Abstract
College of Education (COE) teacher candidates’ study abroad experiences and how they influenced their thinking and plans to implement culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy in their instruction and interaction with diverse student populations and families was explored. The data for this study included reflections and one-on-one semi-structured interviews pre-departure and post-arrival. The data gathered from the study were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed for themes. The findings showed that the study abroad experiences caused the participants to learn more about other cultures which made them more open and knowledgeable about working with children and families from backgrounds different from their own.