As the Latino population increases nationally, educators must develop the work ethic among their Latino students to meet the requirements for student achievement. This case study examined if teachers' perceptions of the Latino population affected the academic motivation of their Latino students at a low-income, primarily Latino high school in southeastern Florida. Ecological theory was the framework to understand how Latino students' social relationships affected their classroom motivation and interactions with teachers. Research questions focused on teachers' perceptions of Latino students and families, instructional approaches, motivational techniques, and barriers to cultural acknowledgement in classrooms. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and a focus group of 10 teachers. Coding and triangulation showed trends in the data, and member checks and a peer reviewer reduced researcher bias. Evidence from this study indicated that cultural acknowledgment influenced teachers' interactions with their Latino students, which affected the academic motivation of these learners. Using collected data, the outcome of this study was the creation of a project focused on a professional development opportunity for teachers, which included an overview of the Latino demographic, instructional methods for Latino students, and strategies to facilitate partnerships with Latino parents. The findings of this study could encourage educators to alter their curriculums to include Latino culture and incorporate instructional accommodations for English Language Learning students. These findings could also spur further involvement among Latino families in the learning process to promote social change for the Latino demographic through classroom instruction. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]