Educating Teachers for Diversity: Meeting the Challenge

This publication summarises key research findings which can be used to redesign initial and continuing teacher education to help practitioners effectively teach diverse students. It looks at challenges teachers face in OECD countries and presents a range of policies and practices used in various contexts, from countries with long histories of diversity to those with more recent experiences.

The key role of evaluation – of teachers, schools and systems – is emphasised. Educating Teachers for Diversity: Meeting the Challenge asks how these insights can inspire continuing educational reform for our changing classrooms, with a special focus on key questions for research, policy and practice.


Are teachers being adequately prepared and supported to make the most of the diverse students in their classrooms? Globalised societies must learn to benefit from their increasingly diverse populations. Teachers can play a key role in this by integrating students with different backgrounds and encouraging their academic and social achievement. As teachers’ roles and responsibilities change with their students, teacher education and training must evolve as well. What is the best way to do this, and how can success be measured?