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

Abstract

This study investigated the association between teachers’ culturally responsive teaching (CRT) self-efficacy, students’ perceptions of classroom cultural diversity climate (i.e., equal treatment by students and heritage and intercultural learning) and the academic and psychological adjustment of elementary school children in culturally diverse German classrooms. Participants were 41 teachers and 234 fourth grade students (38% first immigrant generation, 43.4% second immigrant generation, 18.6% non-immigrant). Analyses showed that teachers’ CRT self-efficacy and student-perceived equal treatment were positively related to mathematical competence and German proficiency. 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 students’ adjustment. Findings suggested that teachers’ CRT self-efficacy and classroom cultural diversity climate can be beneficial for different aspects of the academic and psychological adjustment of elementary school students, regardless of their immigrant generation.