“This Stuff Is Too Deep!” Teacher Candidates’ Beliefs About Cultural Diversity and Teaching Diverse Populations

• In Event: Critical Place-Based Pedagogies in Teacher Education

Abstract

Some have theorized that the next generation of professionals, the "Millenials" may hold more progressive beliefs about cultural diversity and teaching diverse populations than previous generations. This qualitative case study explored a college instructor’s perceptions of teacher candidates’ belief systems in a one-semester, foundations of teaching course at a large, Southeastern university. Findings indicated that the belief systems exhibited throughout the course were consistent with the literature to date, despite students' "Millennial" status. Implications for teacher education courses and multicultural frameworks are discussed.

Author

• Hannah Carson Baggett, North Carolina State University