A comparison of teachers' and students' multicultural competence and racial color-blindness in ethnically diverse and non-diverse FFA chapters

The purpose of this study was four-fold. First, this study sought to describe the sub-constructs of multicultural competence in school-based agriculture teachers and their relationship to the ethnic diversity of local FFA membership in selected high schools. Additionally, this study examined the racial color-blindness of school-based agriculture teachers and their students and its relationship to the ethnic diversity of local FFA membership. This study compared multicultural competence and racial color-blindness between teachers and students. Finally, this study described relationships between teacher and student characteristics in terms of the ethnic diversity of local FFA memberships.;The study consisted of 10 school-based agriculture teachers and their students from a school with an ethnic enrollment of at least 30%. Half of the teachers and students represented a diverse FFA chapter while the other half represented a non-diverse FFA chapter.;Teachers in diverse FFA chapters reported a higher multicultural competence score then teachers in non-diverse FFA chapters. The same results hold true for the students of the teachers. As a whole students reported to believe their teacher's multicultural competence is higher than what the teachers' rating. Teachers and students in diverse FFA chapters have a higher racial color-blindness then teachers and students in non-diverse FFA chapters. The variety of multicultural training, years of teaching and other teacher characteristics were correlated with the ethnic diversity of the FFA membership. In addition, students' cumulative grade point average, career preference, and educational level of mother are correlated with the ethnic diversity of the FFA membership.