What is it about?
This case study explored how well trainee teachers felt their training was preparing them to teach in culturally diverse classrooms. It considered the trainees' experiences and views alongside those of their tutors to gain a broader understanding of how prepared future teachers felt to work with pupils from different cultural backgrounds.
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Why is it important?
This study highlights how, even today, trainee teachers continue to feel underprepared to teach in culturally diverse classrooms. Their understandings of cultural diversity and equality in education appear to be largely shaped by colour-blind approach and rooted in deficit model, which may further marginalise minority students. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the type of teacher training course attended (PGCE or BA with QTS) does not necessarily influence trainee teachers' feelings of preparedness or their understanding of key concepts, including cultural diversity, equality in education and intercultural education.
Perspectives
For me, this research addresses an issue that remains highly relevant to teacher education today. I believe that preparing trainee teachers to work confidently and effectively in culturally diverse classrooms requires more than simply introducing concepts such as equality, diversity and inclusion. It requires opportunities to critically reflect on their own assumptions, challenge deficit-based thinking and develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of pupils from different cultural backgrounds.
Eleni Zotou
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Cultural Diversity: Primary Trainee Teachers’ Understandings and Views about Their Preparedness, Education Society and Human Studies, August 2024, Scholink Co, Ltd.,
DOI: 10.22158/eshs.v5n3p33.
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