Addressing Issues of Social Justice through Reflective Writing

Since the 1960’s there have been calls for reforms in teacher education programs to reflect the growing diversity represented in our nation’s schools. One response is multicultural education courses aimed at addressing attitudes and beliefs about diversity. Such courses have received mixed reviews. Some research has reported that pre-service teacher’s attitudes and beliefs were changed in a positive direction towards diversity, while others suggest that pre-service teachers leave these courses unchanged. The primary goal of this study was to determine if a stand-alone multicultural education course challenged or altered pre-service teachers’ attitudes and beliefs towards cultural diversity. An analysis of reflective writings by the participants throughout the semester served as evidence of change.