Competency and comfort: teacher candidate's attitudes toward diversity.

Competency and Comfort: Teacher Candidates' Attitudes Toward Diversity --Burriss & Burriss

Drawing upon the literature in multicultural education and teacher reform, this survey study conducted by Burriss and Burriss sought to examine teacher education candidates' perceived competence and comfort with diversity issues. Over three semesters, 463 undergraduate teacher education candidates completed a 31-question survey to measure their perceived competence and comfort with: 1) diverse student populations, 2) different languages, 3) different races, 4) different religions, 5) special needs students, and 6) gay/lesbian parents. Additionally, the students were asked about the goals and practices of multicultural education, their self-reported tolerance, and their competence to intervene across different socioeconomic levels. Approximately one-half of the students were surveyed at the beginning of their professional program, while the other half completed the questionnaires as they exited student teaching. Chi Square analyses revealed that an overwhelming majority of the teacher candidates reported feeling competent and comfortable with all dimensions of diversity. When comparing the results of entering students to those exiting student teaching, t-test analyses revealed that the teacher education program significantly influenced teacher candidates' perceptions regarding different races, their competence with gay/lesbian parents, the goals of multicultural education, their self-report tolerance, and competency across different socioeconomic levels. The findings of this study are at variance with previous studies and may reflect, according to the authors, teacher candidates' perceptions of how "good teachers" should respond. The authors suggest that teacher education programs pro vide experiences that encourage reflective introspection and deeper understanding of the multiple facets of diversity.