Chapter 2: Study Abroad and Coloniality: Postglobal Teacher Educator Reflections

The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to the process of internationalizing U.S. teacher education (O’Connor & Zeichner, 2011), with an emphasis on study abroad, through the authors’ reflections as U.S. teacher educators. Two of the authors, as educators within teacher education, have approached research on preservice teachers’ international intercultural experiences through a postcolonial lens. International intercultural experience in the context of this research is defined as an international cross-cultural experience in a study abroad program to Honduras. Preservice teachers’ international intercultural experiences during the Honduras study abroad program can be situated within the context of coloniality. This approach recognizes the colonial context of the contemporary world system in the design of study abroad programs that seek to cultivate international intercultural experiences (Martin & Griffiths, 2012; Ogden, 2007-2008; Zemach-Bersin, 2007).