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culture and who live in isolated areas (Griffin et al., 2003; Mastropieri, 2001). The university in
which the study took place is situated in a large region where the majority of public schools are
rural and have low SES. Though this data was not collected, perhaps most participants were
from the region and took on teaching positions at low SES rural schools. This could mean that
as children themselves, they grew up in schools primarily rural and poor. This aspect of
familiarity, having similar backgrounds as their students, possibly impacted the career outcomes
of the respondents.
Another area of cultural familiarity regards the participants own K-12 schooling. The
majority were between the ages of 25 and 35 years. The graduates of this study, as children,
probably attended schools where children with disabilities were included in general education.
Over the years, the student population has changed in response to school and civil rights
litigation and legislation. It is likely the participants attended schools filled with students from
all types of backgrounds and that inclusive education was the norm rather than the unique (Smith
et al., 2008). For such participants, sitting in classrooms alongside peers with disabilities and
other types of differences was not atypical.
A closer look at the backgrounds of the university’s teacher educators might reveal a staff
with expertise and experience that encouraged more infusion of theory and methods for
effectively teaching students from diverse backgrounds throughout all or most of the education
courses taught (Guo et al., 2009). Teacher educators, who may have expertise of and
participation with a variety of CLD populations, appear more motivated to weave needed
diversity topics into the curriculum throughout the semester (Guo et al., 2009). Such curriculum
infusion or integration takes place when “content that is typically presented through a stand-
alone course is instead infused or integrated across multiple or all courses within a particular
program” (Sands, Duffield, & Parsons, 2006, p. 92). This concept leads to greater consistency
among different program areas, fades departmental divides, and demonstrates cross-curricular
collaboration useful to preservice majors. Assessing such practices is difficult, but emerging
literature indicates promise (Sands et al., 2006) and would perhaps shed light to the results of this
study.
Since nothing remarkable was noted among the different programs of study, similarities
among participant paths to degree completion were scrutinized revealing one element each
graduate had in common: completion of a particular field experience placing preservice teachers
directly working with one or more K-12 students coming from backgrounds considered diverse.
These opportunities occurred under the supervision of classroom teachers and required university
students to work with individual or small groups of students coming from backgrounds identified
as diverse. Different outcomes result when preservice teachers are assigned field experiences in
classrooms where diversity is prevalent. In such classrooms, preservice teachers proclaim “they
developed intercultural competence through their practical experiences” (Guo et al., 2009, p.
573). Working with students considered diverse can alleviate assumptions preservice teachers
hold and develop confidence in their skills in working with students who are unlike themselves
(Gomez et al., 2009). The results of this study should encourage a further look into the value
such field experience adds to the retention of early career teachers.
For this case, the participants—even those who left teaching and who never started—
perceived their education as adequately preparatory; most entering the profession plan to stay.
Teachers who feel good about their preparation tend to have positive feelings about their