Preparing future teachers for multicultural classrooms: the state of play in Australia

Purpose: The study aims to explore how multicultural education is understood in Australia, the extent to which initial teacher education (ITE) programmes prepare pre-service teachers (PSTs) with the necessary skills and knowledge and the perceived readiness of PSTs to engage with students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on a systematic review of studies on multicultural education in ITE programmes. It analyses the curricula, pedagogical methods and practical training provided to PSTs, examining the gaps in teacher preparedness, especially regarding non-English speaking backgrounds. Findings: The review highlights the gaps in preparing teachers for multicultural classrooms in Australia. Despite the growing diversity in schools, multicultural education is unevenly integrated into curricula. Additionally, PSTs frequently reported insufficient practical training and low self-efficacy in managing diverse classroom environments with a high proportion of students from CALD backgrounds. Research limitations/implications: Given that this review focuses explicitly on ITE programmes in Australia, it may have limited generalisability to other contexts. The study has implications for conceptualising and designing ITE programmes, as well as for the training and development of teacher educators who prepare future teachers. Originality/value: This review offers an overview and takes stock of the research on multicultural education in Australia. In doing so, the authors identify the strengths and gaps in the existing teacher preparation programmes and offer evidence-based approaches and practical strategies to further the agenda of fostering inclusive classrooms for culturally diverse learners.