This poster presents a proposal for a research project on in-depth study of preservice teachers’ beliefs about cultural diversity and the training impact on their modification and/or maintenance. This project continues a research line already initiated in a previous quantitative doctoral thesis. Following the findings obtained there, it is considered appropriate to go into some highlight and controversial issues from a qualitative approach, allowing to know in-depth these beliefs and their relationship with teaching and learning processes experienced by student teachers during their initial training.

Deeping what preservice teachers think and what impact the training process exercises in their beliefs, are matters of great significance for teacher training proposals design, for preservice teachers’ learning and their subsequent practice. In the case of beliefs about cultural diversity, it becomes more important, if possible, because beliefs set future teachers expectations, their knowledge about students and, ultimately, their practice (Aguado et al., 2008; Korthagen, 2010; Nieto & McDonough, 2011).

However, despite the importance conferred to teachers’ thinking, many voices denounce a limited consideration given to elements such as beliefs during initial teacher education, as well as to the multicultural character of social and educational settings (Grossman & McDonald, 2008; Grant & Gibson, 2011). It is widely recognized the increased commitment to cultural diversity in discourse area and in national and international regulations (MEC, 2003, European Commission, 2010). Nevertheless, from the field of practical training, demands for initial training that train future teachers to carry out their professional work in a culturally sensitive and relevant way are constant (Zeichner, 2009; Lopez & Hinojosa , 2012; Lucas & Villegas, 2013).

From this perspective, studying initial teacher training programs’ effectiveness in relation to their impact on preservice teachers’ learning, beliefs and attitudes, it becomes a priority area of research (Cochran -Smith, Davis & Fries, 2004; Rodríguez Izquierdo, 2009; Gay, 2010). Thereby, it could be possible to determine whether theoretical advances have effectively reversed in training practice committed to cultural diversity.

Previous doctoral thesis has made progress in this direction, studying preservice teachers’ beliefs about cultural diversity at the beginning and ending of initial training process, covering the entire training period and, at the same time, analyzing the changes experienced depending on variables like course and specialty. This research has shown that future teachers have positive beliefs about cultural diversity in general issues relating to the multicultural society and education in multicultural contexts. However, these beliefs become more polarized, even conflicting, when they are asked about specific aspects of educational practice, students’ sociocultural background or teachers’ role. Likewise, it has been shown that students used to present a restrictive view of cultural diversity, mostly associated with immigration phenomenon. Also, future teachers’ beliefs have varied depending on the course and specialty, showing that initial teacher training could exert impact on some beliefs and promote a more favorably view towards cultural diversity in students who are finalizing their initial teacher training (Hinojosa, 2013).

These findings light up some questions and shed new research questions, some of which are intended to clarify from this new research: What specific aspects of initial teacher training may be causing the variation and/or strengthening of preservice teachers’ beliefs?, why future teachers hold contradictory beliefs about students and training practice?, why the “course” variable is mainly related to modification of beliefs with a practical nature and less with other theoretical variables?, why some specialties evidence beliefs less favorable to cultural diversity than other specialties?

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