“I Don’t See Color”: The Impact of Field Placements on Preservice Teachers’ White Racial Identity Development

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the influence of diverse field placements on the White racial identity development of White preservice teachers (n = 92) placed in schools where the student body was either predominantly White or students of color. Using Helms’s theory (1995) of White racial identity development, we selected instruments that measured participants’ awareness of racism, as well as their consciousness about being White (e.g., Color-Blind Racial Attitude Scale and Psychosocial Costs of Racism to Whites Scale). Preservice teachers in nondiverse settings became less aware of racial issues at the end of the field experience. Using pretest scores as covariates, an analysis of covariance indicated that those in more diverse settings had higher levels of White guilt at the end of their field experience. The qualitative results also showed differences in perceptions based on field placements, thus supporting the quantitative findings. Participants were asked how the diversity in their fieldwork placement affected their thoughts about their own ethnic background and social status. For those placed in diverse settings, the most common theme that emerged was the contrast between the characteristics of the students and one’s own family and personal characteristics (e.g., wealth, ethnicity). The results suggest that more than exposure to diverse students is needed to evoke changes in White racial identity in order to prepare preservice teachers to effectively teach students of color.