Cultural Identity and Learning to Teach in a Diverse Community

Teacher educators face the challenge not only of recruiting candidates of diverse backgrounds but of preparing these candidates to be effective teachers. This study looks at the influence of cultural identity (ethnicity, social class, and community membership) on the learning of three preservice teachers. One of the preservice teachers was a Japanese American, an outsider to the low-income Hawaiian community served by the teacher education program. The other two were of Hawaiian ancestry and insiders to the community. The findings suggest that preservice teachers who differ in terms of cultural identity may gain different benefits from participation in a program designed to prepare them to teach in a diverse community. For outsiders, critical understandings may develop as a result of field experiences. For insiders, critical understandings may evolve as a result of course readings, class discussions, and written reflections.