EXAMINING THE EFFECT ON BEGINNING TEACHER SELF-EFFICACY THROUGH CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

High teacher turnover rates and less students entering into the teacher preparation programs has increased the need to better prepare and retain beginning teachers. The purpose of this mixed methods inquiry is to focus on the effect of Culturally Responsive Teaching professional development on beginning teacher self-efficacy relative to African American student engagement in this rural Eastern North Carolina elementary school. Researched-based strategies to increase Culturally Responsive Teaching include setting high standards and expectations, critical self-reflection, and continued professional development. This inquiry encompassed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design organized through Action Research Cycles involving the Plan-Do-Study-Act model. This inquiry included multiple quantitative data instruments (Ohio State Self-Efficacy Survey, Walk-through Observation Instrument, and lesson plans) to collect and analyze data about engaging African American students on beginning teacher self-efficacy. This inquiry explained the quantitative data with qualitative data collected through beginning teacher interviews and a journal kept by the scholarly practitioner. The results indicated that the professional development series, observations, and post-conferences positively impacted the beginning teacher self-efficacy of the participants in this inquiry through the lens of their African American students.