Abstract
Early childhood teachers and educational programs are expected to be the primary resources as children experience different and sometimes conflicting cultural contexts. Early educators can play a paramount role as young children move through fluid identities and start recognizing and navigating within and across spaces of cultural differences—e.g., between home cultures and the socially-dominant school culture. In this sense, we draw attention to a multi-year action research study, paying particular attention to the process whereby an early childhood teacher investigated, problematized, and challenged the nature of curriculum and practices in a diverse preschool classroom. We focus on the role of action research in fostering culturally-relevant teaching. As we do so, we analyze an early childhood teacher’s shifting perceptions of what it means to engage in culturally-relevant teaching, respecting and honoring cultural diversities.
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Notes
Because we co-wrote this article yet had distinct roles in this study, we chose to refer to each other in third person according to our respective roles—teacher and teacher educator. When we refer to our collective actions, we use the pronoun we. While this initially felt awkward, we believe that ultimately it has added to the clarity of the article.
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Souto-Manning, M., Mitchell, C.H. The Role of Action Research in Fostering Culturally-Responsive Practices in a Preschool Classroom. Early Childhood Educ J 37, 269–277 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0345-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-009-0345-9