Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Immigrants and Possibilities of Transformative Pedagogy: Recommendations for a Praxis of "Critical Aesthetics"

Authors

  • Morna McDermott Towson University
  • Nancy Rankie Shelton University of Maryland Baltimore County
  • Stephen G. Mogge Towson University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v14i2.494

Keywords:

immigration, drama, preservice teachers, children's literature

Abstract

To address anti-immigration sentiments revealed by preservice educators, the authors conducted a workshop using a “critical-aesthetic praxis.” The purpose of the workshop was to create a praxis (Freire, 1970;1998) of critical aesthetics (Carey, 1998) in which preservice teachers engaged in a series of aesthetically grounded experiences aimed at revealing and disorienting their previously conceived notions about immigration.  The workshop lay the groundwork for a re-orientation of understanding based on perspectives of the “the Other” and builds a transformative curriculum in teacher education programs.  Such practices must become more integral facets of teacher preparation programs to promote an anti-racist pedagogy. 

Author Biography

Morna McDermott, Towson University

Morna McDermott is an Associate Professor at Towson University, where she teaches  theory and methods courses in the College of Education. Her scholarship and research interests focus on democracy, social justice, and arts-informed inquiry in K-post secondary educational settings.

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Published

2012-05-14

How to Cite

McDermott, M., Shelton, N. R., & Mogge, S. G. (2012). Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Immigrants and Possibilities of Transformative Pedagogy: Recommendations for a Praxis of "Critical Aesthetics". International Journal of Multicultural Education, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v14i2.494