This dissertation investigated teachers' perception and use of culturally relevant teaching by exploring how teachers define and incorporate it into their classrooms. Many researchers in education have explored the benefits of using culturally relevant teaching within the classroom to enhance student learning. Researchers have found that the greatest impact on student academic success happens when teachers activate and utilize a student's shallow and deep levels of culture. However, not much research has been done regarding how teachers perceive and incorporate culturally relevant teaching within their classrooms. This work contributes to the literature on culturally relevant pedagogy by exploring teachers' views and uses of culturally relevant teaching within their own classrooms. Data comes from in-depth interviews with eight elementary teachers serving in schools with high populations of historically marginalized groups of students. Transcripts of teacher interviews were analyzed using two coding cycles in which a priori coding and open coding took place. The findings reveal that teachers have a positive view and strong understanding of being culturally relevant educators. Teachers saw culturally relevant teaching as a best practice to be implemented within their classroom that has many benefits to its use with students. Teachers expressed their desire to receive additional training centered around culturally relevant teaching. The findings also showed that when teachers spoke on how culturally relevant teaching is implemented within their classrooms, they did so by expressing how they activate students' shallow and deep levels of culture. Teachers stressed the importance of building safe environments and relationships with students by employing culturally relevant teaching to learn about student beliefs, home life, and culture. Very few examples of culturally relevant teaching are mentioned at the surface level of culture. Most mentions, in fact, that were surface-level culture were only in the process of saying that culturally relevant teaching is much deeper than holidays, music, and appearance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]