(2019). Teaching and Learning Social Justice in Human Resource Development Graduate Programs: Preparation for Research and Practice. New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, v31 n4 p18-35 Aut. Despite calls for research into how critical and social justice themes are taught in HRD programs (Byrd, 2015), the current literature tells us little about how future scholars and practitioners are being prepared to face workplace injustice. Recent curricular research examining published curriculum lists and course descriptions have reported no evidence of critical or social justice approaches to HRD being taught (Lim & Rager, 2015; Lim, Song, Choi, & Kim, 2013; Zachmeier, Cho, & Kim, 2014). This project uses qualitative survey methodology informed by critical race theory to critically interrogate HRD curricula. The purpose of this article is to present findings from a study designed to assess how–or if–social justice perspectives are being taught in HRD graduate programs…. [Direct]
(2019). "Tryin' to Survive": Black Male Students' Understandings of the Role of Race and Racism in the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Leadership and Policy in Schools, v18 n4 p664-680. This article examines Black male students' perceptions of the role of race and racism in perpetuating the school-to-prison pipeline. Through a phenomenological investigation of ten Black male students in the New Orleans area, this article finds that Black male students perceive racism in society, racism in schools, and poor teacher expectations to aid in the perpetuation of the school-to-prison pipeline. Furthermore, the participants of this study revealed that schools may use other Black males who have successfully navigated the educational system to better reach Black male students who are placed at risk of the school-to-prison pipeline. This article considers the responses of theses Black male students to the role of race and racism in the context of critical race theory…. [Direct]
(2019). A Qualitative Metasynthesis of Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice in Action: Pitfalls and Promises of Practice. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, v50 n3 p268-310 May. Mathematics classrooms are increasingly becoming sites for investigating social (in)justice, but research on teaching mathematics for social justice remains limited to individual case studies. This article reports on a metasynthesis of 35 qualitative reports of social justice mathematics enactments in diverse classroom contexts. Critical race theory serves as a guiding framework for analyzing possibilities and limitations of these enactments to address racial inequities in mathematics education. Findings from this metasynthesis reveal that addressing race in social justice mathematics explorations provided opportunities for centering the voices of people of Color and critiquing liberal views that camouflage subtle forms of racism and involved substantial and authentic mathematical work. Promising practices and implications for future research are identified based on this synthesis…. [Direct]
(2019). Counternarratives of Students' Experiences Returning to Comprehensive Schools from an Involuntary Disciplinary Alternative School. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v22 n1 p130-149. Educators' excessive uses of exclusionary discipline have led to increased placements of students in disciplinary alternative schools, but few studies examine student experiences after their alternative school placements. Using a theoretical framework informed by critical race theory and the role of the discourse of safety in student discipline, we compose the counternarratives of nine middle school students' experiences with the transition from an involuntary disciplinary placement back to a comprehensive school. We then analyze across cases to identify commonalities in their stories. Findings show that students experience dehumanization and exclusion that reflect second-class citizenship. We discuss how educators can resist perpetuating this under class even as the overtly racist rhetoric of populist nationalism replaces the neoliberal color-blind version of the discourse of safety…. [Direct]
(2019). Teaching by Numbers: A Critical Analysis of a New Graduate School of Education. SoJo Journal: Educational Foundations and Social Justice Education, v5 n1 p17-27. Previous research has documented the deficit language and White saviorism embedded in Teach For America scripts. This article details the findings of an analysis of Relay Graduate School of Education in an attempt to add the growing body of literature documenting the program's emergence as a new graduate school of education. Drawing on critical race theory frameworks, I argue that programmatic materials reveal a discourse of college readiness narrowly defined as gains on standardized assessments under the guise of racial equity. I also explore how Relay frames teaching as technical work bolstered by teacher and student compliance to academic growth measurement, suggesting that the emphasis on metrics objectifies teachers being prepared to teach in charter schools and the students they serve…. [Direct]
(2019). In the Service of Social Equity: Leveraging the Experiences of African American Women Professors. Journal of Public Affairs Education, v25 n2 p185-206. This study reviews social equity within the public administration academy using critical race theory and intersectionality as frameworks. The researcher analyzes secondary data on doctorate degrees and tenure status earned by faculty members disaggregated by gender and race, contextualizing results with analysis of data from individual interviews of 14 African American women scholars in the academy. Findings suggest there are more nuanced reasons behind negative outcomes for scholars from underrepresented backgrounds. Beyond racism and sexism, there appears to be an inhospitable climate toward social equity related service and scholarship — some of the very tools many underrepresented faculty members use to combat the negative impacts of racism and sexism inside and outside of the academy. Implications for the academy and future research opportunities are presented…. [Direct]
(2019). Toward Being a Critically Inclusive Pedagogue. AERA Online Paper Repository, Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (Toronto, Canada, Apr 5-9, 2019). We draw from scholars in disability studies (DSE), critical race theory (CRT), and disability critical race studies in education (DisCrit) who argue that it is at the intersection of "justified" discrimination based on race and dis/ability, segregation and oppression that we must now work to name systems of exclusion at work in our schools and actively seek to disrupt them (Annamma, Connor, & Ferri, 2013; Leonardo & Broderick, 2011; Watts & Erevelles, 2004). We conceptualize a praxis of critical inclusivity requiring reflexive thought and action at the intersection of ideology, historical and contemporary school structures, affective attachments, and curricular and pedagogical acts in an effort to break from the creation and recreation of oppressive discourses and learning conditions…. [Direct]
(2017). Recruitment without Retention: A Critical Case of Black Faculty Unrest. Journal of Negro Education, v86 n3 p305-317 Sum. Drawn from a qualitative, critical case study of Black faculty's experience at a predominantly White institution, this study describes what may precede campus protests and demands for more Black faculty. Faculty voices highlight how racism and a hostile campus culture can lead to low retention and an overall sense of faculty unrest. The authors used critical race theory to analyze data and examine ways PWIs can better retain Black faculty…. [Direct]
(2024). "I Signed the Form, and I Just Walked Out": A Qualitative Analysis of Undergraduate Student Stop Out and Return Behavior. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Indiana State University. This phenomenological qualitative study sought to understand reasons contributing to Black or African American students' initial stop out, the decisions that led them to return to college, and the processes used to facilitate their return to college after being away from college for one year or more. This research was guided by the following questions: What experiences contributed to the student's withdrawal from the institution? What experiences contributed to the student's return to the institution? What retention strategies and programs were used during the withdrawal and re-enrollment processes? The participants' lived experiences were applied to two theoretical frameworks: Tinto's (1993) Theory of Student Departure and Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT and Student Departure Theory were used to understand the reasons and influences for Black or African American students' departure and return at various points in their academic journey. The participants' lived experiences revealed… [Direct]
(2024). Examining Multiculturalism in Private Sector Dance Curricula: A Mixed Methods Case Study. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, The University of West Florida. Expressions of multicultural information from dances of non-Eurocentric or partial Eurocentric lineage are routinely absent from private sector curricula, though Eurocentric dances and non-Eurocentric or partial Eurocentric lineage dances exist simultaneously within the private sector. The purpose of this mixed methods case study was to examine how multicultural information is included and represented in curricula by educators within private sector dance schools in the New England region of the United States. Theoretical assumptions of cultural reproduction theory and critical race theory (CRT) were lenses through which study components were explored. A mixed methods case study with a convergent parallel design was this study's methodology. Seventy-four current dance educators, at least 18 years of age, teaching within the private sector were study participants. Findings revealed overall teacher agreement regarding the importance of cultural information inclusion in dance classes,… [Direct]
(2024). A Case Study Examining the Influencing Factors Contributing to the Disproportionate Number of African Americans in Special Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, National University. The disproportionate number of African Americans in special education has been an issue receiving a lot of attention throughout the years. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine influencing factors contributing to the disproportionate number of African Americans in special education being served. This qualitative research study was utilized with a semi-structured interview protocol and a focus group with a sample of eight females and four males drawn from Northern New Jersey. The findings in this study revealed an unwavering connection to Critical Race Theory and Structural Inequality Theory as well as the contributions to disproportionality. CRT and SIT served as the theoretical framework, although there are many contributing factors to the problem of the disproportionality of African American students in special education, which included bias, race, and the referral process. When we reflect upon various school factors and situations our students face, we can see… [Direct]
(2024). "Wa Ya See?": An Autoethnographic Exploration of the Nuanced Experiences of a Black, Quare, Afro-Caribbean, Asylum Seeker in the United States Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Loyola Marymount University. In the 2022-2023 academic year, nearly one million international students from over 200 countries enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, marking a 12% increase from the previous year (Martel & Baer, 2022). Despite representing 5.6% of the total U.S. higher education population, asylum-seeking students remained an overlooked demographic, underscoring the challenges faced by marginalized groups within academia (Buchholz, 2023). This research focused on the experience of a Black, Quare, Afro-Caribbean, asylum-seeking doctoral student, employing autoethnographic methods to examine the complex intersections of race, sexuality, and transnational identity. Grounded in Intersectionality Theory (Crenshaw, 1991), Critical Race Theory (Bell, 1995), Quare Theory (Johnson, 2001), Transnational Identity (Esteban-Guitart & Vila, 2015), and Nigrescence (Cross, 1991), the study contextualized the student's experiences and identity development, highlighting a population often… [Direct]
(2023). The Lived Experience of Students of Color Who Studied Abroad as Part of the Racial or Ethnic Majority. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Michigan State University. For over 30 years, international educators have recognized that Students of Color participate in study abroad opportunities at considerably lower rates than their white peers. Despite concerted efforts to address this disparity, the proportion of Students of Color studying abroad has largely remained unchanged over the last three decades. To better support Students of Color studying abroad and increase their participation in this high impact practice, international educators need to better understand students' lived experiences. In this qualitative study, I used focus groups and narrative interviews to investigate how Students of Color experienced studying abroad in a location where they were part of the racial or ethnic majority. I used critical race theory (CRT) and its extensions as theoretical lenses for this research. Findings from this study point to the importance of not essentializing the experiences of Students of Color who studied abroad given the variation in what they… [Direct]
(2022). White Saviorism: An Insider Perspective. Art Education, v75 n3 p9-13. White Savior Industrial Complex (WSIC) encapsulates a myth that non-White communities need White outsiders to rescue them. WSIC is one of many ways well-intentioned outsiders fail to serve communities, and teacher education programs perpetuate WSIC by obscuring race, Black culture, and White privilege. In addition to WSIC theory, the author used critical race theory (CRT) and Whiteness critical theories to identify how Whiteness informed their pedagogical decisions. A process of narrative storytelling, unstructured interviews, and critical self-reflection provided data for this research. The author examined how the culturally developed identities of Alexis, a Black artist/art educator and colleague, informed the different and similar ways of knowing, thinking about, and enacting art instruction within the same community. In this article, the author explores Alexis's experience and pedagogical choices, arguing that art and teacher education programs should help to inform critical… [Direct]
(2021). Chapter 10: Teaching to Empower–Social Justice Action Projects as Imperatives for Educational Justice. Teachers College Record, v123 n13 Apr. Background/Context: Teaching to empower requires a critical focus on the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching in socially unjust educational environments. Effective teaching happens in an environment that engages students and teachers in critical investigation of content, knowledge, and activities. Critical learning environments simultaneously nurture the development of multiple perspectives and challenge the status quo. Establishing a critical learning environment is imperative in an educational system that is plagued with academic and social injustices. Therefore, teaching to empower necessitates that teachers, with the help of students, dismantle injustices through culturally responsive teaching, the development of agency and activism, the growth of multiple perspectives, and the capacity to challenge the status quo. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The purpose of this chapter, a conceptual paper, is to lay the foundation for a framework of social… [Direct]