Teacher Dispositions for Cultural Competence: How Should We Prepare White Teacher Candidates for Moral Responsibility?

Department or Administrative Unit

Center for Teaching and Learning

Document Type

Article

Author Copyright

Copyright © Association of Teacher Educators

Publication Date

2011

Journal

Action in Teacher Education

Abstract

The process of becoming culturally competent teachers could be hindered depending on the kind of dispositions individuals have toward racial/ethnic diversity. The analysis of 54 White teacher candidates' beliefs toward race and ethnicity revealed that the participants' beliefs were deeply embedded in Whiteness and that they did not identify White privilege as a type of racism. The author recommends that an affective approach that will make White teacher candidates emotionally engage in the conversation on race be taken in teacher education programs. Culturally competent teachers should not only possess knowledge and skills about teaching racially/ethnically different students, but also should possess a strong sense of social justice by thinking about whether or not their teaching contributes to society's advancement or to moral evil.

Comments

This article was originally published in Action in Teacher Education. The full-text article from the publisher can be found here.

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