(2024). Black Male Sense of Belonging: Exploring Student Voices. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Previous research has shown that Black males do not find schools to be safe spaces or places where they feel a sense of belonging. Instead, they do not feel welcomed (Brooms, 2019a). If students must spend 8 to 9 hours in a place daily, we will want that space to be somewhere they want to be. Findings from research conducted by Collins et al. (2022) confirm that students have a better chance of academic success when affirmed and welcomed. My study aimed to discover where Black male students feel they most belong and why. Specifically, I aimed to answer my main research question: "What are Black male teenagers' experiences with and perceptions of their feelings of belonging in schools and recreation centers?" My secondary question was: "What recommendations do Black males have for improving their feelings of belonging?" For my research, I defined a sense of belonging as a feeling of connectedness with or integration into a community (Hussain & Jones, 2021). In… [Direct]
(2024). Voice of the Voiceless: Pathways from High School to Prison. ProQuest LLC, D.Ed. Dissertation, American University. The focus in this dissertation was on the increasing involvement of Black male youth in the carceral system and the connection to their experiences in high school. This problem is multifaceted in education because of the numerous actors and factors that contribute to the antecedents and outcomes of the key players closest to the problem, Black males. The study was designed to address this multilayered problem by employing narratives and storytelling as tools for the intervention and interrogation of anti-Black and unwelcoming school spaces. It was intended to elevate the voices of Black males who have been involved with the court system and change the mindsets and behaviors of high school educators to foster more inclusive environments with the exploration of two imperative research questions: What factors of their high school experience influence formerly court-involved Black males (FCIBM) and their connection to school and court involvement? How does the storytelling of high school… [Direct]
(2017). The Chosen Tokens: Exploring the Work Experiences and Career Aspirations of Latina Midlevel Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Seton Hall University. Student Affairs serves as a viable career option for professionals working in higher education, including Latinas, who have increasingly entered as undergraduate students and found careers in student affairs. Latinas seem to be bottlenecked at midlevel, with few advancing to senior level leadership positions. According to the literature, negative work experiences and barriers related to identity have impacted advancement opportunities for Latina administrators. This qualitative study employed the methodology of narrative inquiry. Interviews were conducted with 26 participants selected by purposeful sampling of Latina professionals holding midlevel positions in student affairs. Data was analyzed using traditional coding methods of constant comparison and classical content analysis to identify overarching themes. The analytical framework was guided by components of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) and Critical Race Feminism (CRF), all contributing to… [Direct]
(2023). Activate Inner Genius: A Qualitative Exploration of Elementary STEM Education and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy for Black Teachers in Elementary STEM Classrooms. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, North Carolina State University. This research study delves into the transformative possibility of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) within elementary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) classrooms. Born from decades of research on culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy, CSP aims to dismantle barriers, foster access and equity, and promote equality among diverse racial and ethnic communities. Beyond this, CSP invites students to challenge prevailing societal power structures. To achieve educational justice and equity for all, it is essential to acknowledge and honor students' cultural identities and practices. Equally vital is identifying instructional methods that educators can seamlessly integrate into their classrooms to cultivate educational environments rooted in cultural affirmation and a profound sense of belonging. The underpinning theoretical frameworks for this research include critical race theory (CRT), culturally relevant teaching (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Gay, 2000), and CSP… [Direct]
(2023). Impact of California Community Colleges Student Centered Funding Formula on First-Generation College Students at Minority Serving Institutions: An Exploration of the Perspectives of Student Services Professionals. ProQuest LLC, D.P.A. Dissertation, California Baptist University. Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of the Student Centered Funding Formula (SCFF) on a selection of California community colleges that are Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) from the perspective of student services professionals at these colleges to understand the equity implications of the formula for first-generation college students. Theoretical Framework. This research is based on resource dependence, principal–agent, and critical race theory. Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological case study was conducted using open-ended interviews with 18 student services professionals to gain insight into their perspectives on the SCFF and the impact of the formula on first-generation college students from the lens of student services professionals at minority-serving California colleges. Findings: This research found three impacts on minority-serving California community colleges because of the SCFF and three ways student services at minority-serving California community… [Direct]
(2023). HBCUs Unhushed: Transformative Spiritual Resilience within the Life Histories of African American Graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The University of Wisconsin – Madison. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) serve as cultural sanctuaries fortified to affirm the value, importance, and life possibilities of African American (Black) and other underserved student populations. These institutions were founded to empower formerly enslaved African Americans and have maintained a legacy of opening the doors of higher education to African Americans and other marginalized students who might otherwise be excluded. Using narrative inquiry, this study examined the life histories of 21 African Americans who graduated from HBCUs to better understand their academic, personal, and professional life experiences. Critical race theory was deployed in a cross-case and within-case analysis to gain an in-depth understanding of the roles racial identity, racial injustice, and spiritual resilience play in their life histories. The following findings emerged: (1) African American HBCU graduates garnered a significant amount of socio-emotional, cultural, and… [Direct]
(2023). Racialized Identity and Teacher Preparation: A Case Study of Teacher Candidates of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arkansas. This study addresses the problem concerning the lack of Teacher Candidates of Color (TCOCs) in teacher education. It examines recruitment, support, and retention by identifying promises and pitfalls of diversifying the teacher pipeline through the voices of Students of Color (SOCs) who are already enrolled in teacher education. How race and racialization processes influence TCOCs was salient to the study. Through qualitative case study, the researcher explored the lived experiences of teacher candidates with racialized identities being prepared to teach within one Predominately White Institution (PWI). Using a Critical Race Theory framework, four research questions guided this study: (1) What are the backgrounds and educational histories of Teacher Candidates of Color? (2) How have racialized identities contributed to Teacher Candidates of Color's interest in the teaching profession? (3) How are racialized identities afforded and constrained in predominantly White learning contexts?… [Direct]
(2023). Examining Systemic and Dispositional Factors Impacting Historically Disenfranchised Schools across North Carolina. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of San Diego. This mixed method sequential explanatory study provided analysis of North Carolina (NC) school leaders' dispositions in eliminating opportunity gaps, outlined in NC's strategic plan. The study's quantitative phase used descriptive and correlation analysis of eight Likert subscales around four tenets of transformative leadership (Shields, 2011) and aspects of critical race theory (Bell, 1992; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Ladson-Billings & Tate, 2006) to understand systemic inequities and leadership attitudes. The qualitative phase comprised three analyses of education leadership dispositions and systemic factors in NC schools. The first analysis of State Board of Education meeting minutes from 2018-2023 quantified and analyzed utterances of racism and critical race, outlined the sociopolitical context of such utterances, and identified systemic patterns and state leader dispositions. The second analysis of five interviews of K-12 graduates identified persistent and systemic factors… [Direct]
(2023). The Role of Validation Experiences and Sense of Belonging in Academic Self-Concept and Intent to Persist among Four-Year College Students. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Bryn Mawr College. Research indicates that historically underrepresented college students are more likely to report alienating campus climates which can contribute to decreased sense of belonging and wellbeing. In turn, a lack of a sense of belonging and poor mental health may lead to decreased academic engagement and increased likelihood of attrition. Theoretical and empirical literature on critical race theory (CRT), validation, and sense of belonging identifies key factors across individual and institutional levels that influence student wellbeing and academic outcomes without relying on a deficit-based framework. Using an interactional, ecological conceptual framework drawing together CRT, validation theory, and sense of belonging my study further explores the relationships between academic validation, interpersonal validation, and sense of belonging and academic self-concept and persistence outcomes. Three years of survey data, 2015-2017, from four-year institutions were drawn from the Diverse… [Direct]
(2023). Barriers to African American Women in Higher Education Leadership in Arkansas. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Fielding Graduate University. My dissertation is unique and contributes to the academic literature because it explores the barriers that retired and current African American women face while pursuing and working in higher education leadership roles in Arkansas. Using a narrative inquiry design, I interviewed 17 retired and working leaders by asking them to share their personal stories and to give recommendations for future women who aspire to work in a higher education leadership capacity. Critical race theory and Black feminist theory served as theoretical guides for this study and assisted with exploring their stories. Previous literature on barriers that African American women face while working in higher education leadership roles in other states suggested that women are stereotyped and face discrimination and sexism, along with battling concrete and glass ceilings. The first set of findings, divided into subcategories, are barriers because of unchangeable attributes, highlighting subcategories of… [Direct]
(2013). Critical Race Theory: A Counternarrative of African American Male Medical Students Attending Predominately White Medical Schools. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Rochester. The history of African Americans seeking medical education in the United States is rooted in a legacy of racial segregation, cultural constructs, and legal doctrine that differs from other ethnic and racial groups. The disturbing results of this legacy are that while African Americans account for 12.9% of the U.S. population, they only account for 3.3% of practicing physicians. Of equal concern is the paucity of Black males pursuing clinical medicine. Black males account for 2.49% of matriculates for the incoming class of 2010. Using critical race theory as a theoretical and analytical framework, this phenomenological study examines the lived experiences of fourth year, second generation U.S. born black males attending predominately white medical schools. These lived experiences highlight strategies of African American male students successfully navigating medical school and suggest factors that contribute to the access, participation, and retention of these scholars in medical… [Direct]
(2023). Left Behind: Adult Black Males' Perspectives of Education and the Social-Emotional Impact Following Grade Retention. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Cardinal Stritch University. The purpose of the study was to investigate how grade retention affects Black males' perspectives about education and social-emotional skills during and after their K-12 educational journey. As a result of the Black Lives Matter movement, there has been increased discourse about our nation's current reality regarding the status of Black males–specifically, their experience in the educational environment (Wood, 2019). Black males are often "devalued and over-criminalized" (Wood, 2019, p. 1) resulting in an "overrepresentation in special education classes, higher rates of suspension and expulsion, and ultimately feeding the school-to-prison pipeline" (Wood, 2019, p. 1). Minimal attention has been dedicated to the emotional functioning of Black males and the internalizing factors that are strong predictors of their well-being later in life (Brown et al., 2013). Critical Race Theory (CRT) and the Big Five Social-Emotional Model were referenced in this study as… [Direct]
(2023). Undergraduate Women of Color in Computer Science: How Social and Academic Experiences Shape Sense of Belonging. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, School of Graduate Studies. While significant advancements in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are at the forefront of society, there continues to be a considerable gender and racial gap in the advancement of women of color in these fields (Espinosa, 2011; Ong et al., 2011; Shein, 2018). Low completion rates are even greater when looking at Black and Latina women in computer science (CS). This phenomenological study examined how the academic and social experiences of nine Black and Latina women computer science students shaped their journeys and sense of belonging as developing computer scientists. This study drew upon two interviews and journal entries to unpack how this group of women of color is experiencing their journeys through CS at Rutgers. I used Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Strayhorn's (2012, 2018) model for sense of belonging for STEM students as frameworks for interpreting the experiences of women of color and what may lead to attrition or unwelcome environments. The… [Direct]
(2023). Examining the Support Black Men with Depression Receive from Black Baptist Pastors. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Ball State University. This qualitative intrinsic case study focused on the support provided to Black men from the perspective of Black Baptist Pastors. This study examined the formal, informal, and nonformal support Black Baptist Pastors provided to Black men with depression. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to obtain, interpret, and determine how Black men are receiving support for depression. The findings from this study show how Black Baptist Pastors support Black men with depression, as research reflects that Black men often do not trust other resources of support. The findings from this study also identify what resources of support are available for Black men and show what is still needed. The lens of Critical Race Theory was utilized within this study to explore the challenges, appropriateness, and the quality of the support and resources available to Black men with depression. CRT was also utilized to consider the mental health concerns of Black men that goes undetected within their… [Direct]
(2022). Examining the Impact of Discipline Practices on Suspension Rates of Black Students: An Equitable and Restorative Journey in a Grades 3-5 Inner-City Elementary School. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, East Carolina University. Regardless of the school community or type of school in the United States, Black students are disproportionately excluded from school at a higher rate than any other student group. These discipline practices are a matter of race that negatively impact educational outcomes for Black students and have a direct correlation with their involvement in the criminal justice system. It is essential to focus on alternative exclusionary discipline practices, such as relationship building between adults and students. The purpose of this mixed method action research study was to analyze the implementation of Restorative Practices as an alternative to exclusionary discipline and determine its impact on staff's and students' perceptions of school discipline and student disciplinary outcomes. This study was grounded in the theoretical frameworks of Critical Race Theory (CRT) introduced by a collection of activists and scholars who challenged the legal system as it related to race in the 1960s and… [Direct]