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From chameleons to koalas: exploring Australian culture with pre-service teachers through children's literture and international experience

Stiles, James W.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1086105676

Abstract Details

2004, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Teaching and Learning.
Peoples and cultures have been interacting since the dawn of history, but global conflict, recent advances in technology, and the changing demographics of the United States make peaceful coexistence in a multicultural world a matter of urgency for this and future generations. Although education is often cited as the key to the global village of tomorrow, little research has been done to explore how the lifeblood of literacy—the books of childhood that teach and entertain—can bridge cultures to connect worlds. This study seeks to address that very question by comparing the literary and lived experience of Australian culture with five pre-service teachers from the Midwestern United States. Children’s literature was the foundation for the project, first as the focus of pre-departure readings in the home country, and then as the basis for a researcher-led three-week study tour where participants met with authors, illustrators, students, teachers, and others as they experienced Australian culture first-hand. Reflective journaling, class discussions, participant observation, and a post-program debriefing yielded data that were analyzed through grounded theory. The developmental model of intercultural sensitivity, and its associated inventory, was used to contextualize response to the phenomenological experience of culture in both literary and lived experience. Results of the study show that children’s literature can be an enjoyable and dynamic means to facilitate cross-cultural learning, serving as common ground and catalyst for intercultural exchange through each phase of the program. Theoretical benefits were argued then demonstrated for children’s literature as a tool in furthering global education with pre-service teachers. A five-stage model for cultural relativity is proposed that reflects the disparate ways in which culture is reflected in children’s literature, thus laying the groundwork for further study on national identity and cultural imperialism in global publishing for children.
Barbara Lehman (Advisor)
291 p.
International Education; Global Education; Children's Literature; International Literature; Pre-service Teacher Training; Cross-cultural Learning; Experiential Learning; Literary Theory; Cultural Studies

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Stiles, J. W. (2004). From chameleons to koalas: exploring Australian culture with pre-service teachers through children's literture and international experience [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1086105676

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Stiles, James. From chameleons to koalas: exploring Australian culture with pre-service teachers through children's literture and international experience. 2004. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1086105676.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Stiles, James. "From chameleons to koalas: exploring Australian culture with pre-service teachers through children's literture and international experience." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2004. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1086105676

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1086105676
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© 2004, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.