Developing Effective International Education Experiences: Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for the Classroom

Sara Tours · Jeremy Lynch

abr 2023 · Vernon Press

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Globally, and within the United States, we continue to progress toward a more diverse and inclusive culture. This fact is perhaps reflected nowhere better than in the public school system in the United States, where, by 2029 (NCES, 2020), non-white students will outnumber white students in classrooms. The challenges that the current system of education confronts in ensuring equitable access and equal achievement are also well-documented (Darling-Hammond, 2015). A key component in the re-shaping and development of a more equitable and inclusive system are the pre-service teachers enrolled in our college and university teacher preparation programs across the country. As we prepare for the diverse classrooms of the future, we need to prepare the teachers of the future to not only be able to teach all students but to also have the cultural competencies to ensure the same access and opportunities are provided to all students. It has been well documented (Cunningham, 2015; Lupi & Turner, 2013) that international education experiences, or international field experiences, have a positive effect on both the professional development and cultural competencies of pre-service teachers. Across a wide range of performance outcomes, pre-service teachers with international field experiences are better equipped to enter the field (DeVillar & Jiang, 2012) and may even persist longer in the profession (Egeland, 2016). However, not all international experiences provide the same positive outcomes. In this book, we will explore the importance of developing culturally competent educators in the United States education system, the research that supports the benefits of international education experiences, and how to develop effective international education experiences that will prepare pre-service teachers for the classrooms of the next decade and beyond.

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Dr. Sara Tours received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Early Childhood Education from Florida State University. Through her education at FSU, Dr. Tours finished her master’s degree in Valencia, Spain and started her PhD in Paris, France. She is currently an Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, where she is the International Coordinator for the College of Education. In this role, she facilitates and leads international student teaching abroad. Her research interests include global education, student teachers, play, and forest schools.

Dr. Jeremy Lynch is a Professor of Special Education and the Faculty Development Fellow at Slippery Rock University. He earned his master’s and Doctoral degrees in Special Education and Educational Psychology from West Virginia University with a focus on neurodiverse students and instructional interventions. He has published several book chapters and articles and delivered papers at national and international conferences on mediated field experiences, including mediated international education experiences. Dr. Lynch is the co-coordinator of the International Education Concentration for pre-service teachers at SRU.