Increasing Preservice Teachers' Diversity Beliefs and Commitment

Research on teacher expectations and student success suggests that teachers' beliefs about students lead to differential expectations and treatment of students. Few qualitative studies aimed at understanding teacher beliefs about diversity and multicultural commitment have been done. This study utilized combined quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and commitments of a predominantly Anglo-American population of preservice teachers enrolled in a diversity course. The results describe beginning attitudes, beliefs, and commitments to diversity; changes (or lack of change) in attitudes, beliefs, and commitments after participation in a diversity course; some theoretical underpinnings for understanding changes (or lack of change); and a framework for facilitating positive multicultural experiences.