Using Cultural Narratives to Positively Transform Pre-service Teachers’ Attitudes towards Diversity Appreciation

In the United States, most current and future teachers are White females from suburban areas. These teachers are or will be called to successfully educate children from a wide array of cultural and racial backgrounds. Teacher education programs do a disservice if teachers are not prepared to handle such diversity in the classroom. Pre-service teachers need the opportunity to engage in meaningful work that allows them to become more knowledgeable about other cultures, while also allowing them to reflect on prejudices and biases that may potentially influence their actions in the classroom. This article describes a project designed to meet that dual objective. In sum, the objective was met by the completion of the Cultural Narrative Project, where students reported that the project helped them authentically learn about other cultures and increase their overall appreciation of diversity.