Understanding language teacher's culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and its enhancement through learning study in Chinese reading with young Chinese language learners

Abstract

This dissertation consists of two studies which addressed the issue of teaching young Chinese Language Learners (CLLs) to learn Chinese and their language teacher’s culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy. Young CLLs in Hong Kong mainly came from ethnic minorities of South Asia, the differences between language systems and complicated home languages imposed challenges on their Chinese learning. Frontline Chinese language teachers often encounter difficulties in teaching due to inadequate training about the learning needs of young CLLs and effective pedagogies. Teacher’s self-efficacy has a significant impact on students’ academic performance and engagement of students from diverse background. In order to facilitate both learning and teaching of Chinese as a second language (L2), this study explored teacher’s culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE) through a mixed methods research.

Study I addressed this issue by developing and validating the Chinese Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy (CRTSE) Scale for the language teachers teaching Chinese as a L2 in Hong Kong. A total number of 128 Chinese language teachers were recruited for the validation of scale. Through the Exploratory Factor Analysis, a 5-factor solution with Varimax Rotation was adopted with consent by the expert panel. The 5-factor structure of the scale included Teaching to accommodate diversity, Awareness of cultural difference, Development of positive and trusting relationship, Communication with parents and School-based curriculum development. The study will shed light on the in-depth investigation on teacher’s enhancement of CRTSE in Study II. Quantitative analysis on scores obtained from 166 Chinese language teachers revealed the current phenomenon faced by frontline teachers in Hong Kong. As captured by the scale, teachers scored the lowest on Factor 2, Awareness of cultural difference (Mean= 48.98; S.D.=18.87), and the highest on Factor 3, Development of positive and trusting relationship (Mean= 68.90; S.D.=11.90). The mean of total score among participants in the study (Mean=63.78; S.D.=11.69) was found to be lower than that obtained in Siwatu’s study (Mean=84.05; S.D.=8.55) in 2007. In Study II, teacher’s development and enhancement on the CRTSE were explored through Learning Study which is a classroom-based research using the phenomenographic approach and the Variation Theory. Measured by the Chinese CRTSE Scale and the Structured Test, both teachers and young CLLs showed improvement on their teaching and learning after the Learning Study. Qualitative analysis revealed how Variation Theory facilitated teacher’s development of effective pedagogies with variations in language and culture. The mastery and vicarious experience facilitated teacher’s development of awareness and accommodation of teaching towards cultural diversity. The collaborative nature of Learning Study also fostered teacher’s self-reflection and assimilation of cultural diversity into the school-based curriculum. How teacher’s development of awareness, accommodation and assimilation towards cultural diversity nurtured through the two years made contribution to their development of cultural responsiveness were examined. This study is a pioneering research on the enhancement of teacher’s CRTSE through Learning Study. Learning Study is proven a powerful intervention enhancing both learning and teaching of Chinese as a L2. This professional development model could make an impact on culturally diverse classrooms.