| This study examined the presence, allocation, and quality of multicultural content found within 17 textbooks assigned to preservice teachers for early childhood education specialization courses at a large regional university in Oklahoma. A mixed-methods content analysis was conducted to assess the depth, breadth and instructional relevance of 58 multicultural indicators within the sample. The study also sought to identify what aspects of multicultural education were underrepresented or left unaddressed. Inferential statistics were employed to analyze findings for each textbook, for all course collections, and for the entire series. Analysis exposed trends related to three core elements of multicultural preparedness: theoretical base, cultural and linguistic diversity base, and experiential base. Findings revealed limited access to multicultural topics and themes. |
