Abstract
Twenty-eight seventh graders from a predominantly Latinx middle school participated in an instructional intervention involving both a culturally familiar and unfamiliar reading task. Immediately after reading, students joined focus groups to discuss their experiences. These sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a discourse analysis framework. The analysis revealed that students based their reading self-efficacy on three key factors: their ability to relate to the text, their interest in the story, and the perceived difficulty of the task. The findings suggest that implementing culturally sustaining pedagogy—through the use of culturally relevant texts—can enhance reading self-efficacy and support academic achievement for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Recommended Citation
Kelley, Heather M. Ph.D.; Adams, Morgan; Chisholm, Meagan; and Warner, Kate
(2026)
"Using Culturally Familiar Readings in a Predominantly Latinx Middle School to Bolster Self-efficacy,"
Georgia Educational Researcher: Vol. 22:
Iss.
2, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gerjournal/vol22/iss2/2