As the summer break comes to a close and teachers prepare their classrooms for the new school year, a focus on self-reflection could significantly enhance their ability to connect with students. New research from the University of Kansas indicates that student teachers who explore their own identities—such as race, ethnicity, gender, and social class—while studying abroad develop a deeper empathy for their students.
For nearly ten years, Hyesun Cho, a professor of curriculum and teaching, has led a summer study abroad program in which student teachers teach English as a foreign language in South Korean high schools. Together with Josh Hayes, a doctoral candidate and graduate research assistant, Cho conducted research involving student teachers participating in “identity journey mapping” during their internships in Korea. This process, which includes creating visual maps and writing personal narratives, helped the student teachers gain insight into their identities and forge stronger connections with their Korean students, leading to more enriching educational experiences for everyone involved.
The research, detailed in two studies published in The Educational Forum and the International Journal of Multicultural Education, involved KU students exploring various aspects of their identities, including Korean-American and gender identities. As part of the study, the student teachers created visual identity maps and wrote reflective narratives about their experiences with racism, sexism, and other social issues throughout their lives. These reflections were particularly poignant as the student teachers taught English in all-girls high schools near Seoul, allowing them to draw parallels between their own experiences and those of their students.
“Study abroad is often an eye-opening and potentially life-changing experience for college students, but it can also be challenging due to culture shock and adjusting to a new environment,” Cho explained. “We aimed to create a supportive space for students to explore their multifaceted identities, ensuring their voices were heard and their experiences validated during the study abroad process.”
Through the identity journey maps, student teachers shared the challenges they faced in their upbringing and educational backgrounds, creating a sense of camaraderie with the Korean high school students they were teaching.
“Many students reported that they seldom had opportunities for self-reflection in educational settings,” Hayes noted. “We observed differences between how participants depicted their identities to their classmates through their maps and how they described them in their narratives to us. This exercise gave them the agency to present themselves uniquely to peers and instructors, with the narratives providing a more intimate glimpse into their personal challenges and how they could be supported in navigating culture shock.”
As participants delved into their own identities, many reported that this introspection helped them forge closer connections with their students. They often discovered common ground, such as similar ages or shared family expectations, which fostered empathy and a desire to build deeper relationships and effectively convey the curriculum.
The studies also highlighted that by better understanding themselves, participants felt inspired to engage with students beyond the classroom, showing a genuine interest in their students’ lives and success.
“They were able to share their experiences and connect with the Korean students on a personal level,” Hayes said. “This allowed them to build stronger, more meaningful relationships, enriching their teaching experience and heightening their awareness of navigating diverse spaces, both in language acquisition and life from various perspectives. It fostered a critical cultural awareness.”
Cho and Hayes, both of whom have taught English in Korean schools, emphasized that study abroad experiences can cultivate self-awareness and intercultural competence across various fields. The Teaching English in Korea (TEIK) program, which includes students from disciplines such as psychology, business, social work, and biology, has seen alumni apply their experiences in diverse global contexts or pursue advanced degrees. The program is currently recruiting participants for next summer, offering accepted students a Freeman Foundation Scholarship for their internships in Korea.
The researchers also suggest that exercises like identity journey mapping can be valuable beyond the study abroad context. As nearly all educators will encounter students from diverse backgrounds and experiences, self-reflection on personal identity can help create inclusive learning environments in K-12 education, higher education, and beyond.
“I believe identity journey mapping is a meaningful and important practice because it encourages educators to think about how they navigate educational spaces with agency and creativity,” Cho said. “This activity can help teachers better understand their students and support them in any educational setting.”
This research underscores the importance of self-reflection in education, advocating for a more empathetic and inclusive approach to teaching, both domestically and abroad.
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