Theses and Dissertations
Date of Award
2017
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice
Advisor
Shery Bennett
Committee Member
Judith B. Galician
Committee Member
Kimberly Durham
Keywords
curriculum, student diversity, multicultural education, preservice teachers, culturally relevant education
Abstract
Changes in the ethnicity of the student population across the nation necessitated a change in teacher education curricula. This explanatory, sequential, mixed-method study examined how a group of preservice teachers viewed the importance of multicultural competence before and after student teaching. Specifically, an evaluation of preservice teachers’ attitudes about their own multicultural preparedness was made prior to and after being given full responsibility for an ethnically diverse classroom.
The study employed quantitative and qualitative measures to assess preservice teachers’ levels of multicultural competence as well as their awareness of self-perceptions of multicultural competence that contribute to attitudes toward teaching an ethnically diverse student body. Senior Survey Pack A, containing a demographic survey, an openended qualitative survey, the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey, and the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes scale, was completed as a preassessment by participants in their Senior I internship program prior to beginning their 120 hours of field experience. Senior Survey Pack B, containing an open-ended qualitative survey, the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey, and the Color-Blind Racial Attitudes scale, was distributed to the participants as a postassessment after completing 600 hours of student teaching in their Senior II internship program.
Findings indicated that, when preservice teachers moved into their Senior I internship program, they were full of confidence in their knowledge and competence to teach a diverse student body. Data from the first phase revealed that preservice teachers believed they were ready to provide instruction that addressed the needs of their students. Participants in their Senior I program were also confident that their program of instruction equipped them with the tools needed to be successful in the classroom and to address various situations that may arise within a culturally diverse classroom setting. During Phase II, data showed that preservice teachers in the Senior II internship program had a slightly different view of their preparedness to teach a culturally diverse student population. Participants still held fast to their ability to teach in a diverse setting; however, they also gained a deeper in sight into the importance of being culturally aware.
Recommendations include an extended examination of diversity courses offered to preservice student teachers and the relationship to increased preservice teachers’ confidence in teaching a diverse population of students, which would allow a more indepth investigation of what changes could be made to educational programs to better equip preservice teachers to address a variety of situations that may arise in the classroom. A longitudinal study could also provide insight into the changes in preservice perception about the need for multicultural competence.
NSUWorks Citation
Angela D. Marshall. 2017. Evaluating the Attitudes of Preservice Teachers Toward Multicultural Competence. Doctoral dissertation. Nova Southeastern University. Retrieved from NSUWorks, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice. (815)
https://nsuworks.nova.edu/fse_etd/815.