Mathematics education in the United States has faced persistent challenges, with proficiency rates plateauing since 2005 and a significant gap in proficiency between Latino and White students. Although various factors have contributed to this gap, scholars have highlighted teachers as pivotal in the achievement of Latino students. Recent research has delved into mathematics teacher identity, including its impact on teachers and students. This study investigated the relationship between teacher characteristics and their mathematics identity and how these factors influence awareness of effective teaching practices (AoETP). A statewide study in California with 379 participants was conducted and analyzed using an ANCOVA and simple linear regression. The study found teacher characteristics and mathematics identity do not interact significantly, concluding that teachers' mathematics identity (ToMI) explained 20% of the variance in AoETP. This result suggested that enhancing mathematics identity among teachers could improve teaching practices, ultimately benefiting student outcomes. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]