JAASEP FALL 2025 Part 8 of 10
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Increasing cultural diversity in our nation’s schools has highlighted the need to prepare teacher candidates to work with culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners. Hussar and Bailey (2020) project that by 2028, the percentage of White students will decrease an additional 7% while populations will continue to increase for students who are Black (1%), Hispanic (8%), Asian/Pacific Islanders (20%), and those from two or more racial/ethnic groups (51%).
Although the racial and ethnic composition of our nation and our schools are changing, teacher demographics have not kept pace. In 1988, 87% of the teaching workforce was White; three decades later, 82% percent of teachers in our schools are White, with 18% being from CLD backgrounds (U.S. DOE, 2016). Preservice and inservice teachers continue to be predominantly White females from suburban or rural settings who may have little knowledge of learners with CLD backgrounds (Imler, 2009; Kahn et al., 2014; Taylor, 2010; Trent et al., 2008). DeCastro-Ambrosetti and Cho (2011) posit that educators bring their values and experiences into the classroom. If a preservice teacher lacks cultural awareness beyond surface-level celebrations and cultural symbols (Brown-Jeffy & Cooper, 2011).
Abstract
There have been increases in the culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student population over the last two decades; however, these changes have not been realized in the diversification of educators in the field. This sequential explanatory mixed methods study examined preservice special education teachers’ (N = 54) culturally responsive self-efficacy beliefs and the factors and experiences that influenced their self-efficacy through semi-structured interviews (n = 8). This study sought to extend the work of Siwatu (2011a) by administering the culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) scale and modifying it to include the language of disability (Chu & Garcia, 2014). Results indicate special education preservice teachers have moderately high CRTSE for teaching CLD learners with disabilities. Differences and commonalities between high and low self-efficacy groups are discussed.