Abstract
This study examined (1) factors influencing pre-service teachers' diversity-related beliefs; (2) sensitivity toward diversity; (3) relationship between personal/professional diversity beliefs; and (4) the effect of diversity-related courses on diversity issues. Participants included junior level students enrolled in a diversity-related course as part of a teacher preparation program. Data collection involved pre- and post-surveys. Results indicated: (1) The number of diversity courses, cross-cultural experiences, and ability to speak another language correlated with some diversity beliefs; (2) Personally, participants showed high sensitivity to race, ability, gender, and cultural diversity; while professionally, participants demonstrated low gender sensitivity and high sensitivity to race, ability, sexual orientation, cultural diversity, and language; (3) More personal than professional sensitivity on issues of race, ability, gender, and cultural diversity was demonstrated, while participants showed more professional than personal sensitivity to language and sexual orientation; and (4) There was significant change on personal language beliefs over the course of the semester.