International or Cross-Cultural Placement Experience: A Cross-Case Study of Canadian Initial Teacher Education Programs.

The world is becoming culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse. Teaching an increasingly diverse population requires teachers to have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to facilitate understanding differences in culture and how to go beyond their communities literally and figuratively (Grossman & McDonald, 2008). A key ingredient to prepare culturally and globally literate teachers is to provide international or cross-cultural student teaching experiences (Quezada, 2014). This presentation is drawn from a multi-phase research project funded by SSHRC and designed to study how teacher education programs across Canada are preparing prospective teachers for international and intercultural contexts. This presentation is focused on three primary areas: First, the reasons teacher education programs offer international or cross-cultural practicum placements; second, the knowledge, skills, and dispositions intentionally cultivated in international practica; and, third, the career development preservice students develop when exposed to experiences different from their local context. Data are obtained from the interviews conducted with administrators, faculty members, alumni and students from education programs in each of the 10 Canadian provinces visited. The presentation will conclude with recommendations to Canadian education programs aiming at preparing teachers to work in diverse cultural and linguistic classroom locally, nationally, or internationally.