Training Framework

Running head: ASSESSMENT TOOL 1

6

ASSESSMENT TOOL

Assessing Teachers’ Multicultural and Egalitarian Beliefs: The Teacher Cultural Beliefs Scale

Unknown University

Student Name

06/17/2018

Summary

The Teacher Cultural Beliefs Scale (TCBS) assesses multicultural and egalitarian beliefs

about diversity both of which reflect favorable attitudes toward immigrant students but differ

with respect to how cultural is believed to be best accommodated in schools. The TCBS was

deigned to measure two beliefs about how to deal with cultural diversity in the classroom

(Clandinin, 2011). Multiculturalism, on the other hand, combines a general appreciation of

cultural differences with the belief that such differences should be accommodated in teaching

practices. While Egalitarianism, on the other hand, emphasizes cultural similarities and stresses

the importance of treating all students equally, regardless of their cultural background.

The two beliefs have previously been used in the field of social psychology. Instruments

assessing the multicultural and egalitarian beliefs of teachers, in particular, were lacking. This

study thus represents the first necessary steps towards research assessing multicultural and

egalitarian beliefs in the educational context. With increasing diversity in schools around the

globe, teachers in western societies need to be prepared to teach in culturally heterogeneous

schools and to challenge their own beliefs about cultural diversity.

The newly developed TCBS provides a useful tool for assessing teachers’ multicultural

and egalitarian beliefs. This survey was actually used in a study in which the ultimate aim was to

improve the learner outcomes of immigrant students and thereby reduce the achievement gap

between students with and without an immigrant background. As a school executive I will use

this survey to prepare my faculty and staff to be prepared to teach in a culturally heterogeneous

school and to challenge their very own beliefs about cultural diversity. Listed below is an

example of the TCBS. The scale consists of ten statements and is divided into two parts.

Questions 1-6 address multiculturalism and questions 7-10 address egalitarianism. Teachers can

rate the statements on a scale ranging from strongly agree (5) to strongly disagree (1). The

survey is listed below.

Assessing teachers’ multicultural and egalitarian beliefs: The Teacher Cultural Beliefs Scale

Key: SA=Strongly Agree, A=Agree, NADA=Neither Agree nor Disagree, DA=Disagree, and SDA=Strongly Disagree

Factor 1: multicultural beliefs

1. In the classroom, it is important to be responsive to differences between cultures.

_SA (5) _ DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

2. It is important for children to learn that people from other cultures can have different values

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

3. Respecting other cultures is something that children should learn as early as possible.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

4. In counseling parents who have a different cultural background than I do, I try to be considerate of cultural particularities

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

5. When meeting with parents of different cultural backgrounds, I spend more time trying to understand and empathize with their perspective.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

6. Dealing with cultural diversity should be taught in teacher training courses.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

Factor 2: egalitarian beliefs

7. Schools should aim to foster and support the similarities between students from different cultural backgrounds.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

8. In the classroom, it is important that students of different origins recognize the similarities that exist between them.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

9. When there are conflicts between students of different origins, they should be encouraged to

resolve the argument by finding common ground.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

10. Children should learn that people of different cultural origins often have a lot in common.

_SA (5) _DA (2)

_A (4) _SDA (1)

_NADA (3)

This survey will be used as a self-assessment to make the teachers at schools aware of their

very own levels of multiculturalism and egalitarianism. The survey will also be used on the

school-wide level to help develop curricula and implement multicultural programs. The survey

will be administered annually and measured against test scores in immigrant populations to see if

there were increases in test scores since implementing the survey and using the information

gathered from the survey is two-fold. The results of the assessment will be used to plan

professional development and improve the diversity awareness and/or culture of the

organization in this case the school at which I am the executive during the first one to three years

of implementation. After year three – during years four and five – I may consider the data to help

improve the achievement gap of immigrant students but I will make it clear that improving the

achievement gap of immigrant students is not my main concern years one through three.

Reference

Clandinin, J. (n.d.). Assessing Teachers' Multicultural and Egalitarian Beliefs: The Teachers

Cultural Beliefs Scale. Teaching and Teacher Education.