The purpose of this research was to explore the ways in which immersion into an international student teaching experience through participation in an international student teaching program can enhance the cultural responsiveness of American pre-service teachers. The population included in this study was eight students, including alumni, who participated in the Cuernavaca student teaching program at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. The following research questions guided the study: (1) In what ways does participation in an international student teaching program enhance the cultural responsiveness of participants? and (2) What are the participants' perceptions of the impact of the international student teaching experience on their teaching practices? Four key findings emerged. The immersion experience afforded by the international student teaching experience: (a) enhanced the participants' cultural responsiveness, (b) increased participants' perceptions of their own professional competence to interact with students, colleagues and parents, (c) increased participants' feelings of empathy toward non-English speakers, and (d) increased the participants' feelings of self-knowledge. Immersion experiences can provide a means to mitigate the cultural divide between teacher and student. More and varied opportunities need to be available to teacher candidates in schools of education nationwide to advance transformative teaching and learning where empathy, communication, and understanding abound. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]