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

The article describes the newly developed Teacher Cultural Beliefs Scale (TCBS). The TCBS assesses multicultural and egalitarian beliefs about diversity, both of which reflect favorable attitudes toward immigrant students, but differ with regard to how cultural diversity is believed to be best accommodated in schools. Results from a first study with 433 beginning teachers supported the two-factor structure and the measurement invariance of the scale. Results from a second study with 340 teacher candidates and educational science students showed that proponents of multiculturalism and egalitarianism shared a motivation to control prejudiced reactions, but that they differed in their views on acculturation, prejudices, and authoritarianism.

► Teachers differ in their beliefs about cultural diversity in school.
► The paper describes the newly developed Teacher Cultural Beliefs Scale (TCBS).
► The TCBS reliably assesses teachers’ multicultural (MC) and egalitarian (EG) beliefs.
► Proponents of MC and EG beliefs share a motivation to control prejudiced reactions.
► But they differ in their views on acculturation, prejudices, and authoritarianism.