Research on the Impact of Teacher Preparation to Teach Diverse Students: The Research We Have and the Research We Need

Abstract Scholars of multicultural education have outlined goals for preservice teacher preparation that include preparing teachers to form relationships with students from backgrounds different from their own backgrounds, to bridge home and school cultures, to integrate multicultural content into the curriculum, to use pedagogy equitably in the classroom so they teach all students well, to reduce prejudice and build relationships among students, and to be change agents who can recognize and challenge injustice. In this chapter, first we briefly review research that supports these goals. Next, we analyze preservice teacher education research from articles published between 1980 and 2009 to highlight dominant themes and identify any changes that may have taken place in the research. Then, we examine research on how novice teachers use multicultural knowledge and skills from their preservice programs when they begin to teach to illuminate the extent to which their programs prepare them for work in diverse settings during their first years of teaching. We concluded by recommending directions for future research.