Dimensions of Teachers’ Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Multicultural Elementary Classrooms: An Exploratory Sequential Study in American Samoa
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This study examined elementary teachers’ implementation of culturally responsive pedagogy in multicultural schools in the Territory of American Samoa using an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Qualitative findings informed the development of a 56-item instrument measuring seven dimensions: Cultural Awareness, Cultural Integration, Linguistic Responsiveness, Inclusive Climate, Student Cultural Expression, Community-Informed Instruction, and Instructional Adaptability. Exploratory factor analysis supported the seven-factor structure (KMO = .907; Bartlett’s χ²(1540) = 18073, *p* < .001), while reliability analysis demonstrated acceptable to excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .791–.961; McDonald’s ω = .918–.964). Descriptive results indicated a high overall level of culturally responsive pedagogy practices (M = 4.33), with Inclusive Climate receiving the highest rating and Community-Informed Instruction the lowest. Gender differences were generally not significant, except for Community-Informed Instruction, whereas public school teachers reported significantly higher scores in Cultural Integration, Linguistic Responsiveness, Instructional Adaptability, and the overall scale. Overall, the findings provide initial evidence that culturally responsive pedagogy in multicultural elementary classrooms is characterized by seven interrelated dimensions.
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