Culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and culturally diverse climate are positively associated with the academic and psychological adjustment of immigrant and non-immigrant students

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigated the associations between teachers’ culturally responsive teaching (CRT) self-efficacy, students’ perceptions of classroom cultural diversity climate (CDC), and the academic and psychological adjustment of elementary school students in culturally diverse German classrooms. Method: The sample included 41 teachers and 234 fourth grade students ( M age = 10.48, SD age = 0.56, 55% female; 38% first immigrant generation). We conducted multilevel analyses to assess the associations between teachers’ CRT self-efficacy, student-perceived CDC (i.e., equal treatment by students and heritage and intercultural learning ), and students’ school achievement, school belongingness, and life satisfaction. We performed mediation analyses to investigate to what extent student-perceived CDC explains the association between CRT self-efficacy and student outcomes. Additionally, we explored the moderating role of students’ immigrant generation in the associations. Results: Teachers’ CRT self-efficacy and student-perceived equal treatment were positively related to mathematical competence and German vocabulary. Student-perceived heritage and intercultural learning was positively associated with school belongingness and life satisfaction but negatively with reading comprehension. Equal treatment and heritage and intercultural learning did not mediate the relation between CRT self-efficacy and children’s adjustment. Findings did not vary across students’ immigrant generation. Conclusions: Teachers’ CRT self-efficacy and CDC positively contribute to students’ academic and psychological adjustment, but independently. Both aspects can be beneficial for the adjustment of elementary school children, regardless of their immigrant generation.