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ARTICLE CRITIQUE #1

Article Critique #1: “Preparing Preservice Teachers in a Diverse World”

Alexandra Iggulden

87536141

ETEC 500 Section 65C

University of British Columbia

Dr. Janet McCracken

February 1, 2015
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Lenski, Crawford, Crumpler, & Stallworth’s article “Preparing Preservice Teachers for a

Diverse World” (2005) emphasizes a need to better prepare preservice teachers on how to

effectively address cultural differences in their students. The authors preface the study by

describing an increasingly White teaching population with a subsequent lack of multicultural

representation in North America, causing disparities between the backgrounds of both teachers

and students in many of today’s classrooms. The five year action research study uses

ethnographic observations to assist educators “in the development of ‘habits of mind’ that

incorporate an understanding and valuing of students’ cultures and a recognition of the need to

consider those cultures in teaching practices” (Lenski et al., 2005, p 436). The overall goal was

to “promote the constructivist dispositions necessary to work with diverse populations...to move

towards a real sensitivity toward differences” (Lenski et al., 2005, p 437).

The study included 28 preservice teachers, 26 females and 2 males, with predominantly

European American backgrounds. Each participant was shown how to effectively conduct

ethnographic research including proper observation strategies, field notes, data analysis and

report writing. They were encouraged to use their ethnographic skills in their research sites ten

times during the first year. The participants also attended weekly meetings to discuss their

findings after which they wrote a final paper and presented their observations to their classmates.

After the first year of the study, six preservice teachers were chosen to represent the

larger participant group in additional interviews. The data from these additional interviews were

used to formulate four main response patterns. Data indicated that participants made unwarranted

cultural assumptions during their observations. Participant reflections also showed a shift in

thinking where culture was equivalent solely to ethnicity to including gender, socio-economic

status, religion, and “all the things that make people unique” in cultural understandings (Lenski
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et al., 2005, p 439). Although participants were initially uncomfortable with taking an

ethnographic observation approach, preservice teachers became “enthusiastic champions of the

people at their site” (Lenski et al., 2005, p 439). Reflections showed that participants were able

to use differentiated instruction, becoming fluent in connecting what they had observed of their

students to school curricula. Overall, the study showed that an ethnographic research strategy

used by preservice teachers “could be key elements to developing more effective ways to address

culture and cultural diversity in teacher education” (Lenski et al., 2005, p 440).

I believe there is a need for preservice teachers to become familiar with cultural

differences especially in relation to their own culture. However, this study leaves out a variety of

necessary information that must be discussed prior to confirming an opinion on the findings.

There was a large gender and cultural imbalance within the original participant group.

Researchers also selectively chose six participants from the original group without providing any

adequate explanation about the criteria used to justify their selections. Did the six participants

chosen include an even number of males to females? Was the one Hispanic participant chosen

for this stage of the study? How can the researchers be sure that these six participants are truly

representative of the greater population? Why did researchers limit their study to only six

people? Researchers also collected sample comments without providing criteria for these

selections as well. In addition to the various selection issues, the article itself only provides

details for the first two years of the study leaving me to question whether there were any relevant

findings within the remaining three years. I strongly believe that a larger and more culturally

diverse participant group, along with clear indication of selection criteria, would have greatly

increased the reliability of the researchers’ results.

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References

Lenski, S.D., Crawford, K., Crumpler, T. & Stallworth, C. (2005). Preparing preservice teachers

in a diverse world, ​Action in Teacher Education​, ​27​(3), pp. 3-12 Manassas, VA.