A Phenomenological Study of the Development of Teachers' Self-Efficacy in Culturally Responsive Teaching

• In Event: Teacher Perceptions and Enactments of Culturally Sustaining Practices

Abstract

Given gaps in knowledge of how to effectively cultivate U.S. teachers ‘culturally responsive self-efficacy (CRTSE), and the promise culturally responsive teaching holds in supporting the education of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, this study aims to examine how seven teachers developed CRTSE, and the subsequent shifts they reported in their teaching practices. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured phone interviews. Results from this study point to the link between the development of a teacher’s feelings of CRTSE, prior life experiences, systemic factors (e.g., curriculum and school resources), and relational exchanges with students and other key stakeholders. Implications for future research and educational efforts are discussed.

Author

• Sarah Kiran Manchanda, University of California - Berkeley