Preparation in multicultural teacher education: Perceptions of pre-service teachers and their professor in a teacher credentialing program

The purpose of the study was to research and analyze: (a) the similarities and differences in pre-service teachers' perceptions of teacher preparedness for multicultural education following the completion of a course in a teacher credentialing program, and (b) the identification of major factors from the university professor's perceptions which contribute to the preparedness of multicultural education with pre-service teachers. This study adopted a qualitative design to investigate perceptions of pre-service teachers using open ended-questions during one-on-one interviews with the pre-service teacher participants and the professor of the course. The findings revealed that the perceptions of the pre-service teachers demonstrated similarities in the importance of and need for the learning and teaching of multicultural education. Their responses were alike in their emphasis on building and maintaining a strong relationship between multicultural education and the teaching profession. They also had similar perceptions involving the instruction of multicultural education through the integrated component of family involvement, or the home/school connection. The pre-service teachers also recommended the incorporation of additional time to conduct more classroom observations for the multicultural education course. This then led the pre-service teachers to believe that the multicultural education course needed an increased weight in units for them to have more time for instruction. The findings from the professor's perceptions revealed the organization and implementation of the course. Her interviews gave a different outlook on the instruction of a multicultural education course, concluding with the urgent need for courses on multiculturalism in teacher education programs so that newer generations of teachers can meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student body. In this way, teachers can teach every child, in every classroom, at every school district across the United States.