Culturally responsive teaching knowledge and practices of online faculty in educational administration: a pilot study

Abstract

Abstract The new statistics project that the nation will become “Minority White” in 2045 where Whites will comprise 49.7% of the population. In contrast, Hispanics will comprise 24.6%, Blacks 13.1%, Asians 7.9%, and 3.8% for multiracial populations. Given such shifts in the demographic trends, a culturally inclusive curriculum design and delivery is critical for all students’ success. The purpose of this pilot quantitative comparative research study was to assess Culturally Responsive Teaching Knowledge (CRT) and Culturally Responsive Educational Practices (CREP) in Texas public university faculty who teach and/or advise online Master’s and/or Doctoral students of color, military students, LGBTQ students, religious minority students, and international students in Educational Administration. All respondents in this pilot research study believed Culturally Responsive Teaching was “very important”. However, their self-reported ratings on knowledge of CRT were significantly lower than their value of CRT. These findings revealed the respondents recognized the importance and necessity of cultural diversity in online learning. They viewed cultural differences as assets in online courses. However, they self-perceived their own knowledge of cultural diversity in online teaching was insufficient. With the changing student demographics and increase in international students, faculty members should incorporate diverse learning activities into the online course design to promote equitable learning outcomes. These instructional methods are particularly important to the online graduate programs in the fields of Educational Administration, Instructional Administration, and Educational Leadership.