, 2001).

This experience had also apparently affected the way that Gail interacted with

people fiom diverse cultural backgrounds in her daily life. This was also something that

had developed over time, something that she had spent time reﬂecting on since the

immersion experience. There were two Aﬁican American twins that were members of a

jazz ensemble that Gail belonged to. There had always been tension and conﬂict in their

221

interactions, but after having spent time thinking about her experience in Detroit, Gail
was more proactive about trying to understand their cultural background, realizing that in
the past, she had offended them by saying things without thinking.

I talk about different cultures, they are Aﬁican American. They are completely

different fi‘om me. And I've had problems, I think, because of tMt. . .And we tried

to work through these things. I actually talked to them, I said, your culture is
different... So I Mve to be careful how I say these things because I don't want to
oﬂend anyone. And I ﬁnd that if I say it just without thinking, I will offend

people. So I Mve to be really careﬁrl (interview, Winter, 2001).

For Gail, the immersion experience was just the beginning of a long-term process
of looking at herself and others who are culturally different ﬁom her. The impact of the
course had been such that she had begun to work on the relationships that she Md with
others, particularly Aﬁican American musicians with whom she Md regular encounters.

I told you this, I told you this a couple of weeks ago, but everyday things are

different. Every day I learn something new. So, if you take a whole year after that

[the immersion experience] Mppened, I learned a lot since then. Dealing with the

twins, that has been something I've been trying to work through. Dealing with [the

leader of the jazz ensemble], his culture is different... Every day I learn something

(interview, Spring, 2002).

When analyzing Gail’s talk ﬁom the transcripts of group discussions, her
interview, and her journal, all collected during and immediately after the immersion
experience, the only new awarenesses Gail seemed to Mve come to were those

concerning teaching in Detroit, and student aptitude. After Mving several months to

222

reﬂect on the experience, Gail seemed to Mve developed new awarenesses about cultural
differences that were beginning to impact her relationships with others. This reinforced
the importance of coming Mck to the participants after some time had passed,
particularly with experiences such as this one in which the issues involved are extremely
personal and the experience itself is intense. Because the events in the setting can be quite
overwhelming and because self-examination depends on time spent in reﬂection, the
participants may need an extended period of time to process all the information they
gathered ﬁom the experience.

The apparent change in beliefs that Gail expressed were perMps the most
considerable of all the participants. She appeared to begin to develop an awareness of her
preconceptions and biases, both of which were quite typical, and had begun to apply
these new awarenesses to her interactions with others.

ms!

Speaking with Whitney seven months after the immersion experience Md
occurred, it was clear that it impacted her on a number of levels, ﬁ'om becoming more
aware of wMt appears in the media, to being sensitive to racial and cultural slurs, to
changing her perspective on teaching and learning, to being aware of cultural
assumptions that she previously made.

Whitney Md, over time, continued to reﬂect on the Detroit experience and the
impact that Md on her personal life. She had become much more aware of cultural issues
as they appear in the media and expressed much more of an interest in keeping herself

informed.

223

I just ﬁnd myself much more aware of cultural debate and just in the media. Like,
if there is an article in the newspaper, and this was in one of our questionnaires
that we ﬁlled out, and it came out sometime before. If there are articles on racial
issues or cultural issues, minority groups, like, I always read them And it is so
interesting to know what, to be aware of wMt's going on. And the social
dynamics in this country, and before, I was just kind of oblivious to it because I
didn't understand how it affected me before that experience. So that is a big
change (interview, Winter, 2001).
She had also become more aware of the discourse that occurred arormd her in her
daily life, from overheard conversations to songs on the radio.
And, I also, my ears are sotrainednowtohearthingstMtIdidn‘tusedtohear.
Rude racial or cultural comments, I mean, not always blatant jokes because you
know, you always hear those. But kind of more undertone things, and I can't
really give examples, but in people that I know or in people passing by. You
know, overbearing conversations I hear a lot nrore negativity than I used to.
Which is too bad. So, there is a distinct, in song lyrics, and I don't know. My ears
are just more attuned... (interview, Winter, 2001).
Whitney began to view cultural diversity in general ﬁ'om a new perspective and
developed a deeper appreciation for divergence and the richness that it brings.
For awhile after Detroit, I think it was on my mind so much that whenever I
would be faced with talking to or passing someone from another ethnic group
than myself, I would feel like, oh, Detroit. You know, it just, a bunch of stuff

ﬂooded to the surface whenever I would see someone. But as time passes it is

224

more like, for awhile, it was like, well, I wonder. I am such an analyzer of people.
So, it was like, I wonder wMt that person feels like or I wonder wMt that person
is like. I think it has developed more into an appreciation of all those diﬁ‘erent
people. I just appreciate that they are here, I guess. Appreciate tMt I can pass
someone ﬁom this culture and that culture on the street and appreciate that I Mve
the opportunity to interact with people like that. I am happy when I see people
from a lot of cultures in the union, for example. It makes me Mppy because I, I
really think a big difference ﬁom before Detroit to after Detroit, I appreciate so
much more now being around a diverse group of people. Because I think ﬁom
being in Detroit and working with kids and speaking with that mother, and just in
really getting a chance to talk one-on-one with people who were diﬂ'erent ﬁom
me, who aren't my ﬁiends, who aren't ﬁom the same socioeconomic group, you
know. Like, there was a real, a bigger gap there. I appreciate how people's
viewpoints are different. And that applies, you know, to age and to gender and to
so many other things besides race. But, I just appreciate how much we all Mve to
share with each other. I think it's a richer place ifyou Mve all those things
combined (interview, Winter, 2001).
Itendtobeapessimist,andlcallitbeingarealist! BecauseItryandprotect
myselfwith assuming the worst about things. But on this area, I don't know, it
really made me optimistic that people just hold so much inside themselves, so
much strength and so much beauty. So that has changed from appreciating

different people maybe within the conﬁnes of what I'm familiar with to

225

appreciating different people no matter wMt. I think it's completely different.

(interview, Winter, 2001).

The new awarenesses that Whitney developed Md affected the choices she Ms
made in her academic coursework and had opened new doors to possible fixture academic
pursuits.

I took Music of South Asia. And that was incredible. It was great. I visited the

Hindu temple, and observed a woman teach a dance and actually wrote a paper

for [the instructor] on the cMnge of women's roles in dance because it started as

a, a courtesan dance in the Hindu temples. So, wMt she Ms experienced teaching

thatdance. Ijust loved that. I amactually nowthinking about doing a master's

degree in ethnomusicology. The music of all the different cultures is so interesting
to me, after Detroit and after [the ethnomusico logy] class (interview, Winter,

2001).

For Whitney, one of the most pivotal and most painful challenges for her was in
developing the self-awareness of her own stereotypes and biases and how they might
impact her teaching.

I think I harbored a lot of stereotypes and preconceptions. What the neighborhood

was going to be like, and my safety level in the neighborhood was wMt I should

be concerned about. And then after seeing, you know, the kids walking to school,

and the family's coming to pick up their children, I don‘t know. It broke down a

lot of those. So there is a difference between how I felt. Like, I was terriﬁed the

ﬁrst day because we were following you [the researcher] in the car. And you were

driving around to show us the neighborhood. But I was like, there were stop signs,

226

and I was like, I Mve to keep up! Because I don't want to get lost in this
neighborhood! I was afraid. . .I think if I took anything away ﬁ'om Detroit, too, it
would also be being aware of myself and wMt are my stereotypes and wMt could
be a real concern in like, weighing those. Not letting preconceptions cloud over
everything, you know? (interview, Winter, 2001).
Whitney talked about how this experience had impacted her thoughts about
teaching, and the choices she was in the process of making about student teaching.
So, how did the Detroit experience inﬂuence my student teaching? You wouldn't
think that it did based on where I chose. But it was a big part ofthe mental
process, and I'm not done. I'm not done setting that experience and I certainly
Mven't even started where I'm going to be interested in jobs, and where I want to
help kids. . .I feel like we were given experiences that will help us even if we are
in ﬁont of a homogeneous classroom And I think what it taught us is to be aware
of ourselves ﬁrst, as teachers. And then aware of the culture of our students, even
ifthe culture appears tobe like ours, itmay notbe inalot ofways. SoIthinkthat
is the biggest lesson to me. And especially as a new teacher, going in and being so
concerned about my teaching, it's just a huge aspect of your classroom dynamics,
that I will be so aware of after Detroit (interview, Winter, 2001).
This experience had made Whitney aware not only of herselfand her own beliefs
and attitudes but also aware of the cultural backgrounds of her future students. She also
looked at this whole experience as something that would continue to Mve an impact on

herasshegrowsasapersonandateacher.

227

But it makes me more aware of looking at kids as little cultural entities. You
know? It makes me look at kids different and that makes me look at myself
different. And howl Mve to really be on top of myself, how I am responding to
the culture. I think it's like, this is kind of silly, but I think I could conrpare it to
reading a wonderful piece of literature that is going to mean something different
tomeasIgainmore life experience. AndIcanalways lookbackonitanddraw
more always fi'om it. As I keep walking through life, like you would keep
reﬂecting back on a book, and wMt that would mean to you. But I think that it
will keep changing, and just ﬁom the onset, it inﬂuenced the way I thought of the

Sept. 11th attack. It made me give more substance to whatthat culturalgroupwas

going through. . .I just can't wait to teach, and I cannot wait to meet more people

every day, and all of those things. I can't even explain, that experience Ms its
ﬁngers in every part of my life now. I can't even articulate what it Ms inﬂuenced,
because it Ms inﬂuenced so much. The way I deal with my family, the way I deal
with my ﬁiends, the way I deal with complete strangers. It Ms inﬂuenced
everything. And hopefully, the way I teach when I get there. (interview, Winter,

2001).

Whitney talked about the intensity of the immersion experience, how there was
too much to process in the moment, and how important it Md been for her that she
continue to reﬂect on the issues and experiences as they began to integrate thenselves
into her life.

I kme said this before, but I was so quiet during it, andjust, as opposed to

reﬂection, I really didn't know how to sift through everything that I was

228

experiencing. And even, like, my journals and wMt I said on tape, and wMt I
even said at the end of the experience, I just felt overwhelmed. It's like when you
Mve a very intensely emotional experience. This is kind of an extreme
comparison, but recemly I went to the funeral of a friend’s father. And it is like
when someone is under a lot of emotional stress, they are kind of glazed. You can
tell they are trying to process it, but they are kind of under a cloud. And that is
howl felt. Actually, not to that extreme, but I just felt kind of in a daze. And I
wanted to make sense of everything, but I felt like when we were there, there was
something coming at me like every second. Every second. And I just didn't Mve
timejustto sortitallout. Andso,thebestthingformeMsbeentojustkeep
living, and seeing how that experience integrated itself, just nrore naturally
overtime. Because I Md no idea, how that, like, you probably asked that same
question tMt last day. ‘How Ms this experience impacted you?’ Are you
kidding?! Like, I didn't know! (interview, Winter 2001).
This experience has meant so much to me that I know I'll be reaching back to
these experiences years item now, reevaluating my perspectives and continuing to
stretch myself. Overall, I feel so blessed to Mve Md the opportunity to chlenge
my view of myself, of others, and if teaching, in such intense ways. Somehow I
know that this is just the beginning... (journal entry, May 24).
Whitney began to quickly move toward new awarenesses ﬁom the beginning of
the orientation week and throughout the immersion experience. After exploring how
Whitney talked about the impact of the experience seven months later, it was clear that

her beliefs and preconceptions were continuing to be chlenged as she spent time

229

reﬂecting on wMt happened during those three weeks. She continued to make new
discoveries about herself, her worldview, and her views on teaching and learning. She
also recognized that the experiences she encountered during our time in Detroit
inﬂuenced her thinking not only in that moment in time but would be an invaluable
resource that she could draw from in continuing to chlenge her perspectives about
herself, her relationships with cultural others, and her effectiveness as a music teacher.
_S_Ll_m_m__ar!

The power of these statements made by the participants was evidence of the
importance of allowing them time to process their experiences. This Ms also been
suggested by other researchers as vital to determining if changes in beliefs are permanent
(Doyle, 1997; Olmedo, 1997; Willard-Holt, 2001); however, the true test of permanent
belief change would be to observe these participants in the classroom, in actual practice.
The fact that they continued to be inﬂuenced by the internship several months later might
be an indicator of permanent belief change, but further observation would validate that
change.

A s of the Imrnersi n temshi E 'ence that Pre—se ' e Teachers Ident'
Most Valuable

In order to address this question, I directly asked each of the participants, both
individually and as a group, to identify the components of the course that were most
valuable to them I asked this question during the individual interviews and a group
interview conducted on the last day of the immersion experience.

During the group interview I conducted with all ﬁve of the participants together, I
asked them to "agree on the ﬁve most valuable parts of this course and rank them, ﬁrst

most valuable, second most valuable, third most valuable..." After some discussion, the

230

participants were able to agree on the ﬁve most valuable components for them as a group,
but were Mving difﬁculty making them in order of importance. The group identiﬁed the
ﬁve most valuable components as observations of teachers, their own teaching
experience, group discussions, videos, and autobiographies/ interview with a parent. They
encountered difﬁculty trying to choose between either observations of teachers or their
own teaching experience as the most valuable component. At this point in the discussion,
which had lasted about 20 minutes, I interjected that it seemed that these two issues in
particular appeared to be equally important for all of them After they all agreed, I
suggested that it might not be so important to rank them

I also asked each individual participant, during the exit interview on the last day
of the immersion experience, to share with me what were the most valuable parts of the
course for them personally. In order to remind them of all of the activities that Md been
included during the orientation week and the immersion weeks, I prepared a list that
included these activities in chronological order. Each of the participants then scanned the
list in order to identify the most valuable components for each of them as an individual,

Camille.

Camille ﬁrst identiﬁed one of the readings, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, as
being particularly valuable to her. This text was assigned during the orientation week;
however, most of the participants continued to read it throughout the immersion
experience.

I’ve always enjoyed! Toni Morrison, so The Bluest Eye was something that I

enjoyed reading. It's obviously a little bit because, I don't know if it’s really. . .I

don't want to Mve tMt. . .it’s upsetting to make me think of Aﬁican Americans

231

that way. And I know it was an exaggerated and very symbolic book. But I

thought it was really good.

Camille next identiﬁed another one of the required readings, The Art of Crossing
Cultures, by Craig Stortie, as also being particularly valuable in preparing us for living
and working in a culture very different from what we were accustomed to.

The Art of Crossing Cultures I really, really think is valuable for this situation.

For anyone who was going to be traveling abroad, and I think it was done at the

right time. I thought it was really, it kind of helped us to ﬁgure out what, what

type of fears we might Mve and how we might react. And actually some of these
reactions came out and we saw others Mve them So I thought that was really
excellent.

The most valuable part of the experience, for Camille, was the reality of being in
the setting, being able to watch a variety of teachers working with their students.

I think the most valuable thing has been the experience of coming here. You

could talk about it as much as you want. But if you don't come and experience it,

you'll never truly know. So, I mean, the observing the other teachers and how they
react, the different styles, was excellent. They are all so different, you know, the
different teaching styles, but, and all the different diverse situations, so it's Mrd to
say wMt I liked better than others. But as a whole, that's been wonderful.

The group discussions were also particularly valuable for Camille, not only to be
able to hear diﬂerent points of view, but also to develop the necessary social skills that

would enable her to express her own opinions in a respectful way.

232

And all of the discussions Mve been really, really interesting because there Mve
been different vieWpoints. To try to learn how to, how to relate to others without
offending, but then at the same time expressing my opinion strongly. And if I do
cross the line, ﬁnding a way to apologize.
_Gail
At this point during the immersion experience, about three hours before we would
leave and go back to our homes, Gail was still processing the discussion that she and
Camille Md the day before, the discussion that occurred in the van after visiting the
African American magnet school. After this rather heated discussion, Gail had pulled
herself almost completely away from the rest of the group, walking at a distance behind
everyone else, not talking with anyone, and isolating herself in the apartment. Regardless
of the fact that she still appeared uncomfortable talking, she was able to identify the
components of the course that were the most valuable for her.
I liked the multicultural awareness quiz. Savage Inequalities [by Kozol], I think
we could Mve done more with. We never talked about it. I'm reading it now and
it's very interesting. Um-m-m, and not all of the internship stuff was (3 second
pause) great. Um-m-m, (3 second pause) while tMt... I wouldn't take any of that
away. [The music teacher at our primary site] was great, visiting her and
observing. Visiting others was good and getting experience teaching and, urn-m-
m, I probably would Mve wanted more experience teaching, but, you know, you
can only do what you can do. So, I liked “The Color of Fear” video. That was
good I didn't like the Art of Crossing Cultures very well, that's just my opinion...

The most valuable would be the internship, and "The Color of Fear,” and the...

233

uh-h-h...mu1ticultura1 awareness quiz.
Mitts!

It was difﬁcult for Whitney to isolate just a few things tMt were the most valuable
for her personally. As she scanned the list of all the activities that were included in the
course, she considered almost all of them valuable for her. As she described why each of
these things were valuable, she would elaborate, describing the impact that it had on her,
which would then prompt me to ask spontaneous questions for clariﬁcation.

After reading the whole list, Whitney noticed that I Md left out one of the
readings, one that was particularly valuable for her.

You don't Mve the handout on social class on here [by Jean Anyon]. Because I

didn't just read the Bahamas one [by June Jordan]. But there was some stuﬂ‘ that

you need to Mve, and I didn't get to it all. I read Savage Inequalities before, so I

would say it's a very useful part of this even though we didn't delve into it very

much. And just on a side note, this is very funny. The girls and I were talking last
night. And we said, Camille said that she, wMt her reactions were to driving
through the neighborhood of Mexicantown at ﬁrst, that she was surprised how
bad they were. And I Md the opposite reaction. I was expecting something much
worse.AndIthinkthisisbecausetheonlyexposureIMdtoanurbanand
discussion of urban settings was Savage Inequalities. So, that was really
interesting. I thought the social class one [by Jean Anyon] was really important
because I think we went really heavy racially, and I really Md not thought about

that aspect of it, and it opened that up for me.

234

Whitney continued to scan the list, commenting on why each aspect of the course
was valuable for her.

I think The Art of Crossing Cultures in that the type one and type two [types of

incidents of cultural conﬂict described in the book], I thought that was a good

way to decide why you feel uncomfortable in the situation. I thought that was

good.

Um, “The Blue-Eyed Experiment” video, oh, keep it! That was, that was
really powerful. That was probably the nrost powerful of everything on this list.

Um, most valuable... I thought the autobiographies were really good. Not
so much the writing of them, but the talking about them Because that came up so
much here. There were so many times in this two weeks where we were like, well,
this person, you know, you may feel that way because this has been your
experience and we knew that. That was on the table. So we can help each other,
and that was really important.

I think the group discussions [during the orientation week] were the
foundation for the whole next two weeks. I don't think you could Mve done it any
other way. And I really liked how it was really free. And we were able to open out
and, wMt ever we started talking about... I'm trying to think of speciﬁc
discussions... Speciﬁcally talking about our past was really important. If only to
show me tMt this group of women, middle-class, White, with some ethnic
background, religious, but there is g much diﬂ‘erence.

The group discussions [during the immersion weeks] were really. . .I was

really uncharacteristically quiet. I know I told you this, but the whole experience

235

was, I just loved the discussions. And the discussions I loved the most were the
spontaneous ones. Like the one we Md just yesterday [in the van between Gail
and Camille]. So I can‘t necessarily say a discussion, but I would say if you were
to do it again, wMt ever comes up, even to the people listening, is very, very
important.

I really thought tMt the visits were really important because we didn't get
stuck in that one classroom template, you know, different people do different
things well, and I really liked that we discussed wMt culture that teacher was
coming ﬁom every place we observed. You know, okay, this works for a
particular teacher, why? This works for another teacher, why? And I thought it
was really good instead of just saying a particular teacher is a great teacher, I
thought that was really cool... It gave me a model that this actually Mppens. And
teachers think about this, and that works, you know, instead of just an amorphous
idea that I've never seen applied anywhere, so that was really cool.

Going to the high school and the classrooms was one of @ most powerful
visits. And I don't know if that can Mppen again, if you could arrange it. That
day, I was so fi'ustrated that day. And I, I Mve never felt like I felt in the
classroom. .Because it made me really aware for the ﬁrst time of how some
Aﬁican Americans view me as a White person. I've never really...[it made me
more aware] of my Whiteness and the history of White versus Black. Researcher:
so would you say that experience in that social studies class was a pivotal

moment? Whitney: absolutely. Absolutely.

236

I would Mve to say that talking with [a parent of one of the Hispanic
students] was really valuable in terms of hearing someone's story, and not just
seeing how it is with the kids, but seeing it from a whole different perspective.
You know, a more adult perspective.

Um, social interaction was really important for downtime between us.
But, especially, since, and I was really surprised that there wasn’t any tension
[among the participants] earlier, and if tensions were to Mve occurred earlier, we
really needed something away from these issues, because I could see it really
Mppening. It really surprised me that it didn't Mppen earlier.

I just walked away with so much ﬁom all the observations really. It's so
much about the teacher. And it's so much about the teacher’s comfort level, and
the teacher’s level of awareness, and there is no formula. There is no... It's all
about the teacher. So, it's just all these observations depend on the teacher you're
watching. I feel really empowered going out into the ﬁeld as the teacher, you
know, that I Mve the power to be like this teacher we observed...

Miner!

The comments made by the participants revealed tMt they considered almost
every aspect of the course valuable. This validated the recommendations made by other
researchers that a combination of a variety of activities with an immersion ﬁeld
experience that would offer opportunities for guided reﬂection would provide the most

beneﬁcial experience (Mason, 1997; Ross & Smith, 1992; Wiggins & Follo, 1999).

237

Comfort. Competency, and Intereﬁ in Teaching in a Culturally Diverse Setting

By living, teaching and observing in a variety of settings during the immersion
experience, each of the participants expressed a higher level of comfort teaching in a
culturally diverse setting. They each also grew in their conﬁdence and knowledge as a
future music teacher potentially working with students ﬁom diverse cultural
backgrounds.

Mlle.

Camille felt tMt this experience prepared her for the possibility of working in
culturally diverse settings far beyond any other coursework she had received in her
academic program She now had a much better perspective of the reality of being a music
teacher, working with students with backgrounds different ﬁom her own.

It seems like universities up north treat us with so much academia, so much

theory, tMt when you get out of your methods classes, or you get out of

philosophy, or you get out of anything, it's what you're supposed to know, but it's
so far removed from what reality is, and I think this experience has been...Um,
we've Md a chance to get our feet wet in an environment we’re not used to.

Because, I mean, let's face it, universities want their students to be comfortable

and they don't take risks like this. So, I never really thought I'd honestly know

what it would be like in this setting, if I Mdn't been here (exit interview, May 25).

Because of her own cultural heritage, Camille felt that she would be more
comfortable working in a school with a Hispanic population but admitted she would not
allow her own discomfort to be a barrier to working in a school with other cultural

populations.

238

I would probably be more inclined to teach in a Hispanic school or, um, may be

less inclined in an Aﬁican American school because I'm more uncomfortable a

little bit about that, that's not really where I feel comfortable in my culture or, but

if that was the case then, yes, I would teach there, if I, you know, needed to. You
know, I don't want to carry assumptions that I've had into the situation. Here I feel

like I've Md a little bit of experience crossing the line and crossing barriers. But I

would deﬁnitely consider it [teaching in a culturally diverse setting]. But even

though I would be uncomfortable, I would try, I wouldn't let my uncomfortable, I

wouldn't let wMtever barriers I would Mve about it keep me away ﬁ'om it (exit

interview, May 25).

Camille's conﬁdence about teaching in a culturally diverse setting certainly
improved ﬁ'om her original feelings that she would never consider teaching in a setting
different ﬁom what she was accustomed to, particularly an inner city school.

I think it's now easier for me to take risks. With people who are going through the

riskwith me. Thatmightbeacop-out but, ifIMdtoteachinaninnercityschool,

I would do it, if I had to. I know I could do it. From this experience. Before I

wouldn‘t Mve even tho_ught about it (interview, Winter, 2001).

When asked to describe her thoughts concerning the possibility of teaching in a
culturally diverse setting, Camille replied that in spite of the diﬂiculties, she believed that
it would be satisfying for her. “I think it would be a challenge, but, you know, I think it
would be very rewarding. Something that I would enjoy (exit interview, May 25).

Camille’s conﬁdence and comfort levels improved so much that she chose a site

for her student teaching based on their inclusion of special-needs students. She Md

239

previous eXperience working with special needs students and this experience reinforced
her desire to continue working with them This demonstrated that her perspective on
diversity had expanded beyond merely race and ethnicity, although the lack of ethnic
diversity in this school troubled her. “The student teaching, I chose to go out to [this
particular school] because of the teacher that I was with And because she was working
with special-needs students...” (interview, Winter, 2001).

As I write this, Camille had completed her student teaching and had accepted a
position as an elementary music teacher in a school district with a large population of
African American students. This was a conscious decision for Camille, as she had more
than one job offer and was evidence of her continued risk-taking based on her increased
comfort levels. She expressed at the end of the immersion experience that she was most
likely the least comfortable with African Americans. Her choice to begin her teaching
career in this particular setting is evidence of the possible long term impact of the
experience and particularly meaningful in the context of her new perspectives concerning
her views of diversity.

_Cﬁil

As a result of this experience, Gail explicitly stated in her journal, interviews, and
in a paper written later for another course, tMt her comfort level concerning teaching in a
culturally diverse setting, and particularly teaching in urban Detroit, had improved so
much that she was considering firrther work experience in the city.

It's been a deﬁnitely, an enlightening experience about Detroit. TMt's something

that I, uh, came in deﬁnitely just to ﬁnd out about Detroit. That Detroit Ms a huge

reputation, to me now it's a lot better than it seems. So I'm not, you know, against

240

moving to Detroit and teaching high school or middle school, which I was

completely against before this (exit interview, May 25).

In fact, I feel so good about this that nowl would feel comfortable coming to

Detroit on my own and doing an internship like [the student teacher we met]. I

mean, now I know people. That's kind of another reason I did this, to meet people

in Detroit so I can start, you know, coming here and interning and stuff. So I may

just do tMt for a month (exit interview, May 25).

Gail felt more prepared to work in a culturally diverse setting but pointed out that
this experience also revealed to her that she needed more preparation to work in an
elementary setting, in which she Md little previous experience.

I feel more comfortable teaching in an inner city setting or Hispanic setting. Also

more comfortable teaching people of different cultures, and I know nrore about

Hispanic cultures, and I will feel more comfortable about teaching those people,

andeanttolearnSpanishIknowwMtIneedtodonowtopreparemyselffor

elementary school. TMt's another thing that I got out of it, that I know I need to

take piano lessons again. I need to learn to play every instrument well if I’m

going to teach middle school. I need to learn Spanish. These are not things that

are incur curriculum, but I needto do to be able to teachinthissetting. AndI

need to observe more even, I think (exit interview, May 25).

When describing her thoughts concerning the possibility of teaching in a
culturally diverse setting, Gail expressed some hesitation about teaching in an urban
setting but certainly had a strong desire to teach in a setting that Md a culturally diverse

student population.

241

I'd love to teach in a culturally diverse environment. I'm not sure if I want to teach
urban We'll see. I want to apply everywhere and wherever I get a job is where I’ll
go. I'm not aﬁaid to apply in the city. I'm not aﬁ'aid to apply in Detroit inner city,
I'm not afraid to apply at all. So if I get a job in there, then that's ﬁne (exit
interview, May 25).

East Lansing would be an awesome place [to be a music teacher]. You Mve so

many different, you Mve a lot of professors, and then you Mve inner city, and

low socioeconomic, and a lot of different international students (interview,

Spring, 2002).

Gail had come to recognize what would be needed in orderto be successful
teaching in a culturally diverse or urban setting and shared strategies that she would use
herself when working with students and families who were different ﬁom herself.

What Mve I learned that encompasses all of this? I Mve learned that as a teacher

in the inner city, you Mve to get to know the community. Get to know the

parents, visit their houses, attend their community functions, eat at their
restaurants. Shop at their stores. The more comfortable someone is with the
community they teach in the more comfortable that community will be with that

person, and the better that person can educate their children. If you teach in a

Hispanic community, then incorporate their culture into your teaching. For

instance, I would have incorporated Caribbean, Spanish, Cuban, and Mexican

culture into my music class. Learn their language. If you teach in an all-black
community, learn their culture. You should be able to understand them and

communicate with them without feeling like an outsider. Most of all:

242

communicate with their parents. Let them know if their child has a good day in

class. Let them know if their class Ms accomplished something astounding or

revolutionary. Help their children ﬁrlﬁll their potential by believing in each child

and giving each child the opportunity they need to succeed (paper, Fall, 2001).

Gail expressed a much stronger desire to teach in a culturally diverse setting, and
expressed an interest in working in an inner city environment. She Md become much
more comfortable with not only the setting, but also with her own abilities. This reaction
was not typical. Several studies Mve shown that in spite of interventions designed to
encourage pre-service teachers to work in inner city settings, often the participants did
not develop the comfort level necessary for them to consider teaching in the urban
environment (Aaronsohn, Carter, & Howell, 1995; Bollin & Finkel, 1995; Wiggins &
Follo, 1999).

m

The improved comfort and conﬁdence levels that Whitney described seemed to
Mve developed out of her new-found self awarenesses as a person and as a teacher.

I feel like I'm more capable because I'm actually starting to understand myself

better. And the way I, as the White woman, middle-class woman, ﬁt into this

whole picture. So regardless of the teaching and the pedagogy, I feel more

comfortable because of that... I feel, I do, I feel more comfortable (exit interview,

May 25).

When asked to describe what speciﬁcally about this course helped better prepare
her for working in a culturally diverse setting, Whitney emphasized the importance of

teaching experience in the setting.

243

Working intimately with one classroom, one main teacher’s classroom, and giving
to know the kids. Like getting to know their names. And getting a taste, because I
Mven't really Md this in any of my methods courses or anything. Getting a taste
of trying to understand where kids are coming ﬁ'om even for two weeks... So
realizing that it's possible to understand students that way. And being in a place
that is very different fi'om my culture, and [lesson] planning diﬁ‘erently to that
situation. Teaching differently to that situation, and just relating to those kids for
two weeks made it seem like it is possible, really possible, and it is just an
awareness and effort issued to relate to someone (exit interview, May 25).
Whitney also shared her thoughts concerning the possibility of teaching in a
culturally diverse environment.
My interest is deﬁnitely piqued. I would be disappointed not to teach in a diverse
setting. I feel like I would be missing out on something big, after this experience.
And I don‘t know that that's necessarily the urban [setting], because I see the
urban as carrying a whole different set of cultural issues. So I don't how that's
going to work out [teaching in an urban environment]. I wouldn‘t be, I wouldn't
write it off. And I wouldn't, and I deﬁnitely won't carry the stereotypes of my
family into my decision as I've done before! You know, that's not a part of my
decision at all, it's now about me and the kids and me and my personal plans, and
what I'm thinking about [teaching in a diverse setting] is just as much an option
for me now as suburban teaching was before (exit interview, May 25).
I feel like through Mving this experience, I feel much more comfortable, and I

could go into, I feel like I could go into an urban school pretty much anywhere,

244

and tMt might be a fault sense of conﬁdence after this experience, but I feel like I
could,IfeellikeIMveastartin,anderotethisinmyjoumal, butIfeellikeI
have a start in exploring a whole new, a whole other side of teaching and wMt it
means to be a teacher. TMt I Md not even considered before this class. (exit
interview, May 25).

Whitney explained the beneﬁts of teaching in a culturally diverse setting in terms
of not only wMt the students would learn, but in the context of wMt she would learn
ﬁom the students.

And I wrote in my journal that I had so much to learn from the kids in [the music

teacher’s] classroom Because they live in such a different place than me. Not

geographically, but their life is... And I think that's how it would be such an
amazing part of teaching in a diverse setting. There is so much, there is all... Each
kid has a whole different life to learn about, something that I Mve never
experienced. So I feel like the teacher learns ﬁ'om the students, and it's a give-

and-take thing (exit interview, May 25).
§u_m_!_n_ar!

Each of the participants in this study expressed an increased level of conﬁdence,
and an increased level of interest in teaching in a culturally diverse setting. Whereas most
of them questioned whether they would choose to teach in an urban setting, it was very
clear that, after this experience, they considered the prospect of working with students
with diverse cultural backgrounds as something that would be rewarding and firlﬁlling.
The purpose of this study was not necessarily to prepare the participants so that they

would consider the possibility of teaching in an urban setting, but to prepare them for any

245

setting in which there would be students of diverse cultural backgrounds. Because the
internship was set in an urban environment, chosen intentionally for its contrast to the
participants’ backgrounds, an unanticipated result was tMt the participants felt more

prepared and more attracted to the inner city setting.

246

CHAPTER SIX

Findings and Inrplications

Presented in this chter is a cross-case analysis of the three participants’
data in order to identify the commonalities and differences in the way that pre—service
music teachers might talk about their beliefs concerning teaching in a culturally diverse
setting.

I also include a section on the role of faith in the lives of the participants. This
issue was not addressed by any of the research questions but emerged as a signiﬁcant link
among all the participants, as well as with many of the in-service teachers we observed
and talked with. A third section addresses the impact of this course on the world-views of
the participants, examining any possible shifts in altered beliefs. In the next section, I
present a retrospective of the course itself, wMt elements were critical for success, and
how it could be improved. The ﬁnal sections contain implications for the ﬁeld of music
education and recommendations for further research

Cross-case Analysis

In CMpter Five, I presented data in the context of each individual case in order to
provide a window into the depth of this experience for each of the participants. A cross—
case analysis would permit a closer look at ‘processes and the outcomes across many
cases, to understand how they are qualiﬁed by the local conditions, and thus to develop
more sophisticated descriptions...” (Miles & Huberman, 1994, p. 172). Cross-case

analysis in this study resulted in categories tMt conceptualize the data ﬁom the three

247

individual cases that was earlier presented as emergent themes, in categories of talk, that
included expectations, preconceptions, reactions, and impact.
Emtations

All three of the participants presented in this study expressed expectations in the
following two categories: classroom management and expectations from others.

W

It is no surprise that classroom management was an immrtant issue for each of
the participants. Woolfolk (1996) administered a survey to in-service teachers in which
they assigned a rating to important topics in teaching and learning. Management was
among the highest rated topic in importance. Joram and Gabriele (1998) identiﬁed
classroom management as one of four primary beliefs that pre-service teachers in their
study Md about learning and teaching. The researchers stated the belief that classroom
management is necessary, and that once it is taken care of, students will automatically
learn is consistent with a “transmission model of learning in which the teacher gives
knowledge to the students through telling or showing; once the classroom is quiet and
orderly, the scene is set for the transmission to occur” (Joram & Gabriele, 1998, p. 180).

When asked at the beginning of the orientation week to deﬁne teaching, each of
the three participants viewed teaching as a transmission of knowledge ﬁom teacher to
student.

What is teaching?

“Imparting knowledge successfully.”

“To me, teaching is imparting some of one's knowledge and experience to another

person who is interested in learning”

248

“SMring knowledge either informally or fornmlly."

The comments sMred by the participants expressed their concerns about the
classroom management issues they expected to face. “I’m looking at how you Mndle the
discipline at schools, dealing with not Mving any connections to the kids [in this
setting]” (discussion, May 7). “So the reason I'm doing this is to try to see classroom
management skills and to see, like, if people do things in Detroit that are ethnic”
(discussion, May 7). “I’m very nervous about management. Like, I Mve no techniques.
Do we use her [the music teacher] techniques? What are they going to respond to, that’s
my big. . .” (discussion, May 14).

Ematations ﬁ'om othera,

Each of the participants expressed speciﬁc expectations from the others in the
group, although the functions of these expectations varied from expecting to learn ﬁom
the others, expecting respect for opinions expressed, to expecting to be challenged.

Camille’s focus was more about becoming aware of herselfand how her fellow
classmates would facilitate that process. “I am very excited to learn more about my
prejudices and also to learn from my peers” (journal entry, May 8).

I am quite conﬁdent that during these next two weeks I will be able to ‘risk’

breaking down my personal boundaries. I am positive that my classmates will

help me learn more about the motives and/or ‘cause and effects’ of racism within

intercultural relations (journal entry, May 7).

Whitney was also interested in becoming aware of her own biases, and her
expectations concerned being challenged by her peers if she unknowingly made a

stereotypical comment.

249

I’d rather hear it than know that someone. .it would disturb me if I said
something that held prejudice in it and I knew it and no one said anything, and I
knew that we all went to bed at night knowing that I said that. And I would rather
confront it. (group discussion, May 8).

Gail was interested in knowing that her opinions and comments would be
respected, expressing concerns about how her own actions and perspectives would be
viewed by the others.

It was evident from these comments that Whitney and Camille also sMred
expectations concerning a developing self-awareness. Both of them expressed a desire to
challenge their own preconceptions and attitudes and displayed a willingness and
Openness to discovering new awarenesses.

Preconpaptions

Under the theme of Preconceptions, two categories emerged across all three cases,
the category of viewing discrimination as a societal problem and the participants’ views
of themselves. Two other categories appeared across two of the cases, the role of human
nature, and American Identity.

Discriminatiop as a societal problem.

All three participants shared a common preconception, a category that was
identiﬁed in CMpter Five as viewing discrimination as a societal problem and not
necessarily a reSponsibility of the White, dominant culture. The comments made by all
three participants clearly demonstrated tMt they believed, early in the orientation week,
tMt society in general should take responsibility for addressing the problem of

discrimination.

250

It’s easier trying to, rather than thinking about changing the way we think as
humans. And putting it as the White man’s burden, you know? There is so much
anger among diverse groups tMt we need to face it together (discussion, May 9).
We are not the problem Racism is not just the white person' s problem

It is everybody's problem I honestly believe that it is not up to the white person to
bring people out of the ghetto. True, there are some things that white people do
that perpetuate the system, and thus the cycle of poverty, but I also think tMt it is
each person's responsibility to try to get out on their own (journal entry, May 8).
I think if we all changed what there was to change in ourselves, then we could
make the world a better place — but I feel like pointing ﬁngers does just the
opposite. For example, in the video [“The Color of Fear”], Victor said “racism is
a white problem” These kinds of comments come out of anger, but aren’t true.
It’s everyone’s problem, and everyone’s responsibility to change. . .people must
become accountable for their treatment of other, regardless of race (journal entry,
May 9).

View of Self.

All three of the participants expressed preconceptiom about how they viewed

themselves as human beings. Camille and Whitney both saw themselves as individuals

who were tolerant, accepting, and open-minded. “Let me tell you a little about how I felt

when I started this class: I considered myselfan open and accepting person...” (journal

entry, May 24). “Yet I struggle with this idea [that she Ms prejudices] since I Mve

thought of myselfas an open-minded individual who values differences rather than

mundane conformity” (journal entry, May 9).

251

 

Gail expressed that she viewed herself as a person with biases tMt, in spite of her
desire to be open-minded, would always exist.

So I Mve come up with these generalizations in my head. That's all that I'm

talking about...but I Mve seen certain generalizations in my mind that I Mve

come up with since I've been in the workplace. . .and I know that I am always

going to Mve it too, no matter wMt (discussion, May 9).

The rola of human nature.

Both Camille and Whitney held preconceptions concerning the role that human
nature might possibly play in racism and discrimination. Both of them made explicit
comments concerning the diﬂiculty in trying to overcome perspectives that grow ﬁom
individual cultural experience.

And I think it’s human nature to see the world through your own perspective,

which is constructed through your experience. And I think he [David in the video

“The Color of Fear] was Mving a hard time stepping back, and I think this is

human nature that, if I’m to look at the situation, I’m looking through my lens,

through my eyes (group discussion, May 9).

Do you think, though, that it’s part ofhuman nature to want to be connected with

people that look like you and act like you, and Mve the same culture? I mean, as

much as it is the system, it’s reinforced in human nature (discussion, May 7).

While Gail did not make any explicit comments concerning the role of human
nature, one of her early observations seemed to imply that she believed voluntary
segregation could be a natural, group response. “I think it’s .. .you go to a mall and it's all

Black people, and you go to another mall and is all white. It's voluntary segregation,

252

because of comfort, you know, to hang outwith people like themselves” (group
discussion, May 8).

American Iden_ti_ty,

In order for teachers to function effectively when working with students ﬁom
diverse cultural backgrounds, they must become aware of their own cultural identity.
Because most of the nation's teachers and teacher education students tend to ﬁt the
typical proﬁle of White, middle-class, and female, and Mve most often had little
experience with other racial, ethnic, or social class groups, they consequemly tend to
view themselves as non-cultural, or as “just American.” Toni Morrison (1992) explained
that “Race Ms ﬁrnctioned as a ‘metaphor’ necessary to the ‘construction’ of
‘Americannessz’ in the creation of our national identity, ‘American’ has been deﬁned as
‘White”’ (Morrison, 1992, p. 47).

Ladson-Billings also pointed out the common reaction of most White teachers to
not be able to identify with a particular culture but to consider themselves Americans.

In almost every place I've been, most of the preservice and inservice people that

I've worked with Mve been European American mono lingual women, whose

culture, to them, is invisible. They tend to believe that culture is that thing ‘all you

other nice people Mve.’ But if you were to turn around and say to those people,

"Tell me something about your culture," they're likely to say, "Well, you know, I

don't Mve any culture. I'm just an American." Someone saying they're just an

American really says you're not; it says that the kids. are not. (Ladson-Billings,

1998, p. 63).

253

The comments made by both Whitney and Gail revealed that they were unable to
identify with a particular culture and viewed themselves as Americans. These responses
were typical, as described by Morrison and Ladson-Billings. “I probably Mve like l/l6
of American Indian in me, but I'm not American Indian. I may Mve 1/ 16 of German in
me but I'm not German. I'm an American or wMt ever, I don't know. Goodness
gracious!” (group discussion, May 9).

Because there is no United States, like, there is no culture. That's kind of weird.

And that's actually kind ofsad that I don't Mve a culture conmcted to the country

where I grew up to relate to. . . I feel like I've always been deprived or something

because here I am like the only cormtry of the whole globe that I don’t, that I do
not Mve a culture. . to say that I'm fiom the United States, it doesn't mean

anything (group discussion, May 9).

According to Banks (2001), pre-service teachers must come to understand how
statements such as “I am just American” reveal “the privileged position of an individual
who is proclaiming his or her own unique culture as American and other cultures as non-
American” (Banks, 2001, p. 12).

Reactrp' ns

Two categories that were identiﬁed as reactions appeared across all three of the
cases. These two categories were a sense of helplessness, and student aptitude.

Hemlesangss.

It is not uncommon for pre-service teachers, when ﬁrst confronted with issues of

diversity, racism, and intolerance, to be overcome with a sense of helplessness and

254

 

feelings of ﬁ'ustration. All three participants expressed these feelings of helplessness as
reactions to activities during the orientation week.

I was upset because, it seems like, here we are trying to learn how to make things

better. And there really isn’t anything we can do. It’s like I feel this compelling

need to go and do something, but I just don’t know how to reach out. And at times

I feel like wMtever I try to do wouldn’t be accepted because. .. (discussion, May

1 1).

Well, where is the practicality? In that discussion? There's David, you know, the

beginning of the movie he is one way and at the end he sees it differently. But

how is David going to go out, or how can anybody in that group go out, and you

know, and not do this racism, this prejudiced kind of stuff? (Discussion, May 9).

You know, like, I feel very overwhelmed that. By the whole structure that we’ve

all been talking about, human nature and social structure and everything, and it’s

been existing for centuries, that I feel, like, how is it ever going to cMnge? (group

discussion, May 8).

Student apﬁtudes.

On the ﬁrst day of the orientation week, the participants were asked to answer the
following question - how would you characterize the learning ability of urban children?
Each of the three participants described in the study expressed that urban children Mve
the same potential as children anywhere else, but each added qualiﬁers to their
statements. “Urban children Mve the same intelligence and mental potential as any child;
however, I anticipate that life challenges unique to the culture of an urban area (higher

crime rates, for example) may interfere with students desire to learn.” “The learning

255

ability of urban children is the same as everywhere else. The learning processes, though,
are different.” “The same potential but different levels of achievement depending on the
environment.”

Researchers Mve identiﬁed these typical preconceptions as themes that Mve
emerged in studies focusing on pre-service teacher preparation (Gomez, 1994; Olmedo,
1997). It is common for pre-service teachers to view diversity as a problem, identifying
“children's problems of learning and achievement not as outcomes of teachers’ beliefs
about and beMviors towards children in school, but as consequences of children's
outside-ofschool lives -- beyond the purview of teachers, schools, and schooling”
(Gomez, 1994, p. 321).

These preconceptions held by the participants were demonstrated by the degree of
surprise they expressed at the high musical aptitudes of the students we observed.

I thought she [the music teacher] was asking too much for the third grade when

she asked them which phrase went up at the end of the song ‘Each of Us is a

Flower.’ But they got it after two tries. Which goes to show that if you challenge

these kids, they will rise to the challenge (journal entry, May 15).

I can tell that I'm going to Mve a set curriculum in mind from kindergarten

through ﬁfth-grade that centers on improvisation. These kids are musically

extremely high aptitude (journal entry May 16).

The band itself sounded great. The kids love to play music and it is clear that the

music program is a large part of each of the members lives. I was surprised that

the band sounded as well as it did. Kids share mouthpieces and the instruments

are in poor condition. But, there were numerous students who show immense

256

talent. The brass section Ms great sound. Some kids were playing better than high

school and college students. This was very impressive (jomnal entry, May 22).

Additional reactions were shared by two of the three participants. These reactions
included the categories of experiencing being an outsider, a teaching shift from content to
process, and culture shock.

Expgiencing being ap patsider

Camille and Whitney both encountered situations in which they were the cultural
other, the outsider. Each of these situations involved some type of ethnic or racial
incident. Camille Md experienced being viewed as an outsider previously because of her
mixed race. “I feel that this is mainly due to the fact that I do not physically show
attributes that are stereotypically ‘Latina.’ The color of my pale skin and the ‘Norteﬂo’
dialect of my Anglo speech revealed that I am the ‘other,’ a cultural outsider” (paper,
Fall, 2001).

During the immersion experience, at the Cinco de Mayo celebration, Camille's
expectations of Mving some type of cultm'al bond were dashed when she unexpectedly
became identiﬁed as an outsider.

To my surprise, the eye of a woman in her late thirties immediately caught my

attention and I smiled at her with the innocent hope of establishing a connection

within the communal audience. Alas, she glared at are sending a begrudging
smirk my direction as if to clearly insinuate that I, an outsider to this community,
was intruding. It was at this moment I realized I was not welcome. I was an

outsider (paper, Fall 2001).

257

The same incident also provided Whitney with an opportunity to recognize wMt it
would feel like to be identiﬁed as a cultural other. “I also felt that it was interesting, and
maybe this was the only time that Mppened to me, to stand outjust because ofthe way
that I look. And I felt that in people, people look at you up and down like they would on
the street. But it feels different”(group discussion, May16).

The ﬁrst critical incident, when we walked into the Civil Rights discussion
provided both Whitney and Camille opportunities for experiencing wMt it feels like to be
in the minority. “I was [uncomfortable], but you can't always be comfortable (group
discussion, May 21).” “T Mt was kind of like what [another participant] was saying, you
know, as a visitor, I felt out of place, especially in the second class. When we went into,

because of wMt they were talking about” (group discussion, May 21).

 

Teachpr' g shift ﬁ'om conteat to prpcess.
Camille and Whitney demonstrated shifts in their ways of thinking about teaching

and learning as reactions to observing and teaching in the setting. Their perceptions
changed from those of transferring knowledge, to an awareness that rather than just teach
subject material, teachers teach students. “[the] teacher is there to facilitate learning for
students - this involves designing formal lessons and taking informal opportunities to
reach the students” (open ended survey, May 7th).
Teaching is empowerment. Giving students the emotional support to believe in
themselves and then they can accomplish anything. No matter what barriers are
there, you know? I don't mean that you ignore the barriers, but by working
through the barriers and working towards their personal best...giving them the

power to understand their potential (exit interview, May 25).

258

 

Before this class, ‘multiculturalism’ meant singing ethnic songs in the classroom!
Now, I see ‘multiculturalism’ in the music classroom as a conscious
understanding of the various cultures of one’s students so that one may provide
the most eﬁ‘ective instruction and guidance possible (journal entry, May 24).

I also truly believe that children are all very different -— child to child, school to
school, culture to culture. I believe it foolish to treat any children the same. I think
that a dedicated, effective teacher should try to relate to the culture of the students

- try to understand how that child enters your classroom (their values, experience,

 

etc.). I Md never considered this before (journal entry, May 24).

Qplture ahock.

Two of the participants shared the experience of feeling a type of cultural
collision; however, the context for each of them was different. Camille's culture shock
came as a result of her desire to be recognized as a member of the Hispanic community
when, in actuality, she did not share their cultural background.

I remember standing in the Mllway waiting for that Cinco de Mayo, that whole

event was just a cultural disillusionment for me. Because I was expecting to see

snippets of my nostalgic Mexico that my grandmother talked about, that my dad
talked about...Andl saw urbanreality. And I saw a new culture that I never, the

Mexican-American, and Americanized culture. And the feeling like I didn’t really

Mve any connection with them (follow-up interview, December, 2001).

Whitney's experience with culture shock was a result of a realization that the
setting we were working in was very different fiom that which she was accustomed to,

speciﬁcally in terms of student beMvior.

259

Today was a long day. It wasn’t teaching for the ﬁrst time tMt wore me out;
rather, I felt in ‘culture shock’ as strange as tMt sounds when watching classes
today. The noise level in the room, the constant disorder and disrespect - it
became this blur of commotion which I wanted to jump in and stop, but had no
control over... (journal entry, May 16).

Impact

Three categories emerged across all three cases that could be identiﬁed as ways in
which this course impacted the participants. The three categories include awareness of
racial slurs, new views of diversity, and goals as a teacher. Other categories shared by
two of the participants include awareness of bias, struggles of the oppressed, and a call to
social action.

Awareness of racial slura.

The ﬁrst category was a type of social awareness in the form of being more
sensitive to language containing racial slurs or discriminatory remarks. All three
participants talked about this speciﬁc awareness. “Well, I deﬁnitely agree tMt I've
become much more aware. Especially to wMt my husband's ﬁiends say and do. You go
to a party and all of a sudden every joke is racial” (group discussion, May 21). “Since I
started this class, I Mve noticed ignorant racial/cultural comments much more. I Mve
taken an increased interest in racial and cultural issues in our country. I think I walk away
from here with a more _c_onsistent interest and awareness of other cultures” (journal entry,
May 24). “I guess I'm more aware now of things that I see that I don't agree with as been
politically correct. Or I'm more apt to notice they are all White, or racial slurs now really

affect me more” (interview, Winter, 2001).

260

New views of diversity

It is quite common to view diversity solely in terms of race and ethnicity.
Whitney, Camille, and Gail each came to view the term diversity from a new perspective.

I guess I’m, the whole word diversity has a whole different meaning for me now.

Before I just really was in this box thinking of diversity as being race and

ethnicity. Because that's wMt I was struggling with personally at the time. But

right now, diversity is so much bigger tMnl ever gave it credit for (interview,

Winter, 2001).

Because I think ﬁ'om being in Detroit and working with kids and speaking with

that mother, and just in really getting a chance to talk one-on-one with people

who were different from me, who aren't my ﬁ'iends, who aren't ﬁ'om the same

socioeconomic group, you know. Like, there was a real, a bigger gap there. I

appreciate how people's viewpoints are different. And that applies, you know, to

age and to gender and to so many other things besides race (interview, Winter,

2001)

Gail expressed a new view of the term “multicultural” that also went beyond race
and ethnicity, and commented on how she would Mve to be conscious of this when
discussing these topics with others. This awareness developed as she continued to process
the experiences in the internship, and she expressed these new awarenesses in the follow-
up interview in the Spring of 2002.

Goals as a teacher.

All three participants expressed new ways of looking at teaching and learning;

speciﬁcally, they developed new personal goals for themselves as ﬁrture teachers.

261

Camille, because of her new self-awarenesses concerning her cultural
background, now understood the importance of understanding how her cultural past
might impact her teaching, as well as the importance of learning about the cultural
backgrounds of her students

As an educator, my experience in Detroit helped me to see that cultural awareness

and self-discovery are one in the same. This experience taught me that educators

Mve a responsibility to look past prior assumptions and enter into unknown

territory with a passionate intent to learn more about their surroundings, their .

skills, and their craft. I will possibly never fully understand other cultures, but it is

the process of learning about myself that I can attempt to learn about my

students. . .I now Mve the desire to transcend what I thought were personal

‘cultural disabilities’ and use my ‘in between status’ to learn how I can educate

Hispanic children without biases. I now better understand that culture is

subjective and dependent upon environmental elements which is largely

dependent upon personal history (paper, Fall, 2001).

Whitney came to similar conclusions concerning self-awareness as a ﬁrst step
toward understanding culturally diverse students, and that instruction, rather than being
based on the teacher's paradigm, should be student centered.

And I think wMt it taught us is to be aware of ourselves ﬁrst, as teachers. And

then aware of the culture of our students, even if the culture appears to be like

ours, it may not be in a lot of ways. So I think tMt is the biggest lesson to me. It’s
so clear to me that if I teach ﬁom my perspective, expecting students to learn

ﬁ'om one teaching style and to live up to white, middle-class expectations, I

262

wouldn’t be teaching so tMt my students could reach their full potential. Teaching

should be about adapting instruction to best meet the needs of individual students

— one of the biggest needs of the student is instruction that relates to their culture

and view of the world. I think it’s sinful for teachers to expect students to ﬁt into

his/her mold. To celebrate students as individuals, and to best engage and teach
them, you must understand where they’re coming ﬁom — culture. I Md never

thought of any of these issues before (journal entry, May 24).

Gail also developed new goals and possibilities for herself as a teacher that she
Md never considered before. These were in the context of considering a teaching position
at the secondary level in an urban area.

I used to be completely against teaching band in middle or high school because of

all the guns and violence (in an inner city school). NowI would be much more

open to that option, especially because it gives these kids such a great sense of
family and caring friends. The kids at [a middle school we visited] were really

convincing to me in this way of thinking (journal entry, May 24).

Whitney and Camille sMred several additional categories that could be grouped
under the theme of Impact. Two of these categories were in the form of new
awarenesses, awareness of their own bias, and awareness of the struggles of oppressed
people. They each also came to view the term diversity in a new way and both
experienced a call to social action.

Awareness of bias.

Early in experience, Whitney and Camille both struggled with developing

awarenesses tMt they held stereotypical or biased beliefs. This was an important ﬁrst step

263

 

in coming to terms with how their beliefs and attitudes, which, developed from their own
cultural histories, would impact their future teaching.
Just to start, this experience forced me to explore the stereotypes I hold — this was
hard for me, personally, because I Mve a perfectionist nature. It was a chlenge
for me to admit to myself that I hold preconceptions, and that, if left unexplored,
these preconceptions will hurt my relationships in my personal life and in my
teaching (journal entry, May 24).
It [the course] really changed the way I look at people now, knowing that I view
them through my own lens, which is made of my culture and values, which may
be totally different than anyone else’s (journal entry, May 24).
I Mve to tell you that I Mve stereotypes! And just saying that was very difficult
for me! Because of how I look at myself to be a culturally interested, accepting,
Christian woman. It's very hard... But the door is open so I can keep learning and
that's important (exit interview, May 25).
I do Mve certain negative ‘prejudices’ toward Aﬁican Americans, gays, and other
people. At some point in my life, I Mve been conditioned to outwardly avoid
others to a certain extent in an effort to keep myself in check with what is
expected of me from society and ‘religious’ values. . .Yet it is only when we

become aware of those prejudices tMt we are faced with the dirty truth that

 

prejudice exists among all humans at a semi-conscious level (journal entry, May

15).

264

Struggles of the oppressed.

Because of the experiences Camille encountered during the immersion weeks, she
became more aware tMt marginalized people from diverse cultural backgrounds
encounter many struggles in our society. One of her realizations concerned the fact that
many culturally diverse students Mve difficulties succeeding academically in school, and
that these difﬁculties were caused by outside factors. “What was surprising to me was the
amormt of kids that were held back because of the school system and the environment, or
teaching strategies. But it's not the kids, it's the other factors. That upset me” (exit
interview, May 25).

It also was apparent to her, after visiting an inner city magnet school with
admission requirements, that there might be students with high aptitudes who are
overlooked because their parents are unable or discouraged to seek a better school for
them

There are a lot of people who work hard and struggle to put food on the table.

And if you can't put food on the table, well, then how can they choose where they

send their child [to go to school]. I guess it, like, I Mve a hard time with it

because a lot of people don't choose the situations that they are put in (group

discussion, May 24).

Whitney's awareness of the struggles of people from other cultures came out of
her recognition that as a member of the White, dominant culture, she holds certain
privileges that are inaccessible to people who might be from other cultural backgrounds.

I Mve taken an increased interest in racial and cultural issues in our country. I

think I walk away ﬁ'om here with a more consistent interest and awareness of

265

other cultures — and not just that they exist, but that they struggle in this country,

and tMt my experience as a white American is very different from theirs (journal

entry, May 24).

Call to social action.

Ortiz and Rhoads (2000) developed a theoretical framework based on exploring
and deconstructing Whiteness that might be used in designing educational programs and
to develop curricula addressing multicultural issues. The ﬁamework consisted of ﬁve
steps which are not intended to be sequential, but which may be used individually or as a
whole, even though the framework is designed so that the earlier steps begin at a more
basic level. The ﬁfth step was identiﬁed as "Developing a Multicultural Outlook." In this
step, students are guided, through speciﬁc activities, to discover how the "status of one's
culture in a society affects individuals” (Ortiz & Rhoads, 2000, p. 90). It is through this
discovery that one may see "taking social action toward the inclusion of diverse cultural
perspectives as the next logical step in their own education and liberation” (Ortiz &
Rhoads, 2000, p. 90).

Camille and Whitney each expressed a call to social action because of the
awarenesses that they gained by participating in this experience. “I just feel really a call
to social justice now more. It will be hard for me to really look at. . ..schools and their
ignorance and Mve tolerance for it (exit interview, May 25).

A big realization I had fi'om this program is the negative power of inactivity, and

ignorance. Those are like my two words! It’s my phrase that I read in my journal.

And I, I felt very dirty and. . .I’m getting emotional! Very upset reﬂecting on it the

past two weeks because I was one of those people who chose to ignore the issue.

266

 

 

And by choosing to ignore the issue, I think you perpetuate the issue. And tMt
really upset me! (exit interview, May 24).
Summary

This cross-case analysis revealed that all three of the participants Md expectations
and preconceptions that would be considered typical of pre-service teachers. They were
concerned about issues of classroom management and what type of behavior they could
expect from the other participants. They all initially viewed discrimination as a problem
of society rather than an individual issue, and they each Md certain views of themselves
as they entered the experience.

They all Md similar reactions to events and experiences during the course. They
each expressed a sense of helplessness at one time or another, and they each were
surprised at the high level of students’ musical aptitudes. They all stated that they became
more aware of racial slurs as a result of the course. They each developed new goals for
themselves as future teachers.

Camille and Whitney sMred several commonalities that included shifts in the way
they perceived the teaching process, experiencing “otherness,” new awarenesses of their
own biases, new awarenesses of the struggle of oppressed people, new views of diversity,
and calls to social action.

The Role of Faith

I Mve not previously addressed the issue of faith other than as a characteristic
from the participants’ personal histories. This topic was not included in any of the
research questions or in the presentation of the participants’ talk included in Chapter

Five. However, it is a signiﬁcant issue, as it was an unexpected inﬂuence in not only each

267

of the participant’s lives but also emerged as an essential characteristic of each of the in-
service teachers we observed and talked with.

As the participants shared their autobiographies during the second day of the
orientation week, it quickly became apparent Eith was a predominant issue in each of
their lives. For the ones who Md an immediate Emily member who had survived cancer,
faith was what held the family together. For the ones who went through the break-up of
their family because of divorce, faith provided a solace and comfort through diﬂicult
times. For the ones who faced personal diﬂiculties and struggles, Eith was what allowed
them to persevere. Each of the participants came ﬁ'om a Emily of Eith and strong
religious values. Each of the participants engaged in the active practice of their faith at
the time of the study and Mve continued to do so.

As we talked with in-service music teachers before and after observing them work
with their students, they each shared their own personal philosophies of teaching, which
often included their dedication and devotion to their work and their students. When asked
how they managed to balance the demands of how they chose to do their jobs, with their
personal life, the response was often faith, prayer, and “God gives me strength”

As this issue of Eith presented itself throughout this experience, ﬁomthe ﬁrst day
when I asked the participants why they had chosen to take this course, to our group
discussions in the kitchen, to our visits with in-service teachers, I wrestled with wMt to
make of it all. How would I address this? What weight would I give it in the context of
the study? WMt implications did this Mve on the beMviors of the participants, and their

views of teaching in culturally diverse settings?

268

I still do not know how to answer these questions but present them here as topics
that need to be explored. This was a completely unanticipated aspect that undoubtedly
inﬂuenced each of the participants and each of the in-service teachers, and will continue
to Mve an impact on how they view their roles as teachers.

garages in Worldview

Research question three asked if the pre-service teachers’ beliefs were in any way
challenged or altered by the immersion experience. Previous research Ms suggested that
beliefs are not easily altered, particularly when the experience is short term (Kagan,
1992b; Pajares, 1992; Nespor, 1987). By collecting data from the participants several 1
months after the experience, in the form of interviews, papers written for other courses,
informal conversations, and the conference presentation, it is more likely that any
changes still apparent would be permanent. Given this consideration, it is plausible to
believe that two of the participants changed their worldviews.

These two participants made comments that were indicators of a change in
worldview. First were the discoveries of new self-awarenesses, in terms of their attitudes
and beliefs, where those attitudes came hem, and how they might impact ﬁrture teaching.
Second were the awarenesses of their own cultural identities, and the role they play in our
society. These awarenesses were partially due to the experience of what it was like to be
an “other.” They also came to new realizations of what it means to be a marginalized
person in our society and the chlenges and difﬁculties that are presented to those
individuals.

A primary indication of a cMnge in worldview is one that demonstrates new

insights and new perspectives concerning the term diversity, evolving ﬁom one centered

269

 

on only race and ethnicity to one that considers all aspects of diversity; gender, social
class, religion, physical disabilities, socio—economic status, language, and sexual
preference. These two participants not only cMngcd their perspectives concerning
diversity, but now viewed diversity, in all its forms, as a normal and necessary part of
their lives.

A ﬁnal signiﬁcant sign of a cMnging worldview is to feel a call to social action,
social justice, looking critically at how our schools privilege some and disadvantage
others. To become socially conscious, not only must pre-service (and in-service) teachers
become aware of their own cultural identities, but “also come to recognize the intricate
connection between schools and society. They must come to see that, as traditionally
organized, schools help to reproduce existing social inequalities while giving the illusion
that such inequalities are natural and fair” (V illegas & Lucas, 2002, p. 23). These two
participants were able to see themselves as agents for cMnge, challenging the typical
perception that culture is a problem for students, seeing an association between schooling
and society, and, by becoming aware of the cultural backgrounds of themselves and their
students, insuring equitable instruction in their music classrooms.

Retrospective of the Courg

This study explored the potential impact of a course in music education that
combined academic coursework with a short-term, immersion ﬁeld experience under the
supervision of an informed and experienced instructor. The focus was on the examination
of the way pre-service music teachers talked about their beliefs concerning teaching in a
cultm'ally diverse setting, and if those beliefs might be chlenged by activities and

experiences within the course.

270

 

The results of this study are encomaging in that they indicate that focusing on pre-
service teachers’ preconceptions Ms some impact on their perspectives. This impact is
demonstrated by the changes evidenced in the participants’ talk. They came to new
awarenesses about themselves and about people typically viewed as “other,” they made
shifts in their views of teaching and learning, and they developed new views concerning
diversity. In light of these new perspectives presented in this study, this course appeared
to be effective in chlenging and altering beliefs. I would like to present speciﬁc

components of this course that I feel particularly contributed to its success.

 

Mine Coarse Feat_u_r,es
Chm-sine

First, the size of the group of participants was optimal for quickly establishing a
certain level of trust among all the participants and for encouraging frank discussion
about personal and controversial issues. Because there were only six participants,
including the researcher, we were able to live in one apartment, so tMt rent was more
affordable. This also meant that I, as a university instructor, was able to be with the
participants 24 hours a day. This insured that I did not miss out on crucial discussions and
was able to guide reﬂection. We were able to commute from the housing site to all of the
school sites in one vehicle, facilitating immediate discussions about what we had seen
and heard.

Since there were only six of us, we were able to walk into school sites and
classrooms and be relatively unobtrusive. It also meant that we caused minimal
disruption during our observations at the primary site. It also afforded us the opportunity

to experience what it felt like to be viewed as an outsider, particularly in schools with all

271

 

 

African American student populations. A larger group would certainly Mve created a
different dynamic.

Because we lived and work together as a group, we developed a communal bond
in which trust, openness, and honesty were nurtured and respected. We also developed a
social bond, enjoying each other's company during necessary downtime.

Small class size, however, can be problematic when faced with minimum
enrollment requirements established by universities and colleges because of ﬁnancial
issues. If there had been 10 participants in this course, the minimum number encouraged
by this University, the whole nature of this study would Mve been different.

Structure of the courae,

The structure of the course itself also contributed to the positive outcomes. It was
important that the participants spent the 30 hours of the orientation week in preparation
for the immersion experience. This provided enough time to encourage self-examination,
and to present activities that would promote discussion and reﬂection We also spent time
preparing ourselves for the immersion portion of the experience, exploring our
expectations about schools with diverse student populations, and discussing the
environment in which we would be living and working.

It was also important that the immersion portion of the experience he at least two
weeks in length We were together as a group 24 hours a day, for ten days, a total of 240
hours in each other's company. Prior research has emphasized the importance of the
length of the immersion ﬁeld experiences (Aaronsohn & Howell, 1995; Doyle, 1997; Fry

& McKinney, 1997;Wiggins & Follo, 1999; Xu, 2000).

272

An immersion experience might also be deﬁned in many ways, as discussed in the
review of literature. I believe wMt nude this immersion experience so powerful was the
fact that we were actually living in the setting; we were not able to escape to our homes
in the evening. The fact that we lived and worked together as an intact group all day,
every day, added to the intensity of the experience. Other researchers (Baker, 1977;
Macias, 1986; Sleeter, 1985) Mve recognized the value of the intensity of a cultural
experience. “The more intense the exposure and the more time spent learning the content,
the more likely learning will be successful” (Grant & Secada, 1990, p. 418). Some so-
called “immersion experiences” are nothing more than superﬁcial excursions by
participants who could be more accurately deﬁned as tourists. “. . .our ﬁeld experiences
must become more than visits by an outsider. Students must be immersed in a school for
sufﬁcient time to get to know the school and the community it serves. Field experiences
must become life experiences” (Wiggins & Follo, 1999, p. 103).

There are problems, however, in designing a course that requires three weeks of
participation. Students must be available to devote a considerable amount of time to an
experience such as this, which means they cannot be enrolled in other coursework. This
requires a speciﬁc window in the calendar year, when college and university studems are
not in session, but public schools are. This limits the time for implementation to a few
weeks in the spring, after winter classes Mve been completed, but before the public
schools Mve ﬁnished their school year.

Role pf the instructor.

Another component crucial to the success of this course was that of my role not

only as a participant/observer in terms of the study, but also as the university instructor

273

who designed and implemented the course. My background teaching and working in
culturally diverse settings allowed me to operate as an informed interpreter for the
cultural events that the participants experienced. My comfort level working and living in
inner city Detroit inﬂuenced the comfort levels of the participants. My constant presence
provided opportunities for guided discussion and reﬂection and for adaptation dependent
on my observations of the participants’ beMviors, reactions, and revelations.

Because I designed the course, selected the activities for the course, and chose the
readings, it was easy for me to integrate those elements into the immersion experience,
drawing on tMt academic coursework to make connections to practice and experience.

Having an informed, experienced, conrpetent instructor who is willing to devote
three weeks to this type of experience is, I believe, one of the greatest obstacles in
implementing a course such as this. In the ﬁeld of music education, there are very few
instructors at the college and university level who Mve Md extensive experience working
in culturally diverse settings, particularly in urban settings. Not only would this instructor
Mve to be experienced, he or she would also Mve Md to come to awarenesses
concerning his or her own cultural background, and be able to recognize the societal role
he or she plays as a member of a particular culture. This would be in addition to Mving
developed awarenesses of other cultures, and how our society privileges some and
disadvantages others. The choice of an appropriate instructor for a course such as this is

crucial to the desired outcomes.

274

 

 

Rpﬂings.
I feel the choice of readings for this particular experience provided not only a

foundation for what would occur in the immersion weeks but also provided the immtus
for self-examination.

Stortie’s The Art of Crossing Cultures, while originally written for someone who
would be traveling to another country, was most appropriate for our traveling to a setting
completely different from our own cultures, one that the participants Md never
experienced. Over the course of the three weeks, we were able to recognize and label
what the author identiﬁes as Type I and Type II incidents. This small, easy-to—read text
informed us of wMt we could expect during the immersion weeks.

Savage Inequalities, by Kozol, is considered a classic in cultural studies. His
descriptions of schools, students, and families provided the participants with the type of
baseline with which to compare their own observations and experiences.

Equally valuable was Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. The concept of racial self-
Mte, the concept of racial beauty, set in a unique situation, and described in Morrison’s
vivid language, compelled the participants to read and discuss the issues that emerged
ﬁom this text.

Additional readings by Anyon and Jordan focused not so much on racial and
ethnic issues, but those of social class, gender, and socioeconomic status. Throughout this
experience, race and ethnicity dominated the talk, as they are more visible elements of
cultural diversity. It was important to include readings that would propel discussion on

cultural diversity toward contexts other than race and ethnicity.

275

 

 

Course activities.

Several of the activities included during the orientation week were pivotal in
establishing trust, bringing out similarities and differences among us, and leading us to
begin to think in new ways about cultural diversity.

One of the most valuable activities was the writing of autobiographies. The
participants shared their autobiographies not by reading what they had written the
previous evening, but by using that text as an outline for talking through their personal
histories. These autobiographies revealed striking similarities and differences among all
the participants. They also provided a window into the cultural backgrounds of each of
the participants and revealed experiences that sMped beliefs and attitudes. “Through
personal or life history accounts,...preservice teachers are provided ongoing opportunities
to make explicit for examination their preconceived ideas, images, expectations, and
developing conceptions of teaching and being a teacher. [Through autobiographies] they
acknowledge the primacy of experience and developing perceptions and beliefs about
practice and conceptions about wMt it means to be a teacher” (Cole & Knowles, 1993, p.
466).

By sharing their autobiographies, the participants quickly came to know each
other, sharing individual strengths and weaknesses, obstacles and successes, and personal
goals. By sMring these autobiographies before the immersion experience, the participants
began to develop a sensitivity toward each other, which encouraged an emerging
sensitivity for those we encountered during the immersion portion of the experience.

Another activity begun during the orientation week and continued throughout the

immersion weeks was that of journaling. By spending regular time in reﬂection,

276

recording reactions to activities, videos, observations, and their own teaching, they were
able to work through personal and controversial issues. They were able to record their
reactions to the cultural experiences they encountered and were able to see changes in
their perceptions as these occurred over the three weeks.

Other researchers Mve also noted changes in beliefs and attitudes among the
participants due to some of the same factors listed above. Olrnedo (1997) attributed the
success of her intervention to the use of small group discussion, journaling and written
reﬂection, and interaction with students of color and diverse language backgrounds in the
classroom She also discussed the importance of an instructor who can guide the
reﬂective process. “The process of reﬂection and self-questioning will not ordinarily take
place unless students are guided to make connections between the readings, class
assignments, and the ﬁeld work experiences, and encouraged to react in personal ways to
those” (Olmedo, 1997, p. 256). Fry and Mckinney (1997) also noted the beneﬁt of
assisted, guided reﬂection in developing self-awareness of beliefs and attitudes.

17191928..

As was apparent in CMpter Five, videos shown during the orientation week Md a
tremendous impact on all the participants. This was demonstrated by the comments they
made during group discussion, during interviews, and their journal entries. The choice of
these particular videos, “The Color of Fear” and “The Blue-eyed Experiment,” was
important not only for the content presented, but also for the contexts in which it was
presented. The men's retreat depicted in “The Color of Fear” encouraged a
thinking-through process, one in which the participants Md to logically consider and

debate the issues that were brought up. However, "The Blue-eyed Experiment” was

277

approached from a more emotional perspective and presented the material in a way that
was much more Emiliar to teachers and students. I had not given thought as to which of
the ﬁlms should be viewed ﬁrst, but Mppened to show ”Ihe Color of Fear” ﬁrst. In
retrospect, this was the optimal sequence for this particular group of participants, and, in
the ﬁrture, I will again show these ﬁhns in this order.

mertunities for te__a_ghing.

All of the participants in this study Md taken some type of methods course but
Md not yet engaged in student teaching. Combining observation with opportunities for
teaching allowed for Mnds-on experience in which the participants were able to connect
what they Md seen and heard, wMt they had discussed, and wMt they Mve learned in
methods courses, to practical teaching experience.

It was important to give the participants the choice in selecting the grade level
with which they wished to work, if they wanted to team teach or solo teach, and how long
they wist their teaching segment to last. In this study, most of the participants chose to
begin working with primary grade levels and to team-teach at ﬁrst. As they became more
competent and comfortable in the setting, they explored working with upper grades, and
taught independently. Their teaching segments, which began for the most part lasting
approximately ten minutes, lengthened until they were responsible for entire class
sessions, some of them, several sessions back-to-back.

When asked as a group to identify the most valuable component of the
experience, the participants identiﬁed teaching experience as one of the most valuable,
but were unable to choose between teaching experience and observations as the most

valuable.

278

Observations in multiple settings_.

Our primary site for observation and teaching was a small elementary school with
a diverse student population. It was therefore important for the participants to be able to
observe teachers working with students of a variety of settings. One of the most valuable
components of this course, identiﬁed by the group, was the number of observations and
the variety of those settings. We were able to observe in high schools, middle schools,
and other elementary schools. We visited with choral directors, band directors, and
elementary general specialists, as well as with parents and classroom teachers who were
all of a variety of races and ethnic backgrounds. Student populations in these additional
schools were primarily Aﬁican American. We observed in traditional public elementary
schools as well as a magnet school.

By seeing how a variety of teachers interacted with their students in a variety of
settings, the participants did not develop one template for teacher and student beMvior.
These teachers Md differing methods of instruction, different styles of verbal and
nonverbal communication, a variety of levels of interpersonal skills, different techniques
for classroom management, and different perspectives on teaching and learning.

Setting up all these observations required working with district administrators,
and being ﬂexible in scheduling. This was another obstacle to overcome in implementing
this course. Because of the time of year in which the course Md to be conducted, some
music programs Md already presented end of the year concerts, so there were no
rehearsals to observe in those schools. Scheduling appropriate observations during which
the participants could actually see instructors working with students was a time-

Consuming and ﬁustrating task.

279

Improving the Course

Overall, I was pleased with the format of the course, the activities that I chose,
and the results that occurred. However, in teaching this course in the future, there are
two components that I would cMnge.

Journal writing was very important and provided rich data that supplemented the
group discussions and interviews. This was particularly signiﬁcant for one of the
participants, who needed to process information before she could discuss it. Therefore,
her talk appeared inﬁequently on the audiotapes of group discussions, but her jornnaling
revealed that she Md important contributions to make on the issues that emerged, and her
entries were detailed and descriptive.

However, I did not provide what I felt was sufﬁcient structure for the journaling
activity. I assumed that the participants would ﬁnd time daily for their written reﬂections,
either before bed, in the afternoons when we returned to the apartment, or in the morning
before going to the school site. In actuality, this experience was so exhausting and
intense, more so tMn I had anticipated, that any ﬁee time available was spent relaxing or
napping.

In future courses, I would not only provide a speciﬁc time set aside each day for
journaling, but I would also guide the writing by supplying speciﬁc questions or
comments concerning what we Md seen and heard each day.

Although the readings I selected for this course were thought-provoking and
essential, the amount of reading was more than the participants could keep up with Each

of the three texts was relatively small, but when considered together and in combination

280

with the supplemental readings, the participants were overwhelmed. Most of them were
unable to complete all of the reading, and therefore we were unable to discuss all of them

Rather than requiring the students to read each of the texts in full, in the future I
would choose salient selections ﬁ'om each of them in order to lessen the amount of
required reading.

If time allowed, I would like to include more visits with members of the
community, including Emilies of students, community leaders, and merchants in the
area. This presents a logistical problem not only in prearranging these visits, but also in
ﬁnding the time to make them Regardless, becoming more Emiliar with people that live
and work in the community might give the students additional insights in what it means
to be a person from a different cultural background.

Implications
For My Own Resear__c_l_r

This study Ms been my ﬁrst foray into qualitative research and Ms encouraged
me to deepen my own understanding of qualitative inquiry. There is a well established
body of research in the ﬁeld of music education conducted through quantitative methods.
The use of qualitative methods would broaden this body of knowledge by allowing for
more naturalistic inquiry that focuses on in-depth exploration of a variety of phenomena.

This experience has also brought up issues of particular interest to me personally.
I'm especially intrigued with the Hispanic culture, what it means to be a person of
Hispanic origin living in this society, and wMt our typical music education programs
mean for Hispanic Americans. I Mve also become interested in the role that Eith plays in

the lives of pre-service teachers, how it inﬂuences the choices they make, how it

281

inﬂuences teaching and learning, and how it inﬂuences their perceptions of themselves as
teachers. These are both issues that I feel compelled to address in future research.
For Mus_ic Educa_t_iqn

Music classrooms in our public schools provide unique environments for
exploration of issues concerning cultural diversity through not only content but also
through the nature of the music learning process. Music classrooms are one of the most
appropriate and natural places to include diverse cultural content through the
incorporation of what is identiﬁed as ‘yvorld musics.” By choosing music related to the
cultural backgrounds of the students in our classroom, we would be able to make
connections that are often much more difficult in the academic classroom

Not only is the music room a place for diverse cultural content but it can also be a
place for acceptance of, tolerance, respect for, and honor for cultural diversity. By
sharing the music of their own cultural backgrounds, culture meaning much more than
race and ethnicity, students might begin to develop respect for one another and begin to
appreciate the richness that cultural diversity brings.

It may be that music teachers are more able to effectively teach for acceptance of
cultural diversity than classroom teachers. Not only is the environment more conducive
for the inclusion of cultural content but students who are typically considered “other”
may Mve opportunities for success through music where they encormter obstacles in the
academic classrooms.

Regardless of these issues that are unique to music education, it is a given that all
teachers will encounter more and more students from diverse cultural backgrounds in our

classrooms. Where the ﬁeld of teacher education Ms given attention to teaching students

282

 

of diverse cultural backgrounds, the ﬁeld of music education Ms been more concerned
with multicultural content than with the teaching process itself. There is evidence to
support the necessity for much more work that focuses not on content, but on how to
teach in the ﬁeld of music education. That focus should begin with our music teacher
preparation programs and the instructors in those programs.

There is a need for music educators in college and university teacher preparation
programs who Mve background and eXperience teaching and working in culturally
diverse settings. As new instructors and professors are hired at the higher education level,
priority should be given to those individuals who not only have the experience, but also
the desire to help better prepare our future music educators for om‘ changing society.

Because of the unique nature of the music classroom and because of the
inevitability of the increasing number of culturally diverse students, it is imperative that
immersion ﬁeld experiences such as this be offered in music education programs. The
results of this study Mve shown that immersion experiences combined with coursework
with opportunities for guided reﬂection under the supervision of an informed instructor
would likely Mve dramatic effects on the attitudes and beliefs of preservice music
teachers. I believe this preliminary study might be an initial impetus for encouraging
change in our music education preparation programs. Intercultural competence requires
that cultural knowledge he more than historical. Unless our music education pre-service
teachers come to an understanding of their place within their own culture, their beliefs
and attitudes, and the origin of those attitudes, they will be unable to come to an
understanding of the cultures of their diverse students. This understanding must include

the recognition of White privilege and how it sanctions certain groups and represses

283

others. If we do not reach beyond content alone and consider the process of how to teach
and who we are teaching, our future music educators will be unable to reach
understandings that will enable them to work effectively and equitably with all students
including those of diverse cultural backgrounds.

Practically speaking, design, development, and implementation of immersion
experiences such as this are chlenging. Music education courses could include elements
of this experience, such as autobiography and journaling. These exercises might be
revealing to both instructors and students and might bring about awarenesses of the
cultural similarities and differences among these groups. This could lead to reﬂection on
beliefs and attitudes as they Mve been formed from our personal histories and
experiences.

The more that music education instructors become aware of their own cultural
beliefs and attitudes, and the more aware they are of their students’ cultural backgrounds,
the closer they can move to the development of intercultural competence among our
future music educators.

For Future Resear_pl_r

This study corroborates the ﬁndings of previous research that the most effective
way to Ecilitate a change in pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs appears to be
through experiences that combine academic coursework with immersion ﬁeld
experiences under the direction of an informed and experienced instructor who can guide
discussion and reﬂections.

Because there Mve apparently been no studies prior to this that address these

issues in the ﬁeld of music education and because of the obvious need for preservice

284

music teachers to receive more effective training concerning working with students of
diverse cultural backgrounds, music education researchers should conduct further studies
that explore how to best prepare our teachers.

Future longitudinal studies should be conducted that follow pre-service music
teachers through immersion experiences such as this one, into the student teaching
experience, and ideally, into their professional placements. The change in beliefs and
attitudes that were expressed by the participants in this study several months after the
initial experience may not necessarily indicate permanent attitude change. It is only by
observing teachers in actual practice that attitude and belief changes can be conﬁrmed.

Other studies have reported contradictory ﬁndings, noting that even while
participants may become more aware of their own perceptions of diversity, that often
they are not able to understand cultural diversity within the broader social context (Xu,
2000). Others reported that few pre-service teachers are able to recognize and challenge
their privileges as members of the White dominant culture (McIntosh, 1988). Because the
ﬁndings of this study seemed to contradict these and others that focused on ﬁeld
experiences in culturally diverse settings, this type of study should be replicated in order
to determine to what extent pre-service teachers might become more socially aware. It is
possible, because of the small number of participants in this study, that the ones who
progressed to a recognition and acceptance of White privilege and who felt called to
social action were actually anomalies. Three of the ﬁve participants entered this
experience with an expressed desire to explore their own biases and stereotypes. It might

be that they were predisposed to making the cultural breakthroughs that they did.

285

Research is also needed that focuses on the career choices that pre-service music
teachers make. A follow-up study to this one might examine the settings in which these
participants choose as professional placements. By being in this experience, would they
make conscious decisions to be in settings that have cultural diversity, or would they
choose to be in settings more like the ones they were in as students?

This emphasis on developing intercultural competence in music education has
understandably been overlooked. However, as the results of this study indicate, an
authentic, well-structured immersion ﬁeld experience under the supervision of an
experienced instructor in conjunction with academic coursework may result in profound
changes in beliefs and attitudes, changes that are requisite for effectively working with
students from culturally diverse backgrounds.

.ELilggys

The results of this study have been presented in the context of the ﬁve participants
and the impact the immersion ﬁeld experience had on their views of teaching in a
culturally diverse setting. This experience also had a profound impact on me as a
participant/observer and as the researcher.

Two incidents were particularly critical from my own perspective. The ﬁrst has
been previously described in detail as the critical incident in which we were able to
observe in an Aﬁican American high school social studies class. This observation was
completely unplanned, and I had no idea that the topic of discussion would be the Civil
Rights Movement. I experienced a series of reactions to this incident. First was the sense
of personal discomfort when I initially walked into the room and realized all the

occupants were Aﬁican American and were engaged in a discussion focusing on White

286

oppression of the African American population. When the instructor, in trying to lighten
the mood, made a comment about lynching, I was absolutely shocked that he choose that
word. I was unsure whether he was actually trying to make us comfortable or
uncomfortable. As the incident progressed, I realized that this was an ideal opportunity
for all of the participants, including myself, to experience what it is like to be the “other.”
I could not have planned a more perfect moment. As this was one of my primary goals, I
was gratiﬁed that the opportunity had unexpectedly transpired. It was a pivotal moment
for each of the participants, myself included.

The second incident that was transformational for me occurred during one of the
participant’s exit interview. I asked the participant if she looked at herself any differently
as a result ofthis course. She turned her arm over in front ofher to look at its underside,
touchedherskinwithherotherhand,and saidthatshehadneverrealizedthatshewasa
color. She spoke of her new awareness of being White, and looking at herselfthe way she
had looked at people of other races, becoming aware of “unspoken privileges” and how
strange itwastolookatherskinandseeherselfasaWhiteperson. Thiswasan
incredibly emotional experience for me, to realize that this young woman now viewed
herself differently as a result of this experience and was able to eloquently discuss her
new perceptions. This incident served as a catalyst for my own self-examination, what
my role will be as a teacher, a facilitator, a cultural being, a White female, and how I
continue to change my own world view.

I do not consider this particular participant to be a typical university student. The
majority of the participants were not typical. Most of them, for a variety of reasons, were

poised to explore themselves and their cultural worlds. Most of them were eager for self-

287

examination and reﬂection. This raises concerns for me when I consider the possibility of
replicating this course. How will I react if most of the students are more typical and do
not progress as far as these participants have concerning cultural awareness? What should
my expectations be? How will I feel if there is not as close a bond among us as there was
among these participants? Will I be able to determine any degree of success in future
courses and how should that success be measured?

No matter how many times in the future I am involved in an immersion
experience such as this, this one will always remain exceptional, particularly because of
the relationship I developed with each of the participants. Through their openness,
honesty, discovery, and reﬂection, they encouraged and inspired me to continue to
examine myself; my own attitudes and beliefs, and the way I look at the world around

me.

288

APPENDIX A
Course Syllabus
An Immersion Field Experience in a Culturally Diverse Setting

Michigan State University

289

MUS 491 Section 701
An Immersion Field Experience in a Culturally Diverse Setting
Summer 2001
Donna Emmanuel

E-mail: emmanue2@msu.edu
Phone: 810-220-9933

Required Texts

Kozol, Jonathan. Savage Inequalities. New York: Crown Publishers, 1991.
Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Penguin Books, 1970.

Stortie, Craig. The Art of Crossing Cultures. Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural Press, 1990.
Additional Readings

Jordan, June. Report from the Bahamas. In Anderson, M.L. and Collins, RH. (Eds)
Race, Class, and Gender. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing, 1995.

Anyon, Jean. Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work Journal of Edugtign,
1§_2_(1), 67-92, 1980.

Course Description

This course combines class-work with an immersion ﬁeld experience as an introduction
to developing intercultural competence in music education. The emphasis is on the need
to develop self-understanding of one’s own culture as a ﬁrst step to intercultural
understanding. It also begins the process of building competencies that may facilitate
effective teaching in cross-cultural settings.

 

 

Course Objectives Course Activities Type of Assessment
1. Understand the concepts 1. Depth and Breadth of Class participation
of culture, multiculturalism, “Multicultural” Portfolio

intercultural competence 2. Free-write
3. Field activity
4. Journal entries

 

 

 

 

 

290

 

2. Develop awareness of
one’s own cultural
assumptions and how they
relate to teaching music.

P‘P!‘

MAKSS survey

Social Response Inventory
Multicultural Knowledge
Test

Teacher’s Inventory on
Educating Diverse
Students

Cross-Cultural Life
Experience Checklist
Beliefs about Diversity
Scale

Journal entries

Not assessed for

 

3. Develop an awareness of
the origins of beliefs and
attitudes

PPT‘H

:5

Autobiography
Interview a parent
Determine your own
ethnicity

Journal entries

Class participation
Portfolio

 

4. Experience what it is like
to be an “other”

9'?

. Circles of my

multicultural self
Classroom inclusion and
learning needs
Connecting with School
Prejudice

Field activity

Journal entries

Class Participation
Portfolio

 

 

5. Apply creative and critical
thinking and problem
solving skills to reduce
interpersonal, intergmup
problems

 

9’!"

9‘?"

. Write biography of

someone different ﬁom
you

Cross cultural analysis
Share rmgazine,
newspaper or journal
article

Write appropriate lesson
plans

Journal entries

Teach segments of a
lesson

Re-think ﬁee write

 

Chss participation
Portfolio

 

291

 

 

 

6. Develop understanding of 1. View “The Color of Fear” Class participation
interconnectedness and 2. View “Blue-eyed” Portfolio
interdependence of 3. Write reﬂections
individuals and cultures 4. Discuss readings

5. Observation in the setting

6. Focus group discussions

7. Journal entries

 

 

 

 

 

 

Course Overview

May7

May 8

May 9

May 10

Mayll

May 13

Course overview; complete surveys; establish ground rules; free write;
autobiography; Depth and breadth of “multicultural”

Assignment: interview a parent and write a short narrative; Storti —
Chapters One through Four; Begin looking for an event to attend

Figure out your ethnicity; Circles of my multicultural self; discuss reading;
observe in ﬁeld

Assignment: interview someone diﬂerent than yourself; Storti - Chapters
Five and Six; Morrison — through page 93; write a short narrative about
your grandparents

Cross cultural analysis of autobiography and interview; Diversity
scavenger hunt; discuss readings; guest speaker; video — “The Color of

F ear?’

Assignment: ﬁnd an article that deals with a cross cultural issue to share;
Morrison - pages 97-163; [(0201 — “to the reader, ” and Chapters One and
Two; attend an event and write a reﬂection

Finish discussion of video; “connecting with school prejudice;” discuss
readings; share reﬂection of event attended; share article

Assignment: ﬁnish Morrison; Kozol — Chapters Three and Four

Discuss readings; video — “Blue-eyed;” ﬁeld trip to Detroit to meet music
instructor on site.

Assignment: ﬁnish Kozol

Move into Center for Creative Studies

292

May 14-18 Observations at Beard and at other sites
Weekend ﬁee
May 21-24 Observations, teaching at Beard. Observations at other sites

May 25 Wrap-up

Attendance: This is an interactive class in which all participants will contribute to the
learning/teaching process. Therefore, 100% attendance is expected. Please let me know in
advance if you must miss a class during orientation week, or must be absent at any time
during the two weeks of the immersion experience.

Evaluation: Grading policy:

The course is based on a total of 100 points. The point distribution is as
follows:

 

Attendance and participation 40 points
Written assignments 20 points
Journal entries 20 points

Portfolio 20 points

 

 

 

 

4.0 - 100 points
3.5 - 90 points
3.0 - 85 points
2.5 — 80 points
2.0 - 75 points

293

APPENDIX B

Cross-Cultural Life Experience Checklist

294

CROSS-CULTURAL LIFE EXPERIENCE CHECKLIST
Ward (1996)

The life experiences or personal background of an individual greatly inﬂuence
their views of themselves, others, and the world they live in. a person’s attitudes, beliefs,
and knowledge about people of different cultures and races is subject to their life
experiences.

Today’s teachers in our nation’s public schools are working with an increasingly
diverse student population. Their ability to develop a strong teaching relationship with
culturally and linguistically diverse students will be inﬂuenced by their life experiences
with person different from themselves.

The cross-cultural life experiences of preservice teachers will impact their teacher
education curricular experiences.

The Cross-Cultural Life Experiences Checklist provides a means of assessing the
preservice teacher education student’s previous experiences with diversity.

Mark each of the cross-cultural ltfe experiences below that apply to you.
A. FAMILY

1. Have been a member of a family which included persons of different races.

2. Have been a member of a family which included persons of different cultures.

3. Members of your extended family, such as aunts/uncles or cousins, are of a
different race.

4. You have been a live-in guest with a family of a different race or culture for six
months or longer.

5. Your family has hosted (in your home) a person of a diﬂ‘erent race or culture
for six months or longer.

6. You were raised in a home in which your parents valued diversity and modeled
equitable treatment for all persons, regardless of their race or culture.

B. FRIENDS

7. Have not had a close friendship lasting ﬁve years or longer with a person ﬂour
a different race or culture.

8. Have had at least one, but not more than two, close ﬁiendships lasting ﬁve
years or longer with a person(s) ﬁ'om a different race.

9. Have had at least one, but not more than two, close friendships lasting ﬁve
years or longer with a person(s) from a different culture.

10. Have had three or more close ﬁ'iendships lasting ﬁve years or longer with
persons from a different race.

1 1. Have had three or more close friendships lasting ﬁve years or longer with
persons from a different culture.

12. Have not had a casual friendship with a person from a different race or
culture.

13. Have had only at least one, but not more than four, casual ﬁiendships with

295

Illl ‘ml Illl F’l III I ”II llllll

Illl

persons from a different race or culture.
14. Have had ﬁve or more casual friendships with persons ﬁ'om a different race or
culture.
15. Have been a guest for a meal in the home of persons of a different race.
16. Have been a guest for a meal in the home of persons of a different culture.
17. Have been an over-night guest in the home of persons of a different race.
18. Have been an over-night guest in the home of person of a different culture.
19. Have been romantically involved for a three month or longer period of time
with a person of a different race or culture.
20. Your regular circle of close ﬁiends includes persons of different races.
21. Your regular circle of close friends includes persons of different cultures.

COMMUNITY

22. Have lived in a racially or culturally mixed neighborhood for six months or
longer.

23. Have been in the racial minority in your town or city of residence.

24. Have been in the racial minority in any setting for two or more weeks.

25. Have voted in a local, state, or national election for a person of a different
race.

26. Have lived in a foreign cormtry for six months or longer.

WORKPLACE

27. Have been employed or been supervised by a person from a different race.

28. Fellow employees have been persons of different races.

29. Have worked closely with fellow employees of different races.

30. Have commuted to work (carpool, subway, bus, etc.) with persons of different
races or cultures.

31. Have taken “break time” with persons of different races or cultures.

SCHOOL

32. Attended racially mixed (minority population of 25% or more) schools.

33. Have been in the racial minority in a school.

34. Have been a member of cooperative, team-efforts, such as athletic teams,
musical groups, theater productions, etc. with persons ﬁ'om diﬂ‘erent races
or cultures.

35. Have been a part of an imposed school desegregation plan, such as being
bussed to a school in another part of town.

36. Have not had an instructor of a different race or culture.

37. Have had only one or two instructors of a different race or culture.

38. Have had three or more instructors of a different race or culture.

39. Have taken a high school or college course taught ﬁom the perspective of a
person(s) ﬁ'om a different culture, race, or nationality.

296

llllll '0

.33

H

llll

CHURCH

40. Have attended religious worship services of distinctly different religions than
your own.

41. Have observed or celebrated a religious holiday that is not a part of your own
religion with persons for which that holiday is a part of their religious
tradition.

42. Have been a member of a church congregation in which racial minorities
comprised 25% or more of the membership.

43. Have been a member of a church in which an ordained religious leader was a
member of a different race.

44. Have attended a church worship service in which your race comprised
approximately 25% or less of the congregation.

MEDIA

45. Have a “favorite actor or actress ﬁ'om a different race.

46. Have a “favOrite” author of a diﬁ'erent race or culture.

47. Enjoy music performed by persons of a different race or culture.

48. Have had heroes or role models ﬁom different races or cultures.

49. One of your favorite TV news commentators is of a different race.

50. Have attended a play or musical within the past two years where the main
characters were of a different race or culture and portrayed in a positive
way.

LANGUAGE

51. Have studied a foreign language for one or more years in high school or
college.

52. Can communicate effectively in more than one language.

53. Have relied on your “second” language as your primary means of
communication for two or more weeks.

54. Have relied on your “second” language as your primary means of
communication for six months or longer.

55. The ﬁrst language of either of your parents was not English.

56. English was not the main language spoken in your home, but has become your

primary language.
TRAVEL

57. Have spent two or more weeks in another country.

58. Have traveled in and stayed overnight in no more than four diﬁ'erent state.

59. Have traveled in and stayed overnight in ﬁve or more different states.

60. Have traveled extensively throughout the United States including states on the
Paciﬁc and Atlantic Coasts and in the Midwestern and Southern regions of
the US.

297

61. Have traveled in three or more countries of the world.
62. Have traveled in three or more continents of the world.

298

APPENDIX C

Multicultural Knowledge Test

299

MULTICULTURAL KNOWLEDGE TEST
(version B)
Aguilar, TE. (1992)

INSTRUCTIONS: Circle the number which best assesses the extent of your knowledge

for each topic.

None = complete unfamiliarity Minimal = some familiarity

Average = ability to discuss topic Extensive = ability to debate/explain/lead discussion
on topic

My knowledge about is none minimal average extensive

l. Multicultural teaching practices
2. History of Aﬁ'ican Americans

3. Special education services

4. Hispanic American groups

5. Civil Rights legislation

6. Standardized test bias

7. Systemic racism in public schools
8. Immigration laws

9. Asian American cultural groups
10. Native American tribes

11. Educational tracking

12. History of multicultural education
13. PL 94-142

14. ESL programs

15. Religions other than your own
16. Prominent people of color

17. Bilingual education

18. Lower income lifestyles

19. Social class educational barriers
20. Multicultural environments

21 . Cultural identity development
22. Multicultural education resources
23. Gay and lesbian lifestyles

24. Human relations

25. Cross-cultural communication
26. Oppression in education

27. School funding practices

28. Ethnic community resources

29. Multicultural curricula

30. Women in American history

31. American Disabilities Act

32. Multicultural education scholars
33. Ethnic groups in America

34. Title IX, Education Amendments
35. Second language acquisitions

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300

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