A Correlational Study of Teacher Efficacy and Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques in a Southeastern Urban School District

This study investigated the level of personal and general teacher efficacy of teachers from three high schools within a southeastern urban school district. Additional research questions focused on correlational relationships between teacher efficacy and culturally responsive teaching, instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management as measured by the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES), Culturally Responsive Teaching Techniques (CRTT) Scale, and Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES). The CRTT Scale and TSES were combined to create a 29-item instrument to examine culturally responsive teaching, instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management. Significant relationships were found between teacher efficacy and culturally responsive teaching, instructional strategies, student engagement, and classroom management. Teacher efficacy and culturally responsive teaching are positively related; the finding supports studies that indicate teachers who possess high levels of efficacy are more likely to use higher levels of culturally responsive pedagogy which has a positive impact on student engagement and achievement