Transnational Teacher Education: Towards Theory and Practice

Transnational students experience living and schooling in two countries that are closely tied economically and politically. As the number of U.S.-Mexico transnational students increase, so does the need for teachers who can respond to their academic needs. This study explicates a theoretical stance towards teacher education called Transnational Teacher Education, and examines how a Transnational Teacher Education program (TTE) contributed to the development of bilingual teacher candidates. Using data from two cohorts of teacher candidates who studied in Mexico and Guatemala for part of their bilingual teacher preparation program, the authors analyzed the responses to a questionnaire regarding the candidates' personal and professional growth as bilingual teachers. Results showed that the most prevalent growth areas were Critical Global Interconnectedness and Cultural Proficiency. Though none of the protocol prompts directly addressed these areas, teacher candidates independently generated them as important understandings stemming from their TTE program.