Exploring the Associations of Cultural Intelligence with Culturally Responsive Teaching Self Efficacy, Relevant Experiences, and Job Satisfaction in a sample of White American Teachers

Abstract

The idea of being “culturally intelligent” has become an established concept in the corporate world and now, more recently, moved into the realm of education. The most relevant questions for educators remain: How do some White educators become more culturally intelligent than others? Does cultural intelligence relate to effective teaching practices? The purpose of the study was to examine whether job satisfaction, culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and relevant experiences (e.g., having studied abroad) related to cultural intelligence (CQ) in White teachers. Data was collected from practicing K-12 teachers in the U.S. who identified as White and non-Hispanic (N = 130). Results showed that all four aspects of CQ (i.e., behavioral, cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational) were positively correlated with culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy and relevant experiences. Three of the four CQ subscales (i.e., behavioral, metacognitive, and motivational) were positively correlated with teachers’ job satisfaction. In multiple regression analysis, motivational and metacognitive CQ were related to culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy, whereas motivational and cognitive CQ were significantly related to relevant experiences. In multiple regression analysis, motivational CQ was related to job satisfaction for teachers who taught in predominantly non-White schools. Multiple regression analysis indicated that CQ was not a significant predictor of job satisfaction for teachers in predominantly White schools. These results suggest that CQ may be a useful measure of cultural understanding for K-12 teachers.