2021 Theses Doctoral

School Teachers’ Knowledge and Self-Efficacy for Performing Behaviors Recommended for Work with Diverse Students: Exploring Microaggressions, Cultural Humility, Perceived Racism, and Coping as Predictors of School Climate

LeeHim, Renée

There is a need for professional development for teachers that equips them for working with diverse students and creating supportive school climates. This pilot study (N=55) with K-12 teachers sought to identify predictors of a high school climate rating. The teachers were 78.2% (N=43) female, 81.8% U.S. born (N=45), 45.5% White (N=25), 30.9% Black (N=17), 14.5% Latinx (N=8), and 7.3% Asian (N=3). The teachers had moderately high knowledge and closest to moderately high self-efficacy for performing key behaviors deemed essential for working effectively with diverse students. Teachers reported experiencing (pre-pandemic) a school climate closest to moderately supporting, engaging, valuing, fairly disciplining, affirming, reflecting empathy for, and serving as a safe space for students from varied cultural backgrounds. Findings showed that about half the teachers or more had any experience of microaggressions that seemed related to their personal demographics or appearance while in school settings—pre-pandemic. Further, about three-quarters of teachers or more had any experience of witnessing microaggressions happening to students in school settings, pre-pandemic.