Using multimedia cases to explore pre-service teachers' understanding of community building and teaching for equity and inclusion

The field of teacher education has long sought to examine the impact of coursework on teacher practice and student learning. Despite the promise of many forms of educational pedagogy and curricula utilized in teacher education programs, many novice teachers continue to feel unprepared and insecure about their teaching. Pre-service teacher educators face numerous challenges addressing the complexities of teaching, promoting adaptable practice, and demonstrating teaching in diverse urban settings (Darling- Hammond, 2006; Cochran-Smith, 1995; Lampert, 2001).;To explore how teacher education programs might address these challenges, this study explored the experiences of three participants in a pre-service teacher education program located in New York City during the fall 2005 and spring 2006 semesters. This study investigated teachers' evolving understandings of key concepts of classroom community building and teaching for equity and inclusion, as well as the role multimedia cases played in the development of this understanding. A number of research methods were used in this study, including multimedia focus group discussions, individual interviews, and analysis of student teaching autobiographies, journals and lesson plans.;The participants had different understandings of aspects of community and equity, and their understandings of these concepts evolved to various degrees during this study. One of the key findings was that the multimedia materials and related focus group discussions were a catalyst for questioning pre-service teachers' ideas, beliefs, and values, which influenced each participant's growing understandings of particular instructional and classroom management strategies that can be used to promote equity in the classroom. In addition to extending initial understandings and practices, the findings show that the multimedia focus group discussions either confirmed existing practices or provoked new ideas and conversations. Anne's initial views and understandings of community and equity changed significantly as she was exposed to the multimedia cases; Greg and Jane shifted more subtly toward a spring focus on larger issues of equity and social justice awareness for their students. This dissertation concludes with general recommendations and implications for the use of multimedia resources in teacher education programs.