Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Student Diversity and Proposed Instructional Practices

Abstract

This study draws on insights from achievement goal theory and multicultural education to examine the interrelated nature of preservice teachers’ biases and beliefs regarding culturally diverse students and the kind of instructional practices they are likely to pursue. Cluster analysis of cross-sectional data ( n = 784) suggests that approximately 25% of preservice teachers explicitly endorsed some stereotypic beliefs about poor and minority students and expressed some discomfort with student diversity. Analyses of variance results provide evidence that preservice teachers were significantly less biased and prejudiced and more likely to endorse adaptive instructional practices by the time they were ready to graduate from the teacher education program than they were during their 1st year in the program. Paired t-test results based on longitudinal data ( n = 79) suggest that some gains preservice teachers accrued midway through the program were lost when they were close to graduation. Implications of these findings are discussed.