Creating a Counter-Space through Listening to and Learning from a Korean Pre-service Teacher’s Experiences

Abstract

The author uses a life-historical counter-storytelling approach to examine a Korean female pre-service teacher’s experiences in a U.S. teacher preparation program. The participant encountered challenges due to her perceived language proficiency and communication and participation style in a U.S. higher educational context. Further, the author report how the participant responded to her challenges: (1) by feeling pressure to internalize deficit-oriented narratives and assimilate into dominant cultural norms, and (2) by resisting against the racial stereotype. This study shows that teacher educators need to create counter-spaces for linguistic and ethnic/racial minority pre-service teachers in teacher preparation.