Data Analysis Results for Quantitative Data

            The Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy Survey contained items that related to teaching in a classroom. Participants were asked to self-rate on a Likert-scale of 0-100, 0 meaning they had no confidence at all in their abilities and 100 meaning they were completely confident in their abilities. There was only one survey question that three out of four participants self-rated a score of 70 or below: “I am able to implement strategies to minimize the effects of the mismatch between my students’ home culture and the school culture”. The remaining participant self-rated a score of 85 on this survey question.

            The two preservice educators’ survey answers varied greatly. In fact, one of the preservice educators self-rated with the lowest scores of all four participants, with five survey questions rated with a score of 30 or below, and six survey questions rated between 40 and 50. The other preservice educator participant self-rated the highest scores out of all four participants, self-rating only one question below 80. This is particularly interesting because typically preservice teachers feel the most confident and efficacious prior to entering the field (Woolfolk Hoy, 2000). 

            The two inservice educators’ answers differed, but were more similar than the two preservice educators’ responses. One of the inservice educators self-rated nine responses a score of 70 or below. The other inservice educator self-rated four responses a score of 80 or below. Interestingly, these two inservice educators self-rated the same three survey questions low (although they provided different scores for each response). Two of these survey questions involved using English Language Learners’ native language in the classroom. The other survey question was about highlighting how other cultural groups have made use of mathematics.

       

Data Analysis Results for Qualitative Data

            Interview transcriptions were reviewed multiple times.The two emergent, overarching themes that emerged among all four interviews were: (1) relationships with students/families and (2) virtual teaching/learning/COVID-19.

        The preservice educator with the most confidence was asked why she felt so confident in implementing CRT. When asked what made this participant feel confident going into student teaching, she responded “I’d say what makes me feel the most confident is having the knowledge base to do these things…a lot of this is stuff I have learned in classes and I have had assignments over”. However, when the second preservice educator was asked about confidence in adapting instruction, she responded “I guess that just like comes with teaching…but I don’t feel confident in my ability to do that” and “I think like reading through the list, I feel like as I teach, I’ll learn this stuff and get more used to this stuff”.

            Alternatively, the inservice educators discussed virtual learning and how it impacted relationships with students. For example, one inservice educator discussed how virtual learning has affected adaptation and differentiation to instruction: “…right now I’m thinking in terms of virtual instruction so that’s probably…you know it’s a little bit intimidating now so that’s probably why I rated that one a little bit lower”. The other inservice instructor spoke of how relationships are impacted by virtual instruction: “I was thinking of like my virtual setting right now and that it’s Covid time and I feel like a lot of things are skewed in how I see things and even how my students are interacting with me”.

            All four participants commented on the effects COVID-19 and, consequently, virtual teaching has had or will have on their students. They also all mentioned that they place importance on relationships between themselves and their students and families. This is important to note because Culturally Responsive Teaching is centered around relationships and community.