Teaching for diversity: a literature overview and an analysis of the curriculum of a teacher training college

This article starts with an overview of the literature aiming to answer the question of what the knowledge aspect of teacher competence entails in urban schools. The conclusion of the overview identifies five areas of expertise as the most significant: (1) language development; (2) pedagogy; (3) social interaction and identity; (4) parental involvement; and (5) schools and community. In the second part of the article, we describe the results of an analysis of the curriculum of a teacher training college in one of the largest cities in the Netherlands. The vision document, teacher competences and course descriptions were analysed using the description of the areas of expertise. The results show the extent to which all five areas are covered. The article ends with recommendations regarding the curriculum, so that graduates will be better qualified for teaching for diversity.