Preservice Teachers’ Knowledge About Censorship

This article describes preservice teachers’ knowledge of censorship and book banning in today’s schools. Ninety-five preservice teachers responded to a Qualtrics survey consisting of seven Likert-scale and one open-ended question. Results indicated that preservice teachers were not aware of issues related to censorship in schools, but they were moderately to heavily concerned about how censorship will affect them as a future teacher. Additionally, most participants were not aware of parental or educators’ rights regarding censorship. Most participants indicated they would be likely to use a controversial book in their future classroom. The qualitative data indicated opposition to censorship but compliance due to feared repercussions. Implications included raising awareness about censorship, encouraging reflective practice, and empowering teachers to embrace changing landscapes.