Multicultural Teacher Education: Why Teachers Say It Matters in Preparing Them for English Language Learners

Abstract

Numerous studies show that mainstream classroom teachers still remain inadequately prepared to teach diverse students and lack the knowledge base and skills to teach English language learners (ELLs). This has profound implications, particularly in the Southeast, where the rate of school-aged Latino immigrants has grown significantly. Thus, this study examined the perceived effectiveness of teacher-training programs and professional-development experiences of 157 content-area teachers in North and South Carolina. Specifically, researchers analyzed self-report questionnaire data from teachers to explore the role of academic course work, professional development, and multicultural experiences in preparing teachers to work with ELLs and other diverse learners. Overall, teachers overwhelmingly reported feeling underprepared to work with this population until they sought more substantive academic training and professional-development experiences. Teachers had diverse experiences but reported that the quality of courses and depth of multicultural experiences had an impact on their attitudes and classroom practices.