Examining Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy in a Preservice Social Studies Education Course

In a preexperimental study of preservice practitioners’ professional dispositions, we examined the relationship between an innovative culturally responsive teaching model in a social studies methods course and teacher candidates’ culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy. Findings indicate preservice teachers exposed to an in-depth culturally responsive teaching epistemology were more confident in their abilities to employ culturally relevant teaching practices. Participants noted increased willingness to work in diverse communities. Preservice teachers were more efficacious in their abilities to teach multicultural social studies content. Our study suggests that a comprehensive culturally responsive, social studies methods course inspired efficacious attitudes toward teaching diverse learners and content.