Ko-Wong (2025) conducts a systematic review to examine how teacher education programs (TEPs) in the United States conceptualize, implement, and prioritize equity. Drawing on 58 empirical studies that met rigorous inclusion criteria, the review synthesizes program-level equity efforts across coursework, field placements, recruitment strategies, faculty development, and structural reforms. The analysis highlights substantial conceptual ambiguity: many programs invoke equity rhetorically while relying on race-evasive framings, thin interpretations of fairness, or narrow emphases on access and achievement. Few studies explicitly address Whiteness, racism, power, or meritocracy—core constructs in critical equity frameworks.
Using an adapted strong-equity lens, the review finds that most TEPs focus on surface-level or fragmented activities, such as required multicultural courses or isolated field experiences, which often lack coherence and long-term impact. Although coursework and community-based placements can support preservice teachers’ awareness of diverse learners, evidence suggests that these efforts frequently fall short of transforming candidates’ racial literacy or challenging institutional hierarchies. Only a limited subset of programs adopt more systemic approaches that integrate equity across curricula, partnerships, supervision, and program structures.
The findings underscore the persistent gap between equity rhetoric and equity enactment in teacher preparation. Ko-Wong argues that meaningful progress requires programs to name and confront systemic racism, destabilize dominant ideologies such as color-evasiveness and meritocracy, and reimagine TEPs as sites of structural change rather than individual skill development. The review concludes with recommendations for advancing strong equity through conceptual clarity, coherent program design, and deeper engagement with racial justice frameworks.
Source (Open Access): Ko-Wong, L. (2025). Equity in Teacher Education Programs: A Systematic Review of Conceptions and Program-Level Efforts. Review of Educational Research, 00346543251382579.