Multicultural Teaching Self-Efficacy and Instructional Practices in Linguistically Diverse ELA Classrooms

Background: As secondary English language arts (ELA) classrooms become increasingly linguistically diverse, concerns persist about teachers’ preparedness to provide rigorous and equitable instruction in multilingual classrooms. Multicultural teaching self-efficacy (MTSE) has been associated with diversity-responsive teaching practices. However, little is known about how MTSE relates to instructional practices in linguistically diverse secondary ELA classrooms or whether these relationships vary across levels of linguistic diversity. Purpose: This study examines the relationship between secondary ELA teachers’ MTSE and three dimensions of instructional practice: classroom management, instructional clarity, and cognitive activation. It also investigates whether these relationships vary according to the level of classroom linguistic diversity. Research Design: This study used data from the 2018 U.S. Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), drawing on a nationally representative sample of 364 secondary ELA teachers. Survey-weighted multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between MTSE and instructional practices and to test whether classroom linguistic diversity moderated these relationships. Conclusions: MTSE was not directly associated with classroom management, instructional clarity, or cognitive activation. However, classroom linguistic diversity moderated several of these relationships. Teachers in multilingual classrooms reported lower levels of instructional clarity and cognitive activation overall, yet those with higher MTSE reported greater use of both practices. These findings highlight the importance of MTSE in sustaining rigorous and equitable instruction in linguistically diverse ELA classrooms.