Preservice teachers confrontation with difference and self-identity during the professional development process can be a very frustrating and painful experience, especially if they have never questioned their social position from the perspective of a belief system that values ethnic and linguistic diversity. The premise that preservice teachers need comprehensive professional preparation that requires transformation in their own thinking and in their lives is central in this study. The method in a holistic process of reflection is what is called self-narrative inquiry which enables teacher education students to explore issues of identity and cultural knowledge through the study of community cultural agency. This is a notion that is integrated in several of the foundations courses in the Santa Clara University program. The intent in using this focus is to better inform teacher education practice from an interdisciplinary approach.
Cognitive reflection includes schemata which constitute the individual s comprehension of the world.
Knowledge developed through critical reflection is seen as being socially and symbolically constructed by the mind through social interaction with others. Knowledge constructed through narrative reflection focuses on the personal circumstances under which people make decisions. The analysis of final narrative includes not only various reflective projects produced by students individually and in groups but also a taping of their reflections on those projects. The open-ended questions are not specific to cultural knowledge but deal with notions of social responsibility in teaching and the identification of areas for future growth. The questions also ask students to reflect on how they have changed their perceptions of themselves and to discuss their feelings about becoming teachers.