Pre-service teacher perceptions of White privilege in a two-year teacher education program

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ perceptions of White privilege in a two-year teacher education program. This study employed a qualitative approach and interviews were utilized as the primary form of data collection. The participants of this study consisted of four pre-service teachers enrolled in Lakehead University’s two-year consecutive Bachelor of Education program at the Orillia campus. The study was examined through the theoretical framework of Critical Whiteness Studies with the purpose of better preparing pre-service teachers for teaching in diverse educational settings. The study ultimately revealed that participants held a thorough understanding of White privilege and acknowledged the existence of their own privileges. It was found, however, that this was largely due to the participant’s own lived experienced and not entirely through their experiences in their teacher education program.