Overall Results
Of the 111 educators who participated in this study, one (>1%) appears to be culturally responsive. Three (3%) were classified as culturally aware. Forty- nine (44%) seem to have general awareness of culture. Forty-three (39%) participants fell into the little awareness of culture category, while 15 (14%) appear to be culturally unaware. Eighty (72%) out of the 111 educators exhibited one or more deficit beliefs about students and families of diverse backgrounds.
Culturally responsive. One educator (>1%), who is a school leader, was the only participant identified as culturally responsive. In responding to the sce- narios, this educator expressed pluralistic beliefs, demonstrated a high degree of knowledge about invisible culture, and provided a number of culturally responsive or additive solutions to the conflicts depicted in the scenarios. Specifically, this educator attributed the conflicts to culture clashes rather than to personality differences, ineffective instruction, or lack of student skills or experiences. Additionally this participant identified dimensions of culture (Hall, 1977; Hofstede, 1997) as an underlying factor in each of the scenarios, an indication she has a substantial understanding of invisible cul- ture. In some scenarios, the educator actually named a specific dimension of culture (i.e., individualism–collectivism, high–low context communication) when explaining the culture clash. For example, in response to the scenario in which teachers discuss concerns related to Latino parents walking their chil- dren to their classrooms in the morning, this educator explained it was a “Clash of cultures—Hispanics tend to be more collectivistic. Anglos tend to be individualistic, schools generally reflect and value individualistic think- ing.” In the scenario where culturally, linguistically, and economically diverse students diagrammed family relationships differently from their classmates, the participant stated, “Collectivism vs. Individualistic cultural differences. Low SES and kids of color see the group as more of a whole—individuals are part of the group, whereas other students believe in a more independent representation.”
Additionally, this educator was purposeful in using her cultural knowl- edge when proposing solutions to the culture clashes. Rather than offering generic best practices, she discussed solutions that directly linked to her understanding of culture. In the scenario related to Latino parents walking their children to their classrooms, she responded:
I had a similar situation at our school. ... Some teachers wanted a “zone” marked by a line of tape on the floor to discourage parents from entering classrooms. Mornings are a little like a Barnes and Noble atmosphere. What I found in reality is that by 8:00 parents are out of the rooms. [I] encouraged teachers to go about their normal routines—lunch count, announcements, etc.