Where Are We Now? Changing Admission Rates for Underrepresented Groups in Ontario Teacher Education
Keywords:
access, equity, teacher education, underrepresented groups, admissionsAbstract
Equitable representation is an ongoing challenge for Canadian teacher education. While university educators recognize that a diverse teaching force supports both student outcomes and teacher retention, various groups – including first-generation students, students with disabilities, students of Aboriginal descent, and other racialized minorities – are underrepresented in Ontario’s colleges and universities. Further, while many Canadian teacher education programs identify equity and diversity as key values, these values do not always result in rates of representation that reflect the student population. This study therefore examines the changes in application and acceptance rates of self-identifying underrepresented groups in Ontario’s new four-semester teacher education programs. Such data will enable teacher educators to better understand rates of representation, and will be of interest to stakeholders from across Canada as they work to address the complex task of increasing equity and access for underrepresented groups in their programs.
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