Impact of Culturally Competent Teachers on Their Students' Academic Achievement

Abstract

One of the most important phenomena in the teaching and learning process is academic performance. It is known to be a variable that has given rise to various national and international research studies, in which the factors that can influence academic performance, such as the cultural competence of the teacher, are generally analysed to a greater or lesser extent. For this purpose, an introduction to the importance of cultural competence in the education system is given. The authors proceed to conceptualise the terms “cultural competence of teachers” and “academic performance” and then carry out a study through a systematic review of the main scientific databases in order to better understand the knowledge structure of this scientific domain. Among the conclusions, they highlight that the teaching staff is aware of the importance of diversity; however, they state that they feel little competence in this field. Likewise, the scarce presence of cultural competences in teacher training plans prevents teachers from responding effectively to the challenges posed by a culturally diverse classroom.