“I Don’t See Color”: The Impact of Field Placements on Preservice Teachers’ White Racial Identity Development

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to examine the influence of diverse field placements on the Whiteracial identity development of White preservice teachers (n = 92) placed in schools where the student body waseither predominantly White or students of color. Using Helms’s theory (1995) of White racial identitydevelopment, we selected instruments that measured participants’ awareness of racism, as well as theirconsciousness about being White (e.g., Color-Blind Racial Attitude Scale and Psychosocial Costs of Racism toWhites Scale). Preservice teachers in nondiverse settings became less aware of racial issues at the end of thefield experience. Using pretest scores as covariates, an analysis of covariance indicated that those in morediverse settings had higher levels of White guilt at the end of their field experience. The qualitative results alsoshowed differences in perceptions based on field placements, thus supporting the quantitative findings.Participants were asked how the diversity in their fieldwork placement affected their thoughts about their ownethnic background and social status. For those placed in diverse settings, the most common theme that emergedwas the contrast between the characteristics of the students and one’s own family and personal characteristics(e.g., wealth, ethnicity). The results suggest that more than exposure to diverse students is needed to evokechanges in White racial identity in order to prepare preservice teachers to effectively teach students of color.