How Do Pre-service Teachers’ Cultural Diversity Beliefs Change Over the Course of a Practical Experience in Schools? – A Grounded Theory Study

With increasing cultural diversity in classrooms, teachers’ cultural diversity beliefs have become an increasingly important focus in teacher education research and have been conceptualized as a central component of teachers' professional development (Hachfeld, 2013). However, more research is needed on how pre-service teachers' cultural diversity beliefs develop and under what conditions they change (Bayram Özdemir et al., 2024; Civitillo et al., 2018). This study examines the development of pre-service teachers' cultural diversity beliefs, considering the conditions and recurring patterns that shape this process. We conducted interviews with eight pre-service teachers at two time points, before and after different practical experiences in classrooms. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2017), we analyzed three anchor cases to illustrate the complex relation between pre-service teachers’ White cultural identity development and cultural diversity beliefs. The results construct a contextually relevant theory of White pre-service teachers’ development of cultural diversity beliefs in East Germany, elucidating their defining characteristics and the conditions under which they emerge. The findings highlight the importance of critical reflection on identity and experiences with rejection, discrimination, and racism, as well as a nuanced conceptualization of culture, in shaping pre-service teachers’ cultural diversity beliefs, pointing to the need for teacher education programs to intentionally foster these processes to support culturally responsive teaching.