Spaces for Difference: An Interdisciplinary Journal

This project explores pre-service teacher attitudes while participating in literacy and humanities upper division education coursework within an outreach program in central Wyoming. A yearlong qualitative study was conducted to develop pre-professional experiences that may influence the preparation of teachers from rural settings for culturally diverse classrooms. Through collaborative planning across disciplines, the researchers provided parallel opportunities for pre-service teachers to acquire practices that are culturally responsive. Qualitative data was analyzed for themes that indicate the nature of their understanding. Results showed that 33% are novice, 41% are developing, and 26% are proficient on a rubric for culturally responsive awareness developed by the researchers, noting implications for collaborative, interdisciplinary learning at the pre-service level.