Using empathic identification as a literacy tool for building culturally responsive pedagogy with preservice teachers

This study explores how teaching cases that featured diversity and literacy issues and self-reflexive writing exercises called postcard narratives can be used as tools by teacher educators for developing a culturally responsive pedagogy with preservice teachers. This study used interviews with the professor, a journal kept by the professor, a researcher reflective journal, a pre- and post-teaching case, non-participant observation notes, preservice teachers' written narratives and the statistically significant results of the Cultural Diversity Awareness Inventory to understand the lived experiences of 20 preservice teachers and one professor during the course of one semester. The discourse drawn from the teaching cases and the written postcard narratives were shown to be effective tools to cultivate experiences that allow preservice teachers and teacher educators to learn about other cultures, embrace difference and develop a culturally responsive pedagogy.