The Impact of Multicultural Education Training for Pre-Service Teachers

Multicultural preparation is an important area of research because, with increased awareness and understanding of multicultural education, preservice teachers are empowered with skills that enable them to teach a culturally diverse population. The purpose of this descriptive, mixed method research study was to investigate the lack of multicultural preparation for preservice teachers. Guided by the 5 dimensions of multicultural education that focused on diverse experiences and cross-cultural activities, the research question investigated preservice teachers' perceptions about multicultural preparation. Likert-scale survey data were gathered from 76 preservice teachers, and face-to-face interview data were gathered from a subsample of those teachers ( n = 11). The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, which revealed that preservice teachers had a positive attitude toward multicultural education. The qualitative data enhanced the quantitative findings. These data were analyzed inductively, revealing that teachers were positive about the idea of multicultural education, but they can improve on their acceptance of other cultures different from their own. Overall findings suggested that multicultural education training may help teachers work more effectively with a diverse population. Positive social change can increase the awareness of multicultural education for people teaching in a culturally diverse population to address the unique needs of students.