Investigating Preservice Teachers’ Culturally Responsive, Sustaining Self-Efficacy and Competences

• In Event: Preparing Teachers for Multilingual Learners: Equity-Oriented Practices Across Educational Settings

Abstract

As the number of multilingual students (MLs) in K-12 increases, it becomes imperative to address the disparity in teacher preparation. Teachers who have high self-efficacy teaching MLs are likely to more efficiently support their students, yet, many feel unprepared to teach MLs. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study examined ML teaching self-efficacy among preservice teachers (N = 36) enrolled in diversity and literacy courses incorporating Case-Based Instruction focused on such topics as family, language, and identity. White, non-traditional, and ML endorsement participants tended to have higher ML teaching self-efficacy; diversity-focused coursework was a statistically significant contributor to self-efficacy. Qualitative results suggested that lower overall self-efficacy was associated with participants’ diminished ability to identify problems and solutions in diversity classroom cases.

Authors

• Eugenie Mainake, Washington State University

• Shenghai Dai, Washington State University

• Yuliya Ardasheva, Washington State University - Tri Cities

• Yun-Ju Hsiao, Washington State University - Tri-Cities

• Shannon M. Calderone, Washington State University

• Sarah L. Newcomer, Washington State University - Tri-Cities