ABSTRACT
Teachers’ beliefs about and attitudes toward cultural diversity are both problematic and promising. Because these beliefs have profound consequences for the learning opportunities African, Asian, Pacific Islander, Latina/o, and Native American students receive in classrooms, they need to be carefully analyzed. The intent of this discussion is to contribute to these analyses by examining research and scholarship on some of the most prominent beliefs among pre- and inservice teachers, and the implications of these beliefs for implementing effective instructional programs and practices for culturally diverse students. To accomplish these goals four major topics are explored. These are (1) the current status of research and scholarship on teachers’ beliefs about cultural diversity; (2) what research reveals about teachers’ beliefs related to cultural diversity; (3) the importance of teachers’ beliefs in teaching and learning; and (4) implications of research on teachers’ beliefs for transformative educational actions pertinent to cultural diversity.
