With the increased diversity in elementary and secondary classrooms and the progresively implementation of inclusive education in ordinary schools, teacher training institutions have been challenged to make changes in their programs to better prepare preservice teachers for educating diverse learners. The number of students with diverse educational needs receiving all or the majority of their education in regular classrooms has increased dramatically in the last decades (Office of Special Education, 2013; MEC, 2015); consequently, due to the rise in inclusion practices it is imperative that preservice teachers be prepared for teaching diverse students inclusively (Allday, Neilsen-Gatti, & Hudson, 2013).

Research has traditionally indicated that general education teachers appear to be ill prepared to work with diverse students (Scruggs & Matropieri, 1996) and that they also lack the skills to adjust or adapt curriculum and instruction to reach all the students (Chiner & Cardona, 2012; Scott, Vitale, & Masten, 1998). Researchers have usually investigated preservice teachers beliefs and attitudes regarding diversity and inclusion (Avramidis & Norwich, 2002) but they have overlooked at how teacher education institutions are really compromised with their teacher education for diversity training. More specifically, research has overlooked at how teacher education programs are addresing specific content, knowledge and pedagogies of difference to make their preservice teachers enter the profession adequately equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach in diverse inclusive classrooms (Gurin, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002; Hurtado, 2001). As some researchers argue, preservice preparation is the best time to address this issue (e.g., Forlin, 2013). If preparation for diversity and inclusive practices depends largely upon teaching level, area of certification, and institutional compromise (Gehrke & Cocchiarella, 2013; Kim, 2011), there is a high pressure to learn if colleges of education are sensitive and show commitment to diversity.

Today hundreds of colleges and universities recognize the educational value of diversity and view diversity as an essential resource for optimizing teaching and learning. However, empirical data of the impact of diversity on students growth and teaching emain scarce. The theory of diversity as a compelling interest created an opportunity and a need for institutions to demonstrate its educational benefits (Gurin, 1999), but researchers have not examined enough whether faculty members and student teachers actually find in their institutions a real compromise with diversity and its pedagogical implications reflected in their teacher education programs.

This paper will present the results of a student survey. Student teachers from two different institutions were asked about their perceptions of the value of diversity in their respective colleges of education and its impact in classrooms. Specifically, the study addresses the following research questions: (1) Do student teachers believe that their institutions value diversity?; (2) What do student teachers believe the benefits of diversity are?; and (3) Do the value of diversity affect faculty classroom practices?

The study also examined to what extent socio-cultural contextual differences and previous experience with diversity could influence student teachers responses.  

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