Building a More Diverse Teacher Workforce: The Teacher Preparation Experience Through the Eyes of Teacher Candidates

Abstract

Teachers of Color (TOCs) make up just 20% of the teacher workforce in the United States, while the proportion of Students of Color (SOCs) has steadily grown to over half the nation’s student population. To increase the ethnoracial diversity of the U.S. teacher workforce, teacher preparation programs (TPPs) must increase the number of Teacher Candidates of Color (TCOCs) who enroll in and complete their programs so they can be successfully prepared for the profession.

In this study, interviews were conducted with teacher candidates (n = 16) who were enrolled in either a multiple-subject or single-subject credential preparation program at a large, public university. Using a conceptual framework of critical race theory (CRT) and critical whiteness studies (CWS), this qualitative study explored how teacher candidates have experienced this TPP, which is focused on culturally responsive teaching. The perceptions of TCOCs and White teacher candidates (WTCs) were analyzed, including how characteristics of whiteness manifested in the TPP. Several themes emerged from the data: (a) ethnoracial diversity and representation, (b) support and care from peers and faculty, and (c) culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) and instruction. Characteristics of whiteness were also observed, namely, power hoarding, perfectionism, presumptions of being qualified, and an emphasis on quantifiable progress.

Given the beneficial impact of TOCs on the educational outcomes of K–12 students, it is vital that TPP leaders, educators, and other practitioners understand how ethnoracially diverse teacher candidates experience their TPPs so they can create more effective practices that will increase the completion rates of TCOCs in their programs. Recommendations for policy, practice, and future research are offered.