One of the major challenges in preparing pre-service teachers for the 21st-century classroom, as well as for an increasingly competitive job market, is providing the necessary skills and background to effectively educate diverse populations of students (Sleeter, 2001). Multicultural education courses are a staple in teacher preparation programs,…

In this article, the authors present a case study of a preservice teacher who participated in a two-semester course sequence of elementary science and mathematics methods spanning one academic year. These two courses were taught by the first author and embedded a pedagogical approach grounded in inquiry methods. The purpose of this study was to…

According to a recent report, by the year 2020, more than 50% of the U.S. public school population will be classified as persons of color; that is, students from African, African-American, American Indian, Latino, and Pacific Islander backgrounds (Aud, Fox, & KewalRamani, 2010). As a result of these changing demographics, it is essential for…

In this article, the author reflects on the 1988 article "The Silenced Dialogue," by Lisa Delpit, which described the lack of communication dividing Black and White educators when it comes to the issue of race, specifically due to the disparity between reliance on theory (White) and reliance on cultural understanding (Black). Nearly a…

To prepare teacher candidates to become social justice advocates, teacher educators have to critically reflect on their curriculum and teaching strategies to examine whether they are "acting on their beliefs" about diversity and social justice. In this article the author examines teacher candidates' perceptions of how their…

This study is part of a larger project that explored the use of storytelling as a learning tool in schools in the United States. Here the authors examine storytelling as a pedagogical tool for prospective teachers of American Indian children to enhance classroom learning. The specific intention is to illuminate the pedagogical methodology of…

The purpose of this study was to explore how critical and reflective thinking about race and culture evolved and manifested in online threaded discussions among pre-service teachers during a required Multicultural Education course. Because of the ubiquitous presence of computer-mediated forms of communication, research has increased in recent…

This article focuses on the potential relevance of mathematical conceptions to justice-oriented teaching. The authors believe that culturally responsive mathematics teaching requires the holding of high expectations for students' engagement in critical thinking abilities by respecting their backgrounds and engaging their contemplation and…

The U.S. Census Bureau (2009) reports that over 50% of school-age children will be other than non-Hispanic Caucasians by 2023. In an effort to help meet the imperative need for preservice teachers who are well prepared to work with these students from diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as for teacher education programs to more fully…

Research suggests that while students in public schools in the U.S. are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, class, and culture, the pool of prospective teachers is made up largely of White, middle-class women. The demographic imperative indicates that this trend will remain stable for the foreseeable future, reinforcing the…

In today's ever changing multicultural society, it is imperative for early childhood educators to be adept at facilitating the learning and progress of all children. In the United States, children of color make up about 40% of the population, and across the world children of color make up approximately 70% of the population. A primary goal in…

Many teacher education institutions share a concern about assessing their preservice teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to teaching diverse P-12 students. This case study describes the iterative and sometimes difficult process involved in the development of a diversity awareness survey at one institution. The survey discussed…

Every semester one of the authors of this article, Catherine Prudhoe, challenges many of her preservice students' perceptions of a familiar and often favorite children's book, "The Giving Tree," by Shel Silverstein (1964). She begins the class by reading the text aloud to the students. Most smile, fondly remembering hearing the book as a child. A…

The purpose of this article is to show how pre-service teachers utilized autobiographical inquiry in a multicultural education course to reflect on what they learned about themselves and the teaching of culturally and linguistically diverse students while they served as tutors for English Learners (ELs) in a semester-long field experience in…

Among the coursework offered to preservice teachers at the first author's institution in 2007 was the course "Second Language Acquisition" (SLA). This course was designed to develop multicultural awareness by introducing the theory and practice of second language acquisition and helping future teachers become familiar with the struggles of…