Culturally insulated students : assessing the diversity disposition gap in a predominantly white university with a new instrument, the Culturally Responsive Educator Test

Abstract

This article describes an attempt to assess dispositions toward cultural and racial diversity for preservice and inservice teachers in a predominantly white university. Using the Culturally Responsive Educator Test (CRET), preservice and inservice teachers were assessed on how they represent themselves as culturally responsive teachers and how the education program influences this representation. Findings suggest that the majority of candidates readily focused on students with special education needs and did not address the culturally and racially diverse students in the given task scenario. However, when additional information was given to candidates that the purpose of the task was diversity related, many were able to perform well. Candidates’ abilities to develop sound lesson plans improved significantly from beginning to midpoint and from midpoint to end point. Education departments can influence the behaviors and beliefs of culturally insulated teacher candidates.