An investigation into the readiness of elementary teacher candidates for culturally responsive teaching

In this research, the readiness of elementary teacher candidates for culturally responsive teaching is examined. In addition, according to the gender and second language of elementary teacher candidates, the differentiation status of the readiness levels of culturally responsive teaching is investigated. In the study, which was adapted as a general screening model from other screening models, a total of 1366 grade elementary teaching undergraduate program senior students, 350 male and 1016 female students from 26 different Turkish universities were reached. The data was obtained through a 21-item Scale of Culturally Responsive Teaching (SCRT). According to the findings obtained from the research, it can be seen that the level of readiness of the elementary teacher candidates who are culturally responsive does not change according to gender or second language knowledge variables. Moreover, elementary teacher candidates have high cognitive and affective readiness regarding the provision of a learning-teaching process for individuals with different cultural values. However, elementary teacher candidates have a moderate level of pedagogical knowledge or, in other words, their professional readiness in a classroom environment where cultural diversity is present. As a result, it is necessary that elementary teacher candidates be strengthened in the pedagogical level related to culturally responsive teaching during the undergraduate education process and graduate as culturally responsive elementary teachers. © 2019 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.