Elementary School Teachers’ Openness to Cultural Diversity and Professional Satisfaction

Abstract

Teachers’ professional satisfaction promotes students’ educational success. Studies have shown that teaching in a context of high cultural diversity may affect teachers’ level of satisfaction (e.g., satisfaction with students, perceived warmth in the teacher–student relationship, sense of efficacy). This longitudinal study conducted among 69 Canadian elementary school teachers found that those who reported more openness to their students’ cultural diversity presented a more positive perception of students and reported greater warmth in their relationships with students but experienced a lower sense of professional efficacy. This study highlights the importance of teachers’ openness to cultural diversity, an understudied variable.