E. Mahan Cultural Competency Prof. Ozcan Spring 2006 Power of the Professor Promoting Teacher Efficacy for Working With Culturally Diverse Students Carolyn M. Tucker, Terrence Porter, Wendy M. Reinke, Keith C. Herman, Phyllis D. Ivery, Christopher E. Mack, Erin S. Jackson

What is Teacher Efficacy? -The belief that teachers have about their abilities and skills to create desirable outcomes for students We will: Examine the effect of teacher efficacy on academic and behavioral outcomes of culturally diverse learners Review the findings of a teacher-training program designed to promote teacher efficacy in relation to culturally diverse students Learn ways to increase teacher efficacy when working with culturally diverse learners

Factors Affecting Student Achievement Teacher behavior Teacher expectations Curriculum relevance Class size Student involvement Student confidence level Attendance Parental expectations Parent education level Income/poverty level “Teachers’ sense of efficacy is one of the few teacher characteristics consistently related to student achievement.”

Feel the Power—Teachers Who Believe Ultimately improve student achievement

Two Dimensions of Teacher Efficacy 1.Personal:The teacher believes that his/her ability can affect change in the student despite home and peer influence. 2. General:The teacher believes that teaching can overcome external influences.

Teacher Beliefs and Outcomes Low-efficacy teachers spent almost 50% in small-group instruction High-efficacy teachers spent only 28% of instructional time in small groups High efficacy teachers spent more time monitoring, checking seatwork, and providing whole group instruction Effective teachers use more whole-group instruction and maintain higher levels of student engagement.

Feedback Patterns After an Incorrect Response Low-efficacy teachers Feel unprepared to teach students from culturally different backgrounds Low-efficacy teachers: -Provide correct answer -Call on another student -Allow another student to call out the answer preemptively Look to solutions outside their own classroom Feel the cause is due to external factors Refer students to special education more often

The Study based on Carolyn Tucker’s Self-Empowerment Theory and The Model Program (Tucker and Herman) Program Objectives: Teachers were empowered to meet the challenges of teaching diverse students To share ways to self-empower culturally diverse students To identify ways to self-empower parents of culturally diverse students To normalize the feelings, frustrations, concerns, and questions of teachers To share practical, culturally sensitive solutions to questions and problems Workshop focus: Teach students to teach themselves Teach students to motivate themselves To self-manage their own behaviors and express feelings constructively To use adaptive skills (comm., punctual, attitude, prepared, participate, etc.) To praise themselves for effort, progress, and success Purpose of the present study was to develop and test a training program for promoting teacher efficacy for working with students from diverse backgrounds. Would public school teachers benefit from training in the core principles of the Model Program? Teacher effic should increase—schools has similar demograp and D on state tests SET postulates that behavior problems and academic failure are influenced by: self-motivation to achieve, perceived self-control, self-reinforcement, adaptive life skills, and engagement in success behaviors.

Method 62 teachers (43 European Americans and 19 African Americans) 14.62 mean years of teaching 37 in intervention group 25 in control 6 elementary schools in southeastern region of US All schools had similar demographics All received a “D” grade on statewide comprehensive assessment of student performance Schools were randomly assigned to a) teacher-only assessment, b) school-wide intervention, c) no training control group

Procedure Teachers attended a 6-hour workshop Teachers were educated about methods and strategies that are most effective when teaching culturally diverse students. Teachers were invited to attend a follow-up session 12 teachers attended to answer questions and address problems

1. Post success behaviors Discussion Multiple external factors (e.g. social, cultural, economic, political, school, neighborhood, family, parent) can impact the academic and social behaviors of children Teach students to achieve under whatever conditions exist Provide Self-empowerment Skills: Self-praise Adaptive skills Success behaviors such as: asking questions, using eye contact, and role-playing to determine best behavior 1. Post success behaviors 2. Review them daily 3. Praise behaviors when they occur

Suggestions for Teachers Working with Culturally Diverse Students Conduct very organized classes Review expected behaviors during and outside of class Have consistent consequences for unacceptable behavior Practice role-playing to learn appropriate behaviors and decision making skills Make students feel important and respected—Create opportunities for students to share what they praised themselves for. Establish a comfortable and positive relationship, determine factors related to their behavior problems, find positive behaviors/attitudes to praise BE CONSISTENT Culturally diverse students respond when they feel important, comfortable, valued, and receive positive attention. Teachers should model what they want the students to use: Monkey See- Monkey Do

Cultural Sensitivity Verbal and nonverbal communication in teaching and learning are equally important Be aware of different norms among various cultures No one culture is superior/inferior to another Differences between cultures are not deficits of the minority culture

Culturally Sensitive Strategies Teachers need to have strategies on hand such as: Facilitate communication between parents and teaches about ways to help students Hold meetings at a community center or fast food restaurant Show parents how to help students with homework or to identify another family member to help Help students to learn how to study effectively (See Tucker’s book:African-American Children: A Self-Empowerment Approach to Modifying Behavior Problems and Preventing Academic Failure 1999)

Conclusion Teacher efficacy can be increased through brief training and opportunities for ongoing consultation. Theories/procedures can be transferred from the after-school program study to experienced public school teachers. Increased teacher efficacy= improved academic achievement of culturally diverse students “When teachers feel competent to effectively teach all students in their classrooms, the academic achievement of culturally diverse students will most likely increase.”