To See or Not To See: Preservice Teacher Attitudes Toward Color Blindness
This study examined the perspectives of 85 undergraduate preservice teacher candidates engaged in a required survey course on diversity at a midsized Midwestern university. Candidates completed the Common Beliefs Survey at both the beginning and end of the 16 week semester. Quantitative analysis of the pre and postcourse Likert ratings of candidates indicated a significant negative shift relative to the statement, "I don't think of my students in terms of their race or ethnicity; I am color blind when it comes to my teaching." Further qualitative analysis of candidates who provided written rationale for their numeric response indicated prevailing themes of conscious bias, intentional color blindness, and movement toward appreciation of racial difference as a critical cognizance. Implications for teacher education include experiences beyond the scope of a survey course if significant schematic shift leading to the potential for educational equity is to be realized.