Multicultural Education and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Field Placements: Influence on Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions

Overview & Synopsis

As public school student demographics continue to diversify, the employment of multicultural education pedagogy in special education becomes ever more critical. Multicultural education pedagogy supports the placement of special education pre-service teachers (SEPSTs) in culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) field placements; yet scholars warn field placements have the potential to reinforce deficit-centered perceptions. Therefore, this pilot study sought to examine SEPSTs perceptions of students who are CLD and their educational needs in response to placement in CLD field experience through interviews with three SEPSTs in one teacher preparation program (TPP). Findings align with previous work in the field, underscoring the importance of critical reflection and the alignment of multicultural content in required coursework. Future research and implications for teacher preparation are also discussed.