Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Elementary English Instruction

This study explores the adoption of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) in elementary English instruction in Lutayan District II, focusing on how it reflects students' languages, traditions, and their English proficiency. One hundred eighty participants, including English teachers and Grade 4–6 students, were involved. Using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = Not at all, 5 = To a very great extent), results showed that teachers implement CRP to a very great extent (M = 4.885). This indicates that teachers fully embrace CRP by making students‘ cultural identities central to instruction, designing lessons that reflect students‘ backgrounds, and creating classroom environments where students feel valued and represented. Regarding adapting lessons to students‘ English proficiency, results showed a great extent of implementation (M = 3.92), meaning that teachers frequently include students‘ languages, traditions, and experiences in lessons, design culturally relevant activities, and promote multilingual learning. Despite these efforts, challenges remain in addressing proficiency gaps, particularly in reading and writing. Students‘ English proficiency is generally high, with listening skills rated the strongest (M = 4.344), while vocabulary and grammar showed moderate proficiency (M = 3.948). A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the extent of CRP implementation and students‘ engagement and comprehension (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), suggesting that CRP enhances language learning. The study underscores the value of CRP in improving English instruction and recommends further refinement of lesson adaptation to accommodate varying proficiency levels better.