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Low Socio-economic Schools and Diverse Communities
Concerns about how best to prepare teachers for working in diverse and low socio-
economic communities continue to challenge traditional teacher education pro-
grams (Sleeter, 2008 ). Schools in lower socio-economic status (SES) communities
are often under-resourced, are harder to staff and have difficulty retaining high-
quality teachers (Aikens & Barbarin, 2008 ). Muijs, Harris, Chapman, Stoll, and
Russ ( 2009 ) argue that an emphasis on improving teaching and learning, creating
information-rich learning environments and having a focus on learning communi-
ties and professional development opportunities contributes to improved quality and
student learning outcomes in low SES schools.
Although not all low SES schools are in ethnically and culturally diverse com-
munities (and vice versa – diverse communities do not only contain low SES
schools), the descriptive terms diverse and low SES are often used interchangeably
when describing the schools we refer to. There are a range of factors that impact
these schools and the young people within them, such as high levels of cultural and
linguistic diversity, low social and educational capital and higher than average lev-
els of poverty. So building an understanding and appreciation of the cultures of
diverse communities is essential learning for preservice teachers. Sleeter ( 2008 )
suggested that multiple placements in low SES schools have a ‘reasonable track
record for disrupting stereotypes, helping [preservice teachers] learn about stu-
dents’ cultural backgrounds and helping them to connect student behaviours and
learning with what teachers do’ (p. 1993). This research highlighted the critical
nature and importance of developing school-university partnerships that provide
preservice teachers with access and engagement in schools located in low SES com-
munities. Sleeter indicated that teacher education for equity and democracy rests on
three pillars:
- Preparation for everyday realities and complexities of schools and classrooms
- Content knowledge and professional theoretical knowledge that universities can
provide - Dialog[sic] with communities in which schools are situated, a crucial pillar that
is often ignored (p. 1948)
Preservice teachers working with diverse students who are culturally different
from themselves and/or experiencing poverty, and who are supported and mentored
through this experience, are often more likely to go on to teach these students. The
three universities in this chapter have embraced research such as this to support the
placement of preservice teachers in schools with diverse and low SES student popu-
lations. The vignettes later in this chapter provide some important insights into the
potential learning that can and do occur for key participants: students, preservice
teachers, teachers and university educators.
B. Eckersley et al.