(2024). The Talk: Learning That Binds Generations: A Critical Reflective Practice Begot from a Black Woman's Dialogic Approach. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Texas State University – San Marcos. This study uses a qualitative research design, a phenomenological approach, and a narrative inquiry component to delve into the past and present experiences of six Black women who engaged in the talk, a colloquial expression for conversations that Black parents have with their children about the dangers they face due to racism or unjust treatment. More importantly, these conscious-building conversations are a rite of passage for their survival, and this study particularly sought to capture significant events of critical reflection in its natural use that might not otherwise be recognized or documented as learning. Since the talk has roots in the counternarrative, critical race theory (CRT) served as the philosophical/epistemological underpinning that informed the study. As a theoretical framework, critical reflection also played a crucial role in informing the study because the talk's effectiveness relies on a reflective practice that extends well beyond the talk itself and what… [Direct]
(2024). Examining Intersections of Gender, Race, Racism and College Choice for High-Achieving African American Female Students Aspiring Careers in STEM. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Saint Peter's University. This qualitative study examined the college choice process of high-achieving, secondary African American female students enrolled at a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)-focused Academy aspiring to study STEM at a 4-year college or university. Minority women, unlike White women and racial minority men, face a double bind as they are underrepresented in both gender and race categories (Lockett et al., 2018). Employing Critical Race Theory (CRT), this researcher explored the impact of race and genderism on Black female STEM performance success, contributing factors to student motivation to succeed in STEM, support or lack of support from educational institutions, and whether or not the participants considered the pursuit of STEM fields at Historically Black colleges (HBCUs). The application of CRT allowed this researcher to challenge the normative conversation around Black girls' STEM performance and examine the gaps in the STEM pipeline for this group. Black… [Direct]
(2024). Examining the Role of Cultural Capital in Access and Equity for Female C-STEM Learners of Color. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Pepperdine University. This study aimed to examine the impact of cultural capital (Bourdieu, 1973; Bourdieu & Passeron, 1977) on the access and equity of C-STEM learners of color under the following four tenets of Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth model: aspirational, familial, social, and navigational capital. A theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT; Crenshaw, 1988) was utilized to frame the study. Research questions explore the impacts of cultural capital upon the perceived access and equity of female C-STEM learners. Qualitative methodology guided the study under the integrated approach of Quantitative Ethnography (QE) which examines qualitative data with the support of statistical analysis. This was done utilizing the Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA) webtool. Discourse analysis provided the researcher with a lens through which data from participants' interview responses were analyzed. As a retrospective study, the researcher sought to explore the impact of participants' cultural… [Direct]
(2022). "Latinas Abriendo Caminos": Stories of Latina Women to the Doctoral Degree. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of the Incarnate Word. Research Focus: Most of the current research focusing on Latinas succeeding academically has been conducted at the undergraduate and master's level. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the experience of Latinas in their doctoral program and what leads them to complete a doctoral degree. Latinas currently have low completion rates in doctoral degrees compared to all other ethnicities in the U.S. Thus, the goal of this research study was to identify factors that contribute to these Latinas succeeding academically. Research Methods: I used both Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to address the issue of race, gender, and racism in the doctoral education setting. To understand what lead them to complete a doctoral degree, the stories of nine Latinas participants lived experiences in completed their doctoral degree in the last years five years was documented through their testimonios. Through their testimonios, I explored in hopes of… [Direct]
(2012). Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk: Defining Critical Race Theory in Research. Race, Ethnicity and Education, v15 n1 p23-41. Over the last decade there has been a noticeable growth in published works citing Critical Race Theory (CRT). This has led to a growth in interest in the UK of practical research projects utilising CRT as their framework. It is clear that research on "race" is an emerging topic of study. What is less visible is a debate on how CRT is positioned in relation to methodic practice, substantive theory and epistemological underpinnings. The efficacy of categories of data gathering tools, both traditional and non-traditional is a discussion point here to explore the complexities underpinning decisions to advocate a CRT framework. Notwithstanding intersectional issues, a CRT methodology is recognisable by how philosophical, political and ethical questions are established and maintained in relation to racialised problematics. This paper examines these tensions in establishing CRT methodologies and explores some of the essential criteria for researchers to consider in utilising a CRT… [Direct]
(2023). Examining the Privilege Effect on the Achievement Gap. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, School of Graduate Studies. There is currently much conversation on the issue of the achievement gap as scholars, politicians, and educational leaders continue to grapple with educational inequity and underperformance of students in urban neighborhoods who are mostly Black and Latinx as compared with higher performing students, mostly white, in suburban neighborhoods. This study used qualitative research methods including interviews, focus groups, and artifact collection to conduct a comparative analysis between middle school English Language Arts classes in an underperforming school in Dobytown, N.J. and a high performing, gifted and talented school in the very same neighborhood. Both schools service minority students; but have yielded very different results. Drawing on literature about racism and social justice in education, and using the theoretical perspective of Critical Race Theory as a lens from which to view the data, I gained new insight into the role of privilege in determining the achievement gap as… [Direct]
(2020). Finding Their Strengths, Dreams and Struggles: A Narrative Inquiry of High School Students Independent Reading Habits. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina. The ability to read and understand texts are important to student's success in school and life. However, many secondary students enter without the skills needed to handle the rigor and amount of reading they will meet as they matriculate high school. Yet, this is not the case for those who struggle to read most. Allington (2013) found that students who struggle the most to read are also those who given the least amount of time to reading and the most to worksheets (p. 526). Therefore, this study hopes to better understand the reading histories of three high school students and determine the conditions needed to foster, develop, and sustain an independent reading life among high school students. Using a narrative inquiry method, the study looked at the independent reading habits of three high school students individual reading histories. Self-Determination and Critical Race Theories are used as the theoretical lens for this study as it relates to the choice and cultural relevancy of… [Direct]
(2017). Reflections of Academic Experiences from Formerly Incarcerated African American Males. Equity & Excellence in Education, v50 n2 p222-240. This research examines academic experiences of African American males (ages 18-25) who attended urban schools in southern California. The participants were incarcerated for at least one year prior to being housed in a pre-release program where they reflected on their academic experiences and perceptions of the school environment. The participants' academic experiences reflect many of the stories of young African American males in public schools. Data were collected from individual and group interviews, questionnaires, observations, and short writing responses providing a unique perspective within a critical race theory framework. Participants' early academic experiences were most positive during kindergarten and declined as they grew older. The academic experiences of these young men seemed to profoundly impact their social, cultural, and psychological development as well as their life choices, which may have led to incarceration…. [Direct]
(2017). Typologies for Effectiveness: Characteristics of Effective Teachers in Urban Learning Environments. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, v13 p124-134. Despite increasing diversity in U.S. schools, the topic of teacher effectiveness remains to be dominated by a universal narrative. This study applies critical theory, critical race theory, and culturally responsive pedagogy to position teacher effectiveness as contextual to urban schools and relational to the asset-based view of the learner. This study employs a phenomenological design to gather the shared experiences of nine teacher educators with teaching and service experiences in urban schools. The findings produce typologies of effective and ineffective teachers, identifies characteristics of effective urban teachers, and details the style responsiveness of effective teachers in urban schools. This study concludes with recommendations for school leaders and teacher educators to use the findings to impact the effectiveness of in-service and pre-service teachers for urban schools…. [PDF]
(2017). Developing a Materialist Anti-Racist Approach to Language Activism. Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, v36 n5 p565-570 Sep. The aim of this paper is to propose a materialist anti-racist approach to language activism. This approach combines Joshua Fishman's pioneering work on language activism with critical race theory and the recent materialist turn in applied linguistics. A materialist anti-racist approach to language activism, positions language policy within broader efforts to dismantle racial and economic inequities. Using the case study of bilingual education programs in the United States, this paper points to the importance of accounting for the various non-linguistic factors that play a role both in terms of access to education as well as the experiences of students. It is noted that a failure to account for these non-linguistics factors, may lead bilingual education programs to inadvertently contribute to the marginalization of minoritized communities…. [Direct]
(2017). Stepping up for Childhood: A Contextual Critical Methodology. Critical Questions in Education, v8 n2 spec iss p221-238 Spr. In this paper, we theorize a critical methodology for education centering community experiences of systemic injustice, drawing upon Critical Race Theory, critical educational leadership studies, Chicana feminism, participant action research and political theory, to refocus our work on the human relationships at the center of the learning and teaching endeavor. We propose a discourse analysis of the dominant, master narrative and incorporation of a community of memory to provide emancipatory counternarratives that provide members with avenues toward territorialization and reclamation of communal spaces such as public schools. Finally, we present four potential sites of this critical methodology to be activated in response to North Carolina's educational crises, including NC Senate Bill 8 (Charter School law), the Read to Achieve law, the Teacher of the Year awards, and NC General Statute 95-98…. [PDF]
(2017). "Your Agenda Item, Our Experience": Two Administrators' Insights on Campus Unrest at Mizzou. Journal of Negro Education, v86 n3 p318-337 Sum. For this study, we use duoethnography in conducting an analysis of recorded pl√°ticas, which is understood as a collaborative process of dialogue to explain our experiences as previous administrators at the University of Missouri during times of racial unrest. Through this article, we provide an understanding of the events leading up to the fall of 2015 and reflect on our experiences as administrators working directly with students and doing inclusion and diversity work. Utilizing critical race theory and critical race feminism we analyze our roles in the movement, the feelings that arose because of institutional dynamics, as well as the oppressive conditions we experienced. In turn, this article sheds light on how the lack of institutional support for inclusion and diversity efforts led to increased campus turmoil and a challenging experience for us as professionals…. [Direct]
(2020). Experiences of Southeast Asians at a Community College in the Midwest. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Northern Illinois University. This dissertation explored what contributed to Southeast Asian students' persistence in an urban community college in the Midwest. A qualitative case study was used to reveal how Southeast Asian students perceived personal and educational experiences and how those experiences created an impact on their persistence. This project addressed the lack of research on Southeast Asians and their challenges attaining academic success in higher education. This study is critical, as there is a lack of research on Southeast Asian students' experiences within higher education institutions, particularly within community college settings. The majority of research has focused on Asian American or international students, with minimal knowledge about any particular subgroup. This project uses the Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a theoretical lens. Because of the "model minority" myth, Asian Americans perceived that they do not need support that negatively affects Southeast Asian students since… [Direct]
(2021). On Whose Land Do I/We Learn? Rethinking Ownership and Land Acknowledgment. Communication Teacher, v35 n3 p222-228. In our semester original teaching idea, we detail possibilities of resistance to the neoliberal university by considering tribal critical race theory and postsocialist feminism as frames for decolonization. The semester takes shape by focusing on foundational readings to bridge decolonial and postsocialist thought as the basis for dialogue about neoliberalism as it manifests imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy in our universities. Focusing on property ownership as a discursive link between neoliberalism, decolonization, and postsocialism, we ask students to theorize/analyze how ownership of property and communication of that ownership maintains, extends, and resists colonial, liberal, and capital forms of power in the institution. We anchor our theoretical application by presenting students with a case study about the indigenous lands upon which our universities are built/occupy accompanied by a discussion about university "ownership" of ancestral remains… [Direct]
(2021). COVID-19, Technology, and the Math Classroom: Changes, Obstacles, and Victories Integrating Digitally. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Old Dominion University. Secondary math teachers faced new experiences and struggles this past virtual school year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nine secondary math teachers from a school division in southeastern Virginia participated in this qualitative single case study. Data collection included individual semi-structured interviews and technology integration artifacts. Through a three round coding process, ten themes emerged to answer the following three research questions: 1) In terms of curriculum, teaching methods, and assessments, how did teachers describe their pedagogical change in virtual learning? 2) How do teachers perceive student performance has changed within the virtual learning space? 3) From teachers' perspectives, how has the digital divide and educational inequities affected students' virtual learning based on student race? The data were analyzed through two theoretical lenses: Critical Race Theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995) and Technological Pedagogical and Content… [Direct]