(2023). Latin√© Undocuqueer Students Navigating Microaggressions in California's Public Colleges and Universities. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Long Beach. Throughout history, society in the United States has marginalized women, People of Color, and queer individuals. Various systems of oppression often intersect to further subjugate individuals due to their inclusion in various underrepresented communities. Utilizing concepts from critical race theory and Latine critical theory (LatCrit), this qualitative interview study explored how Latine undocuqueer students navigate higher education in California's public colleges and universities. This study sought to answer two questions: (a) how do Latine undocuqueer students experience and navigate microaggressions in California's public colleges and universities? and (b) What systems of support exist within or beyond California's public colleges and universities for Latine undocuqueer students? Participants reported experiencing three kinds of microaggressions in college: racist, racist nativist, and sexual orientation. These microaggressions were heard from their family units, across their… [Direct]
(2023). Centering Underrepresented Voices: The Underrepresentation of BIPOC Professionals in the Nonprofit Sector. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Southern California. This study applied Bandura's model of reciprocal determinism through social cognitive theory to examine the bidirectional triadic relationships between personal, behavioral, and environmental factors that impact the underrepresentation of Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color (BIPOC) professionals in the nonprofit sector. Additionally, a critical race theory lens examined how White dominant culture holds the standard for the systems of power that influence norms, attitudes, and practices within the nonprofit sector. The goals of the study aimed to identify barriers to implementing BIPOC leadership development programs, provide insight into the current leadership development practices on the underrepresentation of BIPOC professionals, and suggest possible solutions for eliminating barriers and improving the leadership trajectory for nonprofit professionals. A qualitative research approach used semi-structured interviews to address the problem of practice. An open and… [Direct]
(2023). Impacts on African American Male Adolescents of Attending a Charter School Led by African American Men. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Walden University. There is a lack of research on African American male adolescents who have progressed socially and academically in charter school systems under the administrative and classroom leadership of African American men. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain a deeper understanding of how adolescent African American male students in one U.S. charter school system progress academically and socially under the classroom and administrative guidance of African American men. The research questions addressed how gender focus and cultural representation developed academic equity and propelled these African American male adolescent students socially and academically. Critical race theory was the theoretical framework for the case study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 22 participants who represented four groups of stakeholders at an East Coast charter school: the CEO, founders, and board members; administrative leaders; teachers and counselors; and parents. The… [Direct]
(2023). Narratives That Matter: Special Education Teacher Stories and Experiences with Teaching Black Students with Disabilities. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Molloy University. Black students with disabilities receiving special education services provide unique challenges to the current education system that was designed for white, able-bodied, and minded individuals. Teachers, more specifically, special education teachers, who are often white, play a vital role in serving as a first level of support and having a significant influence on potential short and long-term outcomes for Black students with disabilities. This qualitative narrative inquiry study of six Prek-eighth grade special education teachers sought to understand their stories of preparation for and approaches to teaching Black students with disabilities. This study is important because it provides insight into special educators' teachers' self-efficacy and preparedness in working with Black students with disabilities. Disability studies/critical race theory (discrit) and teacher self-efficacy theory were used as theoretical frameworks. Data collection occurred through reflective narrative… [Direct]
(2023). Black and Latinx Students and Competitive Four-Year College Access: The Role of Guidance Counselors' Expectations in College Matching. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania. This study examined New York City Black and Latinx high school students' perceptions of their college counseling experiences. In particular, I sought to understand how the students perceived the role their high school guidance counselors' expectations of their abilities played in the choice of colleges to which they were counseled to apply. Data collection involved 21 Black and Latinx former NYC specialized high school students who shared their narratives in semi-structured interviews, filled out a 15-minute Qualtrics survey, and provided college-related archival documents. Given the dearth of research highlighting student perceptions of college counseling (Howard, 2003), granting students' voices methodological priority in this qualitative study sought to correct this gap in the research. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a framework, this study honors the experiential knowledge and voices of people of color by recognizing that educators, researchers, policymakers, and others can… [Direct]
(2023). Black Girl Black Girl Holla and Let Em' Hear You: An Autoethnographic Exploration of My Experiences from Black Girlhood to Black Womanhood. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, San Diego State University. This critical autoethnographic study examined my experiences navigating educational institutions from young adulthood to adulthood, as seen through the eyes of a Black girl growing up to become a Black woman. Specifically, this study included an examination of 10 critical incidents with a combination of the past 7 years of my life that explain the negative and positive interactions that shaped my experiences with the educational system and society while explaining how music, self-reflective writing, and other "parent figures" (mentors) were all elements that contributed to my educational success. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, Critical Mentoring, Black Feminist Thought, and Critical Autoethnography, this study sheds light on how I, as a Black girl and woman, experienced racism, discrimination, and systems of power in K-12 and postsecondary educational systems and society. I utilized Black Feminist methodologies and qualitative inquiry to analyze self-reflective journals and a… [Direct]
(2023). Black Girl Black Girl Holla and Let Em' Hear You: An Autoethnographic Exploration of My Experiences from Black Girlhood to Black Womanhood. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, The Claremont Graduate University. This critical autoethnographic study examined my experiences navigating educational institutions from young adulthood to adulthood, as seen through the eyes of a Black girl growing up to become a Black woman. Specifically, this study included an examination of 10 critical incidents with a combination of the past 7 years of my life that explain the negative and positive interactions that shaped my experiences with the educational system and society while explaining how music, self-reflective writing, and other "parent figures" (mentors) were all elements that contributed to my educational success. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, Critical Mentoring, Black Feminist Thought, and Critical Autoethnography, this study sheds light on how I, as a Black girl and woman, experienced racism, discrimination, and systems of power in K-12 and postsecondary educational systems and society. I utilized Black Feminist methodologies and qualitative inquiry to analyze self-reflective journals and a… [Direct]
(2023). "I Love My Students, but I Hate the Pimpin": A Phenomenological Study of Umoja Coordinator Experiences in California Community Colleges. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, San Diego State University. The antiblack past and present of institutions of higher education, more specifically community colleges, coupled with the resistance and perseverance of Black communities, has not only had a direct impact on Black student success, but also currently impacts the lived experiences of Black employees. To that end, the goal of this study was to further analyze the role that Umoja coordinators (i.e., Black faculty coordinators of Black student success programs) play in supporting Black student success and in institutional transformation at their colleges, along with the personal and professional costs associated with that support. Using critical race theory, antiblackness, and other theoretical frameworks, qualitative research methods were used to examine the factors that influence the experiences of 16 Umoja coordinators that led Umoja programs within the California Community College system. Findings showed that even though Umoja coordinators' level of education and years of… [Direct]
(2023). Looking beyond Discrimination: Latinas Working in Community College Administration. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Grand Canyon University. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Hispanic female administrators describe their experiences with discrimination at work, and how those experiences may have played a role in their career progression as community college leaders in the United States. The theoretical foundation of the study was critical race theory and Latino/a critical theory. The research questions that guided this study included how Hispanic female administrators describe their experiences with discrimination at work and how do those experiences with discrimination play a role in their career progression as community college leaders. The study sample consisted of thirteen Hispanic females that work or have worked in community college leadership in the United States. This qualitative study used a qualitative descriptive research design. Data was collected through two data sources: twelve semi-structured individual interviews and one focus group, consisting of five participants. Data… [Direct]
(2023). The Legacy of Latina Community College Presidents: Paving the Path Forward. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, California State University, Los Angeles. The lack of representation of Latina community college presidents in California is an equity and social justice issue because the majority of students enrolled in community colleges are female and Latina but White men continue to dominate the office of the president. This issue is timely given the number of baby boomers who will be retiring in the next five years. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to document the voices of Latina community college presidents by identifying barriers, areas of support, and their successful navigation of higher education. Using Critical Race Theory and Community Cultural Wealth, this study addressed barriers and biases Latina community college presidents face and how they use their cultural wealth to navigate higher education. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a demographic survey. Themes that emerged from the data are Latinas leading authentically, persistent struggles, and familia y cultura [family and culture]…. [Direct]
(2023). A Narrative Case Study: The Role of Culturally Responsive Mentorship to Navigate, Empower, and Level the Playing Field for Black and Brown Students in Higher Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Molloy University. As the rate of enrollment increases for Black and Brown students in U.S. colleges and universities, in part, due to innovative and strategic recruitment and enrollment efforts to attract them, research shows that students of color benefit from intentional and strength-based college support services to ensure that they can thrive and persist toward graduation. In this narrative case study, I explored the perceived experiences of Black and Brown alumni who were participants in a mentoring program at a predominantly White institution (PWI). In-depth interviews with 20 alumni chronicled their lived experiences and perceptions as they navigated the PWI with the help of their assigned mentor. Utilizing critical race theory (CRT) and culturally relevant education as frameworks, I found that student mentees described how their mentors assisted them with cultural competence and critical consciousness skills. I conceptualize this type of mentoring as culturally responsive as both White mentors… [Direct]
(2023). Intersecting Identities: A Mixed Methods Study Exploring the Mathematical and Racial Identity of Middle School Black Girls. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, North Carolina State University. The purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to understand how being both Black and a girl impacted the mathematical and STEM experiences of Black adolescent girls enrolled in informal STEM learning programs and Black adolescent girls who are not enrolled in informal STEM learning programs. Using Critical Race Theory, this study focused on the intersectionality of the Black girls' mathematical identity, gender identity and racial identity. This study investigated how rising 6th through 8thgrade Black adolescent girls (N=13) described their mathematical and STEM experiences and how their experiences shaped their mathematical and racial identities. Using journals, surveys, and semi-structured interviews, thematic analysis revealed how Black girls' mathematical identity can be impacted by the support or lack of from their teachers, parents, and peers, as well as the influence participating in informal STEM learning programs has on the development of their mathematical… [Direct]
(2023). Race Dynamics and Mentoring Experiences of Aspiring Black Principals. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of South Carolina. This study aimed to investigate the dynamics of race and mentorship while capturing the lived experiences of Black principals as they were in the pipeline to the principalship. Although America's public schools are becoming increasingly more diverse with students of color, the number of principals of color is relatively low; Blacks account for 10.7% of the principalship, while whites account for 68.1% (School Principal Demographics and Statistics in the US, 2022). This qualitative study used Critical Race Theory (CRT) as a framework to inform the reader of racial trends, dynamics and/or thematic parallels of the participants in the study. It was not the intent to utilize all of CRT tenets but to apply those that were illuminated in the data. This was two-state study with six participants from four public school districts, located in the Carolinas. The districts were not listed to ensure the confidentiality of the participants. The study consisted of recorded interviews with a… [Direct]
(2022). Reflections, Perceptions, and Conversations with Diversified Elementary Teachers: Transformational Teaching and Learning through Social Justice Education. ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Rider University. This qualitative study explored the perspectives of nine educators on how they define social justice and how they imagine transformational teaching and learning by integrating social justice in their teaching practices. The research sought to answer the following questions (a) How do teachers define social justice? (b) What is a teacher's role in implementing social justice? ( c) Can there be bias when integrating social justice into the curriculum? (d) What are the barriers to implementing social justice into the curriculum? This process included conducting ethnographic interviews, teacher observations, and student responses from interactive activities. Data analysis showed that teachers reflected on their lived experiences to define social justice. Teachers perceive social justice as an essential and critical part of learning because it enables students to think critically about social constructs that impact them. Social justice challenges students to understand others' lived… [Direct]
(2024). Black Like Me: Empowering Minoritized Men in STEM Degrees through Advising Relationships. ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota. The challenge of increasing the number of minority students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degrees is a systemic problem. In the case of higher education, one of the main challenges also includes the retention of academically prepared minority students who are underrepresented in STEM degree programs. President Barack Obama noted "strengthening STEM education is vital to preparing our students to compete in the 21st century economy" (White House, 2010). Increased issues regarding the retention and degree completion of students from diverse backgrounds have created a STEM workforce in which certain groups remain underrepresented. Black men collegians continue to lag in enrollment and graduation rates behind their White, Asian, and Latino men counterparts in higher education. The status of Black men in higher education serves as an impetus for research to investigate collegiate experiences of Black men undergraduates and factors that facilitate retention… [Direct]