Research has documented white teacher's inability to accommodate students of color resulting in a cultural divide between teacher and student (Burden, Hodge, O'Bryant, & Harrison, 2004). Therefore, it is imperative that teacher candidates embark on the journey towards cultural transformation in an attempt to meet the emotional and educational needs of a racially changing school population. The purpose of this study was to investigate if white teacher candidates' mere exposure to an all African American educational environment would heighten their cultural sensitivity. The questions driving the research were identified by Hastie, Martin, and Buchanan (2006), as necessary in eliciting a cultural transformation and were as follows: (a) were teacher candidates able to recognize their privileges? (b) did teacher candidates become uncomfortable in an environment culturally different from their own? (c) were teacher candidates compelled to seek culturally relevant pedagogy? The participants were 16 teacher candidates that mirrored that of current public school teachers who are typically female from middle class upbringings. The teacher candidates were lacking in familiarity with diversity education prior to the study and were submerged in teaching physical education to African American children at a local after school program for an entire semester. Due to the nature of the university course and the environment in which teacher candidates were placed, the scientific design was that of an ethnographic case study. Data were gathered through university course materials and assignments, critical incident slips, semi-structured interviews, class discussions, and teaching observations. Data were transcribed and thematic coding was used to analyze data and identify common themes (Spradley, 1979). Results showed that the teacher candidates took small steps on the long journey to cultural transformation. The following themes emerged: (1) Naiveté – e.g. did not recognize privileges, (2) Recognition – e.g. recognized cultural differences, (3) Attachment – e.g. sympathetic, and (4) Avoidance – e.g. did not seek culturally relevant pedagogy. Results showed teacher candidates were capable of experiencing a degree of cultural transformation from mere exposure to a culturally different environment. Sparks of cultural sensitivity, although recognized were usually fleeting and did not spearhead teacher candidates to delve deeper into the impact of the experience or to think critically about the situation. Future research needs to examine what triggers these moments of transition from naiveté to recognition and how avoidance can be passed by so teacher candidates are able to reach cultural awareness.
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