Teacher Dispositions for Cultural Competence: How Should We Prepare White Teacher Candidates for Moral Responsibility?

The process of becoming culturally competent teachers could be hindered depending on the kind of dispositions individuals have toward racial/ethnic diversity. The analysis of 54 White teacher candidates' beliefs toward race and ethnicity revealed that the participants' beliefs were deeply embedded in Whiteness and that they did not identify White privilege as a type of racism. The author recommends that an affective approach that will make White teacher candidates emotionally engage in the conversation on race be taken in teacher education programs. Culturally competent teachers should not only possess knowledge and skills about teaching racially/ethnically different students, but also should possess a strong sense of social justice by thinking about whether or not their teaching contributes to society's advancement or to moral evil.