CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS MATTERS: Exploring the connections between teacher self-efficacy and their engagement in culturally relevant practices.

The purpose of this inquiry was to better understand the connections between teachers’ self-efficacy and their engagement in culturally relevant practices. This study took place at an alternative high school situated at a school district in an urban Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Bandura’s (1997) self-efficacy theory served as the study’s theoretical framework, as well as a conceptual framework for considering how cultural responsiveness in teaching a culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse student population might be connected with teachers’ self-efficacy. Eight teachers (pseudonym) were selected to participate in this study by the variance of scores from their survey questionnaire on teacher self-efficacy. Upon purposefully selection, participants were then invited to participate in an interview. In these interviews, I sought to understand the connections between teachers’ self-efficacy and their ability to engage in culturally relevant practices. The three main themes that emerged include: (1). Building relationships, (2). Making cultural connections, and (3). Engagement in culturally relevant practice. Primary findings suggest that: (1). Teacher self-efficacy matters for student experiences, (2). The importance of teachers building and establishing relationships with families, and (3). Teachers need to know what cultural relevance is and how to engage in culturally relevant practice. Implications for research and practice are offered