This project aims to explore the beliefs of international teachers regarding the students with whom they work, and the change in those beliefs over time. Participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires were used as tools of collection to address the following research questions: How did teachers' beliefs about students change over time? What variables were significantly associated with the rate of change in teacher beliefs about students? What types of challenges did teaches face while living and working in Thailand? Over the course of four months, I shadowed twenty-two U.S. teachers in thirteen different locations throughout Thailand. Participants were enrolled in an international teaching program in Thailand that provided a cultural orientation and teacher training. Participants were then assigned to teaching jobs throughout the country. Qualitative and quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS and NVivo software. This project contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning, and anthropological and education research dedicated to exploring teachers' beliefs about students. Results of the study provide vital information about what variables or experiences may influence a critical analysis of beliefs among teachers working with students who they perceive as different from themselves. Due to some of the parallels between this study population and that of teachers in public schools within the United States, findings may also be applicable to preservice teacher training contexts that consider ways to help teachers critically reflect on their beliefs and worldviews in preparation for working with students whom they may perceive as different from themselves.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc984215 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Barnes, Valerie Rose |
| Contributors | Nuñez-Janes, Mariela, Squires, Susan E. (Susan Elaine), Middlemiss, Wendy |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | ix, 145 pages, Text |
| Coverage | United States, Thailand |
| Rights | Public, Barnes, Valerie Rose, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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