The Scholarship Informing the Practice: Multicultural Teacher Education Philosophy and Practice in the U.S.

Abstract

This study examines the scholarly literature identified by multicultural teacher educators in the U.S. as most influential to their work. 220 multicultural teacher educators were surveyed about the books and the journals that have most influenced they ways the conceive and practice multicultural teacher education (MTE). Responses were tabulated, creating lists of the most-identified books and journals. These lists were analyzed around three primary questions: (1) What do these data suggest about the philosophical frameworks and operationalizations of MTE among multicultural teacher educators?; (2) What do they reveal about the issues multicultural teacher educators consider more or less integral to MTE?; and (3) What might they uncover about the “null curriculum” of MTE? Findings suggest that, in contrast with much of the existing scholarship, MTE practitioners do engage with critical approaches to MTE, even if this might not be reflected consistently in their practice. They suggest, as well, that MTE practitioners identify more strongly with literature concerning race and racism than with that concerning other identities and oppressions. Implications of these findings are discussed.