What Does Teacher Education Have to Do With Teaching? Implications for Diversity Studies

Several concepts that are important for inclusion in any teacher education curriculum regarding diversity studies are elucidated in this article. The framing question of the discussion is: What are some relevant conceptions regarding issues of diversity that every teacher education program should consider including in its curriculum? The author outlines important concepts that contribute to what he calls teachers’ conceptual repertoires of diversity. The concepts are: color-blindness, cultural conflict, meritocracy, deficit conceptions, and expectations. The idea is that when teachers enter teacher education, their conceptions—their mindset, thinking, belief systems, attitudes, and overall understanding of the teaching and learning exchange—need to be addressed because these conceptions shape their curricula and instructional practices with P-12 students. The author is not suggesting that the five conceptual repertoires of diversity presented in this article are exhaustive; based on research, the list represents some areas that seem important for teachers’ building repertoires to teach culturally diverse students successfully. The author concludes with a call to action for teacher educators and teacher education.