As the world becomes more interconnected, it becomes increasingly important for teachers to address diversity. While teacher education programs have made progress in promoting diversity, there remains a significant gap in incorporating international perspectives into curricula. Research on the role of these perspectives in preservice teachers’ reflective practices is still lacking. Highlighting the importance and relevance of Comparative and International Education (CIE) in teacher education, this dissertation examines how preservice teachers navigate diverse educational approaches within a CIE course and how this course shapes their reflections on their beliefs about education and society. Employing Bakhtinian discourse analysis, the study delves into the written reflections of ten preservice teachers in the United States, uncovering the multifaceted ways in which they engage with different educational paradigms. The findings highlight three main themes: the core beliefs and concerns driving their reflections, the integration of beyond-classroom discourses, and the emotional dimension of engagement. First, the study revealed that students’ core beliefs and concerns shape and inform their engagement with academic discourses, determining the focus and direction of their reflections. Second, it showed that students integrate beyond-classroom discourses, such as familial, cultural, and other institutional discourses, with academic discourse. These integrations create either alignment or tensions, both leading to a richer, more nuanced understanding of class concepts. Third, this study demonstrated the emotional dimension of student engagement, from affirming to provocative emotions, underscoring the holistic nature of their learning experiences. These findings suggest that preservice teachers’ figured worlds play a critical role in their engagement with academic discourses about diverse educational practices. Additionally, the dynamic interplay between multiple discourses in student reflections demonstrates heteroglossia and dialogism, potentially leading to the expansion of their figured worlds. This study highlights the necessity of acknowledging and responding to what students communicate through their reflections and supporting their agency, voice, and emotional engagement in the learning process to create a more responsive and inclusive learning environment. This research also advocates for incorporating comparative and international perspectives in teacher education curricula to enhance future educators’ cultural responsiveness and critical awareness through interacting with diverse perspectives beyond national boundaries.