Abstract
Cultural competence is a framework that develops preservice teachers’ self-awareness to confront their attitudes, beliefs, biases, and values, to learn and understand culturally diverse groups’ needs, and to translate such knowledge into culturally responsive professional practices and skills. Previous studies investigating teacher preparation programmes through the lens of cultural competence examined its application in early childhood and elementary undergraduate programmes, in an ESOL course, in a study abroad programme, and in a literacy method course. However, questions were left unanswered concerning the factors affecting preservice teachers’ perceptions of being culturally competent to teach culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect preservice teachers’ cultural competence development to teach CLD students using an explanatory sequential mixed-method design. The goal is to provide a holistic understanding of preservice teachers’ experiences with cultural competence in their teacher preparation programmes by integrating quantitative and qualitative data. The findings from this study highlight the need to implement intentional efforts to prepare preservice teachers to attend to the increasing demand for offering high-quality education to CLD students.
