The demographic landscape of the elementary classroom continues to grow more diverse. Due to this increasing diversity, it is important that all educators, no matter the level of experience, are prepared to support all students, especially those from unique or under represented backgrounds. One way to assist educators in meeting these needs is to provide them with educational resources and effective teaching strategies that are culturally and linguistically responsive. A possible resource and teaching strategy is the literacy tool, Reader's Theatre. Considering this, the two studies contained in this dissertation provide readers with a glimpse of how Reader's Theatre may be used as a valuable resource to foster culturally and linguistically responsive classrooms. A content analysis (Berelson, 1952; Northrop et al., 2019; White and Marsh, 2006) of 141 Reader's Theatre scripts contained in the Best Class Collection (Young, 2019) was conducted to assess the cultural and linguistic authenticity of those resources. A thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was carried out accessing preservice teachers' perceptions and understandings of Reader's Theatre as a culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategy gauging the value of combining the two teaching strategies. Overall, the findings from these two studies may serve as starting points for future research in respect to the value of implementing Reader's Theatre as a culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategy as discussions about culturally and linguistically responsive teaching remain prevalent in today's elementary school classrooms. / Doctor of Education / Students in today's elementary classrooms come from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Due to this increasing diversity, teachers must be prepared to support these students in a variety of ways. One of the best ways to support these unique students is to use teaching strategies that are engaging and allow students to connect with what is being taught in the classroom. Reader's Theatre, normally used as a literacy strategy, could be used as a tool to address the different cultures and languages of students. In this dissertation, two research studies were conducted about the connection of Reader's Theatre and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. The first study looked at a group of Reader's Theatre scripts to see if they were appropriate to use in the classroom to support students from multicultural backgrounds. In the second study, preservice teachers, or student teachers, were interviewed to get their thoughts as to any possible value using Reader's Theatre as a culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategy. The preservice teachers expressed that there is value in combining the two strategies, but only when teachers plan carefully and use Reader's Theatre in a meaningful way. As elementary classroom populations continue to grow in the number of students from diverse backgrounds, the information from these two studies can provide teachers with an idea of what may be possible to support all students in being successful.

Although university supervisors have a responsibility to prepare apprentice teachers to become culturally responsive special educators, supervisors themselves may not be qualified or have the requisite experience and training to do so (Jacobs, 2006). Additionally, little is known about how to effectively mentor preservice teachers to engage in critically reflective practice and how to foster culturally and linguistically responsive pedagogy (CLRP) to meet the needs of all learners (Athanases et al. 2008; Grant & Zozakiewicz, 1995). Specifically, there is a lack of teacher education research about the specific nature and quality of supervisory conversations that foster critical reflection among special educators who serve exceptional students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This study was designed to (a) understand how supervisors engage in supervisory conferences to promote student teachers' critical reflection about CLRP and (b) identify contextual factors that appear to influence the nature and quality of discussions about CLRP in these conversations. Three university supervisors and their five special education student teachers were the participants for this research. Using an interpretivist, qualitative approach, several layers of inductive analysis were applied to multiple data sources: Content analysis was used to examine lesson plans, observation notes, and supervisory conversations for evidence of understanding and application of CLRP. Discourse analysis methods allowed for examination of supervisory conferences: interactional sociolinguistics to understand which participants initiated discussions about CLRP, how these discussions evolved, and tensions around these topics; and pragmatics to understand what types of prompts, statements and questions generated or scaffolded critical thinking in preservice teachers. Instrumental case study methodology was then applied to supervisor-student teacher dyads to identify emergent themes. Findings revealed that discussions about CLRP emerged between each supervisor -- student teacher pair, perhaps due to the presence of a supervisory conference guide. Supervisors used a variety of prompts to engage student teachers in technical, descriptive and dialogic levels; however, critical reflection was not demonstrated in this study. Supervisors seemed underprepared in the skills required to foster a stance of critical reflection in their student teachers. Implications for the preparation of university supervisors and special education teacher education research are presented. / text

For the past 7 years in a public Midwestern school district, 75% of the English learners (ELs) in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have performed below proficiency on the state examination. To address the declining academic achievement, district administration required that K-5 teachers attend professional development (PD) that featured culturally and linguistically responsive (CLR) instructional practices for ELs. Despite district wide PD, school administration did not monitor implementation of these practices and student achievement continued to decline. This qualitative bounded case study was grounded in Vygotsky's constructivism and Krashen's second language acquisition theories. The purpose of this study was to explore teachers' perceptions and use of CLR instructional practices when teaching ELs. Data were collected via 23 individual interviews with and 22 observations of teachers, who had taught ELs within the last 3 years. Data were analyzed using typological analysis and a priori codes were established based on the typologies. Teachers reported they were using academic language and native language in class, but these instructional practices were not supported in observation data. Furthermore, teachers reported that using the student's native language, incorporating language and content, lack of instructional time, and a need for further training in how to teach ELs were barriers that affected implementation of CRL instructional practices. Based on the findings, a 3-day professional development was created to increase teachers' knowledge of how to develop ELs' academic language, to use ELs' native language in the classroom, and to overcome classroom barriers. These endeavors may contribute to positive social change when administrators provide teachers with CLR instructional practices, ELs may increase their academic performance.

This mixed-methods study examined teachers' culturally responsive teaching (CRT) self-efficacy beliefs and the relationships among selected academic, demographic, and experiential factors. Guided by theoretical and empirical research on CRT, teacher dispositions, and assessment in teacher education (TE) programs for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, this study utilized an extended version of Siwatu's 2007 Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy (CRTSE) Scale to conduct correlational and comparative statistical analyses. Data sources included surveys from 265 participants enrolled in TE classes in the spring 2012 in Texas (one private and one public university). Content analyses were also conducted on participants' descriptions of CRT activities using a priori and inductive coding methods to triangulate and elaborate the explanation of quantitative results. In this population, those with higher CRTSE were typically young (undergraduates), specializing in ESL and bilingual certification coursework, who felt their TE program prepared them well for working with CLD student populations. Regression analyses showed that certain certification areas (ESL, bilingual, elementary, and advanced) and perceptions of better quality in TE program preparation for working with CLD students emerged as significant predictors of increased CRTSE. Those with second language skills were more efficacious in delivering linguistically-responsive instruction, and those professing more experiences with and interest in diverse individuals felt more confident in applying CRT skills. While the younger teacher candidates felt more efficacious, their descriptions of CRT were less sophisticated than those with more teaching experience. Despite much of the literature relating to CRT and minority teachers, ethnicity was not a significant factor in heightened CRTSE. This study informs TE programs for better measuring and supporting teacher candidate CRT development by revising and extending Siwatu's 2007 study in three ways. First, the CRTSE Scale instrument was extended to include items that address greater depth and breadth of the culturally responsive teaching continuum as developed by the researcher, relating particularly to language and literacy development of English language learners. Second, this study involved a more varied and appropriate population, including both pre-service and in-service teachers. Third, specific participant factors were analyzed to see which correlated with higher CRTSE Scale scores.

This study used mixed methods to examine middle school mathematics teachers’ beliefs about English Learners’ ability to participate in rigorous, grade-level math instruction as well as beliefs about their own capacity for teaching English Learners. Additionally, the study investigated the influence of teachers’ beliefs on their instructional practices and identified the types of support teachers need to develop as culturally and linguistically responsive educators. Findings revealed some dissonance between teachers’ explicit beliefs about teaching English Learners and their implicit beliefs illustrated through instructional decisions made, as well as previously unrecognized gaps in teachers’ ability to identify and differentiate the needs of different types of English learners. Finally, the study identified teachers’ pressing needs for additional support at the school and district levels to continue to develop skills and knowledge to improve their teaching for English learners. The study concluded with an action plan for developing a robust professional learning system to develop teachers’ self-efficacy as culturally and linguistically responsive educators while also addressing implicit bias through reflection.