Abstract:

This study aims to analyze pre-service teachers’ opinions about children books through a literature circle (LC) approach in multicultural learning environments. The data of the present study were collected from the children literature course offered for preservice classroom teachers during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 spring semesters at Hacettepe University. The preservice teachers (PSTs) in children iterature course read and responded to Newbery Award winning books both individually and in literature circle groups within a framework of critical literacy and reader response theories. The results of the current study revealed the deficiencies of the pre-service teachers in the process of critical reading and actualization in spite of their satisfactory interpretations of the events. In this study, the PSTs expressed their opinions for the “gaining an understanding of different perspectives on life in the world” and “the cultures of specific groups, developing the skills needed to take social action to eliminate social injustice” categories in all four children books. However, they did not share their opinons related to gain an awareness of own cultures and cultural backgrounds and obtain a recognition an understanding of global issues, learning how to reduce stereotyping, prejudice and racism within ourselves and within society” categories. This study may contribute to a variety of research fields including pre-service teacher education, multicultural education and literary studies.

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