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Enhancing Orientation to Cultural Difference: The Role of Reentry Work for Teacher Candidates Studying Abroad

ABSTRACT In an era when education researchers and policymakers alike are paying increasing attention to the cultivation of global mindedness among teacher candidates, the current push for accelerated teacher preparation programs, combined with increasingly stringent state assessment requirements, has had the unfortunate effect of steering the focus away from purposeful attention to cultural differences and global issues. In this article, the authors discuss the value of reentry experiences following international teaching internship programs for cultivating orientation to cultural difference. Within the overall structure of a Master’s year that incorporates a semester of study abroad as well as pre-departure and reentry components, the reentry work at the university under study allows for deep reflection on the study abroad experience, increasing its impact among candidates. Using a mixed-methods design, the authors first demonstrate participants’ increased orientation to cultural difference before reentry work, as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). They then present an analysis of student reflections immediately after returning from abroad and discuss elements of the reentry curriculum and an analysis of student reflections from late in the post-return semester. Findings suggest a crucial role of extended reentry work in enhancing orientation to cultural difference among teacher candidates who study abroad.