Teacher’s Attitudes and Efficacy in Teaching Multicultural Classrooms

Teacher’s Attitudes and Efficacy in Teaching Multicultural Classrooms

Nuenay, Evemae; Cariga, Tashnem; Bualan, Gemalyn; Bañes, Charmaine

University of Mindanao, Matina, Davao City

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.8080364

Received: 07 August 2024; Accepted: 13 August 2024; Published: 25 September 2024

ABSTRACT

This descriptive-correlational study aims to determine the level of Teacher’s attitudes and efficacy in teaching multicultural classroom among the Teachers in Elementary School and scrutinized the relationship between these variables. Environmental knowledge is crucial to provide extent awareness to address these difficult dilemmas that currently expanding the environmental issues within this generation. Given to the global call of ecological problems, it is imperative to examine the ideological readiness of the Teacher’s to deal with these challenges. Quantitative research was implemented, using a modified survey instrument to gather data collection from a sample of 120 Elementary Teacher’s at the chosen Elementary School. The mean and standard deviation, two samples of descriptive statistics, were utilized to assess the degrees of Teacher’s Attitudes and Efficacy. Additionally, the Spearman rho correlational investigation was conducted to identify the important connection between these variables. Furthermore, the findings shows that there is a significant relationship between the two variables, revealing factual data that demonstrated a subtle correlation between these factors. The findings show the integral need to utilize teachers attitudes and efficacy to improve teaching in multicultural classrooms and allows the teachers to make meaningful contributions in diverse teaching, specifically to the curriculum design and pedagogical practices. The results have significance of curriculum design, diverse teaching, enriching research conduction, and highlighting the importance of integrating instructional strategies suitable for diverse learners in multicultural classrooms.

Keywords: education, teacher’s attitudes, teacher’s efficacy, multicultural classroom, elementary teachers, descriptive-correlational, Davao City

INTRODUCTION

People from different cultures engage with more opportunities for communication in a society that is rapidly becoming more globalized. In order to guarantee educational equality without regard to race, religion, or language, educators must have favorable attitudes toward multicultural education, which is described as accepting and embracing many cultures. Numerous studies have primarily addressed the effects of cultural diversity on schools in light of the growing demographic variety in many nations. Educational settings encourage constructive intercultural relationships between students and teachers from various backgrounds. According to research on multicultural education, teachers’ reactions to the growing cultural variety in classrooms worldwide are crucial (Banks et al., 2019).

In an era of increasing worldwide immigration and globalization, teachers face the challenge of meeting the needs of a more diverse student population while reaping the benefits that diversity brings to education (Juang et al., 2020). For states and educational institutions seeking to encourage younger generations to become multilingual, studies that focus solely on immigrant and minority multilingualism offer limited potential because these types of multilingualism are more likely to be found in minority populations. It might be more precise to represent the backgrounds of all teachers and students in the language education setting by using a universal understanding of multilingualism when investigating its use as an educational asset, which additionally addresses officially obtained multilingualism, which everyone may acquire through acquiring another language. Languages, and not dialects, styles, or registers within a particular language structure, are what different linguistic systems mean in the context of multilingualism (e.g., formal or national languages) (de Bot, 2019). Other challenges that instructors in multicultural educational settings have to cope with include the difficulty of being culturally open while remaining conscious of all the distinct cultures present in a single space.

In the 1970s and 1980s, D. Banks for American culture created a unique notion of educational diversity. The foundation of this idea is how people understand cultures and their roles in the community. The overarching objective of the multicultural curriculum aimed to develop the upcoming generation of citizens’ cultural awareness and to help them realize the vision of “a nationally democratic society founded on the values of equality or personalized merits” (Rizun & Strzelecki, 2020). As defined by (Messias et al., 2020), a diverse community offers people from many cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic groupings a variety of chances. People are allowed to maintain their cultural identity and perform well inside the parameters of general learning in other cultural backgrounds in a society like this. Thus, belonging to a group can become essential and salient depending on the features of the learning environment, crucially in circumstances where the ethnic composition of the surroundings and the ethnic group hierarchies can both have an impact on how the groups are perceived to be inequitable (Olonisakin, 2021; Radke et al., 2017). The method of instruction as a whole, and more importantly, the curriculum as a whole, must be oriented toward multiculturalism. The topics must include intercultural information throughout the study (Little and Blau, 2020; Bakracheva, 2019).

Intercultural beliefs, referred to in this research as multidisciplinary perspectives in simple terms, are essential qualities for successful instructional methods (Abacioglu et al., 2020). It is the responsibility of teachers to foster a setting in the educational setting or institution where students may grow to value variety (Mlinar, 2019). Nevertheless, these goals are only achievable if educators have healthy intercultural views. Since culturally sensitive coaching is practiced by instructors with greater levels of intercultural perspectives, it raises minority students’ involvement, enthusiasm for learning, and academic success (Abacioglu et al., 2020). Multidisciplinary philosophy demonstrates societal acceptance of diversity. What about views regarding an individual’s ethnicity or national group of people, however? Specifically, national pride is a particular positive kind of affiliation and relationship with the country (Gustavsson & Stendahl, 2020).

In diverse educational settings, educators are obligated to increase teacher self-efficacy (TSMC), which refers to their confidence in their capacity to “structure and implement the program of study necessary to foster instructing and learning (Bandura, 1997; Choi & Lee, 2020). Professional development programs in multicultural education (PDME) have been developed and carried out for in-service teachers to make up for the absence of expertise in order to “play a role to their self-worth and achievement” in instructing learners in diverse educational settings all over the world (Parkhouse et al., 2019). According to Parkhouse et al. (2019), the primary goals of these programs are to support instructors in better understanding the diversity of their students, utilizing their varied backgrounds and experiences as resources for learning, and developing welcoming atmospheres for learning in the schools.

According to research (Edilo et al., 2022) on Culturally responsive self-efficacy of mathematics teachers: Input for self-efficacy building enhancement, it can be inferred that culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy among mathematics teachers is very evident. Teachers vary their teaching approaches and methodologies based on students’ cultural contexts and backgrounds, and the use of the native language and the contextualized and localized examples influenced the teaching self-efficacy of mathematics teachers in utilizing culturally responsive pedagogies.

Several prior research conducted overseas has determined the attitudes and self-esteem of instructors in educational institutions concerning MCEl practices. According to research (Dubbeld et al., 2019) on educators’ multicultural attitudes and perceptions of school policies and the learning environment concerning emotional exhaustion, teachers with assimilation behaviors and those who believe their educational institution is diverse were more likely to experience stress.

Historical data on educator self-confidence and attitudes about accepting multiculturalism is provided by Bandura’s Social Learning Theory from 1977. Self-efficacy is a beneficial idea for comprehending the variety and actions of different educators. Like Bandura (1994) defined confidence, self-efficacy is the conviction in the capacity of oneself to achieve and sustain an intense dedication. The capacity of people or organizations to establish, execute, and carry out the strategy in order to engage in the objectives, motivate to motivate learners, effectively handle the learning environment, highlight variations among learners, use instructional resources, and utilize successful methods that recognize and comprehend diversity in the educational setting as a whole and particularly in classrooms. Teacher self-efficacy can be described as Individual teachers’ confidence in their unique talents to plan, organize, and execute tasks necessary to achieve specific educational goals. In addition, when working in groups, individual teachers’ self-efficacy may depend on how the group functions (Skaalvik, 2007). Bandura (1977) suggested that belief in one’s ability was a significant force determining motivation to act, the effort put forth in the endeavor, and the perseverance of coping techniques in the face of failures. When instructors believed that pupils could not learn, the input supplied by the teacher emphasized shortcomings, highlighting each pupil’s individual inadequacies.

The Affective-Cognitive Consistency Theory was developed by Rosenberg in 1956 and 1968 with the premise that when a person’s beliefs do not match, inconsistency arises. If our thoughts and feelings concerning a thing or someone do not match, we adjust one or both to bring the attitude into line. As a result, this theory aims to address uniformity in an individual’s system of beliefs and alignment in their attitudes toward other people and objects. An intriguing variance in the consistency approach pertains to Rosenberg’s (1956, 1968) affective-cognitive consistency model, which posits that individuals are more inclined to uphold cognitive consistency to be perceived as consistent by others. In other words, although the individual dealing with the inconsistency may feel tense at times, others may find it more distressing as it creates a conflict for those around them. Rosenberg’s approach is the affective-cognitive consistency model because it suggests that inconsistency occurs when one’s feelings conflict with one’s opinions. When our thoughts and feelings regarding a person or thing differ, we will change one or both to ensure that our attitudes are consistent. Consequently, this framework seeks to address not only coherence within one’s attitudes toward other people and items but also consistency in how one’s system of beliefs interacts with other individuals and things. The theory is also distinctive in that it suggests that inconsistency in oneself causes more stress in others.

This research is essential for educators who provide instruction in ethnically diverse and bilingual environments because it will give them an idea of how their perspectives and efficiency influence how they instruct in a diverse environment and evaluate how well they respond to learners from various ethnic backgrounds and to multiculturalism. It will assist them in assessing and creating efficient strategies for incorporating courses that are sensitive to the requirements of learners in order to become capable adults as they advance in their educational pursuits. Additionally, it promotes the growth and learning of intercultural interpersonal abilities, including oral and written communication. Additionally, it will foster an instinctive understanding of various backgrounds despite their distinct features and make instructors more receptive to the benefits of multiculturalism. Finally, this investigation will aid future scholars in the subject by providing an overview of the collection of information falling under the general heading of applied linguistics, particularly in the domains about higher education. Most significantly, the institution will create various sustainability programs through expanding the research conductions. Lastly, BED students, who are future leaders, gain the utmost environmental understanding and prior commitment to the 8-sustainability development. This research will provide them with a positive phenomenon to society’s general environmental knowledge and actions.

To address the global calls for sustainability development that acknowledges its potential components, this research examined the connection between Teacher Attitudes and Efficacy in Teaching Multicultural Teaching among elementary teachers from one of the elementary schools in Central District 1. The results measured the level of Teacher’s Attitudes in terms of Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort, Gender Rac, and Social Status. The level of teacher efficacy also aims to be determined through engagement with students, instructional strategies, and understanding of diversity. Hence, exploring the more profound knowledge of the interrelation between Teacher’s Attitudes and Efficacy in teaching Multicultural Classrooms plays a vital role in promoting inclusion in established programs and practices by formulating educational intended goals to ensure that it lessens the negative impact and makes our world a better state.

The primary aim of this study is to assess these teachers’ attitudes and efficacy in multicultural teaching and their grasp of diversity issues as shaped by their experiences in multicultural teaching. Hence, it is imperative to expedite this research because there is a pressing need to develop programs that foster inclusion and instructional strategies for diverse students. Moreover, understanding the differences among students in multicultural classrooms is essential for promoting inclusion in diverse classrooms and multicultural education. Additionally, research on multicultural teaching can help gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between teachers’ attitudes and effectiveness towards imparting knowledge in diverse and bilingual settings. It is also crucial to fostering the preservation of diversity in culture and language. This is done by developing cultural and linguistic intended goals that can be used to mitigate adverse effects and make the world a better place.

This study aims to determine the level of teachers’ attitudes and efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms. Specifically, this study tracks down the teacher’s attitude in multicultural classrooms regarding difference and understanding, respect and effort, gender and race, and social status. This study also examines teacher efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms in terms of engagement of students, instructional strategies, and understanding of diversity. The study hypothesizes no significant relationship exists between attitude and efficacy testing at a 0.01 significance level.

METHOD

Research Respondents

The present study involved a sample group of 120 elementary teachers from Grades 1-6 from one of the Elementary Schools in the Central District 1 of Davao City. For this Academic Year, 2023-2024, 120 instructors were anticipated to work at the said Elementary School. Given their direct engagement in the study’s significant topics of teachers’ attitudes and efficacy regarding providing instruction in diverse and bilingual classrooms, these instructors constitute essential demographics for the research. This study did not include respondents who attended other Elementary and Private Schools in Central District 1. Due to constraints on data collection resources and the study’s specific focus on an easily reachable group, a convenience sampling method would be utilized. The study would gather perspectives from people actively participating in the academic process within the designated educational setting since teachers from this elementary school were chosen as respondents. Their invaluable knowledge and expertise will significantly aid in thoroughly comprehending the study goals and enable a nuanced investigation of the relationship among library assets, amenities, and students’ performance in this particular academic environment.

The participants of this research were chosen using the universal sampling approach. Avron (2019) asserts that universal sampling can assist in achieving the ideal level of complexity for every signal category. The faculty members who could supply relevant information were those the researchers selected as respondents using the universal sampling approach. This method helps gather a diverse and objective cross-section of elementary teachers from the chosen school, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of the study’s topic of teachers’ attitudes and efficacy toward teaching in multicultural and multilingual classrooms.

Research Instrument

The Teacher’s Attitudes Questionnaire Scale for Teaching in Multicultural Classrooms (Tore, 2020) measured in terms of Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status. The first indicator, Differences and Understanding, is composed of (14 items), Respect and Effort (7 items), Gender and Race (7 items), and Social Status (2 items). The panel of experts validated the adapted-modified questionnaire. The Teacher’s Efficacy Questionnaire Scale for Teaching in Multicultural Classrooms (Tezera & Bekel, 2021) measured Engagement of Students, Instructional Strategies, and Understanding of Diversity. The first indicator, Engagement and Student, is composed of (5 items), Instructional Strategies (5 items), and Understanding Diversity (6 items).

The researchers also redesigned the general layout of the instrument, adding a 5-point Likert scale descriptive equivalence for different responses, which provides more concrete responses. The levels of Teacher’s Attitude and Efficacy can be interpreted through a Likert scale method employing the allocation of the same value range (Gümrükçüolu et al., 2017). To elaborate, a score of 4.20-5.00 indicates a very high level of both teachers’ attitude efficacy, which means that teachers always believed that attitude and efficacy affect their teaching in multicultural classrooms. Next, a score of 3.40-4.19 indicates a high level of teacher’s attitude and efficacy, which means that teachers often believed that their attitude and efficacy affect their teaching in multicultural classrooms. Then, a score of 2.60-3.39 indicates a moderate level of teacher’s attitude and efficacy, which means that teachers sometimes believe that their attitude and efficacy affect their teaching in multicultural classrooms. A score of 1.80-2.59 indicates a low level of teacher’s attitude and efficacy, meaning that teachers believed less that attitude and efficacy affect their teaching in multicultural classrooms. Lastly, a score of 1.00-1.79 indicates a very low level of teacher’s attitude and efficacy, which means that teachers do not believe that their attitude and efficacy affect their teaching in multicultural classrooms.

In addition, the levels of sustainability development education can be interpreted using a Likert scale method adopted from Gümrükçüolu, Sarimehmet, and Hintistan (2017), with possible responses ranging from 5 (I strongly agree), 4 (I agree), 3 (I am unsure), 2 (I disagree), and 1 (I strongly disagree) or 1 (very low) to 5 (very high). This extensive survey questionnaire was utilized as the significant research instrument, allowing for a complete examination of teachers’ attitudes and efficacy in multicultural and multilingual classrooms.

The 46-item adopted-modified survey questionnaire undergoes a pilot testing phase, in which the Cronbach Alpha’s for the 30 items questionnaire for Teacher’s Attitude is reliable since the value of the Cronbach Alpha is more significant than 0.70, that is, 0.891, which means that the survey questionnaire has good reliability. On the other hand, the 16-item survey questionnaire for Teacher’s Efficacy is also reliable since the value of the Cronbach Alpha is more significant than 0.70, that is, 0.881, which means that the survey questionnaire has good reliability. The panel experts validated the adopted-modified questionnaire, which got a mean score of 4.14 and was revealed to be very good. By developing an instrument that was valid and reliable, the researchers verified that the information collected was precise and accurate, enhancing the legitimacy and integrity of the research.

Research Design and Procedure

This quantitative study employed a descriptive-correlational design to attest to the veracity of research objectives that determine the significant relationship between Teachers’s Attitudes and Efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms. Steg and Van de Breg (2019) employed this design extensively in applied environmental psychology research, indicating that the direction and degree of a link among both variables is the primary foundation for the correlation coefficient. Quantitative research is defined by Creswell (2022) as ” Quantitative design is used to provide analysis of two or more variables and how they are connected.” Quantitative research collected and analyzed numerical data, which has been utilized to identify trends and averages, forecast spontaneous associations, and extrapolate the findings to a larger population (Bhandari, 2023). The main goals of quantitative research methods are control, accuracy, and impartiality. From a methodological standpoint, these methods are based on deductive designs that aim to disprove or provide data supporting particular theories and hypotheses (Patricia, 2022). Most explanation-based studies examining causal relationships, associations, and correlations employ quantitative methods. Quantitative research is grounded in the scientific tradition, so its core business is description and inference with the potential to lead to causal explanation and prediction. Its methods are those of the experiment, the social survey, or the analysis of official statistics or naturally occurring data (Williams et al., 2022). A statistical test to ascertain the tendency or pattern for two (or more) variables or two sets of data to vary consistently is called a correlation, Cresswell (2012). A correlational study design examined variables without the researcher manipulating or controlling them (Bhandari, 2023). As stated by Christensen and Johnson (2014), the correlational coefficient is a figure that indicates the degree and direction of the relationship between the two variables. It offers details about the relationships between the variables.

To verify this research conduct, the researchers asked permission from the Dean of the College of Teacher Education through a formal letter. Upon approval, the researchers managed to process the letter of approval from the Davao City Schools Division office and the office of the school head of the chosen elementary school. The researchers had given informed consent to the research participants. The researchers also gained the participant’s permission without forcing them to answer the survey questionnaire. In the data collection, the researchers sought to organize and encode the collected data per procedures thoroughly. Afterward, the raw data was submitted to the statistician. The statistician is responsible for computing the statistical data for each variable using the provided measurements and the correlation coefficient between the variables. The data shall be treated confidentially in response to the Data Privacy Act of 2012 after computing the needed statistical analysis using Mean, Standard Deviation, and Spearman rho coefficient as the statistical tools. The researchers examined the finalized result to identify any important findings in the data. The findings should be interpreted and included in the results and discussion, wherein the researchers formulated the conclusions based on the results regarding the research objectives. Finally, the researchers will further examine the practical inferences of the study findings and how these results can benefit and guide enhanced practices and programs in significant domains. Eventually, these procedures will provide results relevant to the study’s aims. These statistical methods combined permitted a comprehensive and multifaceted assessment of the research’s core themes, assuring the accuracy and reliability of the study’s findings.

In order to determine the average value of a collection of data points, the researchers used the mean, which was calculated by the sum of all values and the total number of values (Hurley & Tenny, 2023). The standard deviation was also employed to evaluate whether a given data value is near or far from the mean and gives a numerical illustration of the overall data variance (Oja, 2022). Spearman rho is one of the statistical tools used to interpret the correlation coefficient of the dependent and independent variables, and it adheres to the guidelines outlined by Prion and Haerling (2014). As characterized by Hauke & Kossowski (2021), Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient was utilized to measure the strength and direction of the relationship, given the ordinal nature of the Likert-scale measurements.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Level of Teachers’ Attitude

Table 1 shows the average and standard deviation of teachers’ attitudes across four indicators. Difference and understanding are the indicators with the highest mean ratings. This suggests that most teachers at school A agree that individuals can hold diverse ideological views in these areas. They also comprehend and show respect regardless of economic background. Regarding social status, respondents understand that it does not determine how we should treat others.

Additionally, regarding respect and effort, as well as gender and race, some respondents grapple with issues related to language differences, facilitating communication among teachers and students, as well as among students themselves. Moreover, some respondents confront racial inequalities and engage in discussions about various sexual orientations. In addressing these challenges, educators recognize the importance of fostering an inclusive environment where all students feel valued and respected. Furthermore, efforts are underway to implement policies and practices that promote equity and diversity within educational institutions.

Table 1 Level of Teachers’ Attitude

Based on the findings, the overall mean is 4.33, with a standard deviation of 0.37. The indicator “Difference and Understanding” has the highest mean at 4.58, with a standard deviation of 0.33, indicating a strong consensus among respondents regarding embracing diversity. Following this is “Social Status,” with a mean of 4.40 and a standard deviation of 0.52, highlighting the significant role of social dynamics within educational settings. “Respect and Effort” received a mean of 4.21 and a standard deviation of 0.56, underscoring the emphasis on fostering respect and diligence among students and educators alike. Lastly, “Gender and Race” obtained a mean of 4.13 and a standard deviation of 0.46, suggesting a recognition of the need to address issues of gender and racial equality within the educational sphere. Overall, these indicators reflect very high scores, indicating substantial agreement among respondents and a prevailing ethos of inclusivity and acceptance within educational environments. Such acknowledgment consistently prevails, fostering tolerance, understanding, and diversity within educational environments. Furthermore, these results underscore the benefits of an inclusive school culture, which promotes academic success and fosters respect and empathy among teachers and students.

In connection, the result of the indicator with the highest mean mentioned above is anchored to the study conducted by Banks and Banks (2019), which found that teachers’ attitudes towards multicultural students also significantly impacted students’ learning outcomes. Positive attitude increased students’ driving force to learning, thus increasing their scores in assignments and exams. On the other hand, a negative attitude decreased their interest in learning and weakened their scores on assignments and exams. Multicultural education also aims to develop students’ knowledge and skills, enabling them to function within their community and in a global society. In addition, the multicultural orientation of education must permeate all components of the educational process and the content of the entire education. Multicultural content needs to be integrated into the subjects throughout the learning period (Bakracheva, 2019; Little and Blau, 2020).

Teachers’ Efficacy

Table 2 presents the level of teachers’ efficacy in multicultural classrooms. The mean score for teachers’ efficacy is 4.16, with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.50. The scores exhibit slight variation, indicating consistent ratings among participants. This suggests that, on average, participants possess high efficacy in teaching. However, it is concerning that some teachers need help to accommodate diverse cultural learning styles in their classrooms. This difficulty may hint at a potential for favoritism if certain teaching methods or interactions inadvertently favor specific cultural backgrounds. Educators must recognize their biases and actively strive to create an inclusive learning environment where all students feel valued and supported. This may involve ongoing professional development, cultural competency training, and a dedication to addressing the needs of all students.

Table 2 Level of Teachers’ Efficacy

Engagement of Student scores ranges from a mean of 4.22 to a standard deviation (SD) of 0.47. Participants show expertise in engaging students across all areas, drawing on their knowledge and experiences. However, Understanding Diversity scores slightly lower, with a mean of 4.09 and an equivalent SD of 0.62. Despite this difference, participants rate their teaching efficacy highly and consistently. This reflects teachers’ confidence in managing school diversity events and accommodating diverse cultural learning styles, both in the classroom and school-wide. Additionally, the data suggests a need for targeted professional development to enhance educators’ capacity to foster understanding and inclusivity among students from various backgrounds. Moreover, the findings underscore the importance of ongoing support and resources to empower educators in addressing the nuanced challenges associated with diversity and inclusion in educational settings.

Teachers are expected to improve teacher self-efficacy in multicultural classrooms (TSMC), which refers to their beliefs in their ability “to organize and execute the courses of action required to” enhance teaching and learning in multicultural classrooms (Bandura, 1997; Choi & Lee, 2020), the facilitator must assist students in becoming accustomed to the information and communication technologies being used in the online course. To compensate for the lack of training, professional development programs in multicultural education (PDME) for in-service teachers have been developed and implemented to “contribute to teachers’ self-efficacy and success” in teaching students in multicultural classrooms across the world (Parkhouse et al., 2019). Such programs mainly aim to help teachers understand the diversity of students, employ students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences as a learning resource, and create an inclusive classroom learning environment (Parkhouse et al., 2019).

Correlation between Teachers’ Attitudes and Efficacy

Table 3 presents the correlation between Teaching Attitudes and Efficacy, with significant correlations at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). The data consists of correlation coefficients between various dimensions of Teachers’ Attitudes (Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), Social Status F4)) and Teachers’ Efficacy. The correlation coefficients for Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status (F4) are all positive and highly significant (p < 0.01). These correlations highlight the significance of positive attitudes towards Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status (F4) concerning Teachers’ Efficacy. The consistent positive correlations at the 0.01 level underscore the importance of inclusive attitudes in fostering effective teaching practices. Addressing these dimensions in professional development could enhance overall teacher effectiveness and educational outcomes.

Table 3 Correlation between Teachers’ Attitudes and Efficacy

** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

This construct acknowledges the difference between a skilled teacher and a less skilled teacher in terms of the target language, where the former has a good grasp and the latter has less proficiency (Tonio & Ella, 2019). The willingness, interest, and openness towards learning the target language in the community for socialization and cultural learning are reflected in the attitudinal construct of integratedness (Tonio et al., 2019). This places clear emphasis on the learner’s ability to understand the language and the culture of a community that the learner is unfamiliar with (Tonio & Ella, 2019).

The correlation coefficients for the attitude factors (Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status (F4)) are all positive and statistically significant (p < 0.01). This indicates strong interconnections among these factors in shaping attitudes. Similarly, the correlation coefficients for the Efficacy factors (Difference and Understanding, Respect, and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status (F4)) also demonstrate positive and significant relationships (p < 0.01), suggesting consistent associations within efficacy measures as well. These findings underscore the persistent patterns observed across various dimensions of attitudes and efficacy. Such correlations imply a coherent alignment between perceptions of difference, understanding, respect, effort, gender, race, and social status, emphasizing their collective impact on attitudes and perceived efficacy.” According to the study conducted by Afalla and Fabelico (2020), pre-service teachers are more equipped to accomplish their goals because of teacher preparation, well-measure teaching loads, and well-matched pedagogical aims. With this, a study conducted by Cruickshank (1996), cited by Amankwah, Oti-Agyen, and Sam (2017), provides an in-depth understanding of a particular subject when a pre-service teacher plans to teach and studies how to teach that content, especially in an online environment.

In times of rising international migration and globalization, teachers face the challenge of addressing the needs of an increasingly diverse student body and reap the benefits that this diversity brings to education (Juang et al., 2020). For states and educational institutions that seek to encourage younger generations to become multilingual, studies focusing on purely immigrant and minority multilingualism offer limited potential since these types of multilingualism cannot be promoted among all students. Adopting a more inclusive conceptualization of multilingualism when researching its use as a pedagogical resource that covers formally acquired multilingualism, which anyone can attain by learning a new language, would more accurately reflect the profiles of all teachers and students in the language classroom. Regarding multilingualism, languages represent distinct language systems (e.g., official or national languages) and not dialects, styles, or registers within a given language system (de Bot, 2019).

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This inquiry revealed that prospective elementary teachers had a high level of attitude in teaching multicultural classrooms. The indicators of attitude, which were difference and understanding, respect and effort, gender and race, and social status, were significant. Likewise, the indicators of efficacy, such as engagement of students, instructional strategies, and understanding diversity, resulted in high levels. Difference and understanding were the indicator of attitude with the highest mean. At the same time, this research revealed that teachers from the chosen elementary school had a high level of efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms. The indicators for teacher’s efficacy were engagement of students, instructional strategies, and understanding diversity. Engagement of students got the highest mean of all the indicators for efficacy. This suggests that, on average, the participants have very high efficacy in teaching.

The strong positive correlations between teacher’s attitude and efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms underscore the potential of these intrinsic factors in promoting multiculturalism and diversity. The correlation coefficients for Difference and Understanding, Respect and Effort (F2), Gender and Race (F3), and Social Status (F4) are all positive and highly significant. The correlation coefficients for Attitudes factors are all positive and statistically significant. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficients for Efficacy factors are all positive and significantly related.

The findings of this research study suggest that there is a significant correlation between teacher’s attitudes and teacher’s efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms with a result from coefficient correlation testing at the 0.01 level which indicates that indicators from the two variables are all positive and significantly related. The researchers were able to distinguish the level of teacher’s attitude, concluding that the respondents had an in-depth awareness of their teaching attitude in multicultural classrooms. On the other hand, the levels of teacher’s efficacy were found to be high, which concludes that the respondents have very high efficacy in teaching. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and potential implications for future interventions in teaching multicultural classrooms.

To embed culturally responsive pedagogy, teachers must pursue professional development related to culturally responsive teaching, use not only inclusive but also relevant materials, and set up tasks that encourage collaboration and respect for diverse backgrounds. They will also apply a range of instructional strategies to maintain student interest and continually elicit feedback as students’ approaches evolve. Greater understanding will be fostered through the integration of multicultural views within the curriculum and the acknowledgment of the richness from different cultural perspectives that will be brought into the classroom. Policymakers should make funds available at the state and local levels to provide training in multicultural education and offer incentives; the standards of curricula should reflect diverse perspectives. Resources are also needed to meet the diverse needs of learners. School administrations are necessary in ensuring that policies oriented toward inclusion are enacted, and cultural awareness programs and investment in instructive materials and technology are varied. Facilitating teacher collaboration through professional learning communities can further support effective teaching in diverse classrooms.

The current study provided an insightful framework for exploring the relationship between teacher’s attitude and efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms. Considering the significant correlation between teacher’s attitude and efficacy in teaching multicultural classrooms, the researchers recommend curricularists prioritize interdisciplinary methods and strategies that promote inclusion among diverse learners in multicultural classrooms. For instance, incorporating pedagogical competencies that pay attention to the varied backgrounds, learning styles, and abilities of all the learners in front of you. Encourage activities that promote collaboration and teaching strategies that allow students to understand the importance of embracing differences, which will foster a deeper grasp and application of sustainability concepts.

Hence, to the teachers of primary educational institutions, educators should be sensitive and culturally responsive in teaching. Encourage culturally sensitive methods of instruction that acknowledge and respect students’ various racial identities, cultural backgrounds, and sexual and gender orientations. This strategy promotes respecting one’s racial and cultural identity to improve an inclusive educational environment that respects equality while improving commitment, learning outcomes, and well-being for students.

Additionally, to the schools and administration of public elementary institutions, schools must equip their teachers with various instructional materials, the right teaching tools, and different cultural learning styles to accommodate and meet the diverse learners in the classroom. This will promote diversity and inclusion in the educational setting.

Finally, to future researchers, it is suggested that they improve research on this topic by conducting follow-up studies. The study may also consider other facets for both teacher’s attitude and efficacy. This would yield a wide range of results and determine if the variables also correlate. In addition, they may also explore other measures or instruments that would fit with the variables of their study.y.

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