Measuring Changes in Teachers' Perceived and Actual Cultural Competence Using the Intercultural Development Inventory

• In Event: 44.061 - Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Considerations for Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper discusses a second-year study focused on the efforts of a university-local school system partnership in addressing the academic and professional needs of in-service teachers in an urban-fringe school system. Using a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest research design, the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was used to measure teachers’ cultural competence before and after participating in a 9-credit graduate certificate program focused on educational equity. The IDI was also used to measure the discrepancy between teachers’ perceived and actual cultural competence as measured by the IDI. The results indicated that after completing the program, teachers’ cultural competence increased and their orientation gaps decreased. Reasons for the overestimation of cultural competence on the part of 91% of the teachers will also be explored.

Authors

• Stephanie L Savick, Notre Dame of Maryland University

• Candice Logan-Washington, Baltimore County Public Schools