Dialogism in Preservice Teachers’ Rationale of Diverse Texts

Situated within the current sociopolitical landscape of increasing book bans and educational censorship, this study explores how preservice teachers select and advocate for culturally diverse texts within a multicultural children's literature course in Texas. Drawing on Bakhtin's theory of dialogism, the authors analyzed 81 caregiver letters wherein PSTs selected a culturally diverse text for instruction and invited imagined family audiences to engage with the text. Findings revealed that preservice teachers participated in complex discourse moves to navigate dialogic tensions within their letters. In addition, an overall “flattening effect” was identified in what preservice teachers said and did not say about their diverse text choices, seen as broadly discussing topics of inclusion and omitting more specific terms about race and social injustice. The authors assert that authoritative pressures likely caused preservice teachers to self-censor their discussions on diversity and suggest recommendations for practice and research.