Education Commons^™

You Matter Here: Examining Black And Latine Student Sense Of Belonging In A Community College Cinema/Tv Department Using Tiktok, Krystle Klein

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The lower retention and success rates of Black and Latine students in the Cinema/TV Department at a Hollywood-based community college reflect a broader diversity issue in the entertainment industry. This qualitative, arts-based study focused on student voice and the power of counternarratives by utilizing participatory action research to determine Black and Latine student sense of belonging. Four participants engaged 19 of their fellow students in dialogues using the social media platform TikTok to discover what their lived experiences were in the department, and what those narratives revealed about their sense of belonging and support systems. The resulting 54 TikTok videos …

Teaching For Social Justice In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom: Case Studies In Independent Schools, Alexandra Lyon Perelman

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Secondary English language arts (ELA) teachers in independent K–12 schools are well-situated to teach for social justice as they do not face the same constraints prevalent in many public schools, such as restrictive curricular mandates, high-stakes testing, and legislation resulting from the weaponization of critical pedagogy. Thus, secondary ELA teachers often have the liberty to craft their own curricula and use literature, verse, and other media as vehicles for teaching social justice. Despite an increase in empirical research examining social justice teaching in various contexts throughout K–12 education, there was a gap in the research focused on social justice teaching …

Student And Educator Perceptions Of The Implementation Of A Social-Emotional Learning Approach: A Mixed Methods Study Of A Catholic School, Dorothy Balfe

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this mixed methods study was to examine educator and student perceptions of the implementation of social-emotional learning (SEL) and the RULER (i.e., recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating) approach in a Catholic school. The study investigated the perceptions of teachers, staff, and students about the implementation of SEL and RULER across elementary and middle school grade levels. The RULER approach is a K–12 SEL initiative designed to build the emotional intelligence and social-emotional competencies of all members of a school community. Data were gathered over a 4-month period through interviews with teachers and students, an educator survey, …

The Path To Full Reparations: A Community-Driven Model Of Education Reparations For Black Youth In Los Angeles County, Phase I (Early Learners), Andrew S. Murphy

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The unresolved long-term effects of slavery and past and ongoing systemic racism directed toward Black Americans can be seen in the devaluing and aggressively racist treatment of Black students in Los Angeles County schools. Through qualitative interviews with Black education community members in Los Angeles County, this study collected Black education community members’ perspectives on the need for a multiphase education reparations system for Black youth, beginning with early learners (ages 0 to 8), and what components such a system should include. Participants overwhelmingly supported an education reparations system due to the over-policing and criminalization of Black students and the …

Making Worth, Making Sense Of The Sacrifice: Examining The Career Education Trajectories Of Economically Marginalized, First-Generation Latina Graduates, Alexia Fernanda Pineda Soto

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the ways current higher education approaches to career education, counseling, and preparation models served, or disserved, economically marginalized first-generation Latinas (EMFGL) and their career identities. In centering EMFGL-identifying college graduates, this study used interviews to glean an understanding of what the EMFGL career education experience was like and how forms of career preparation in college equipped, or unequipped, students’ career pathways. Driven to assess how higher education institutions can come to eradicate the generalization of their career counseling and education practices and ideologies, this work further uncovers how EMFGL graduates use …

Raising The Roar: A Case Study Of Early Adolescent Student Voice On Service-Learning And Catholic Identity, April Beuder

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined early adolescent students’ perceptions of their service-learning program experiences at one Catholic elementary school in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA). The purpose of the study was: (a) to understand how the powerful tradition of the Church related to doing works of social justice and outreach was experienced by students in one ADLA Catholic elementary school in the form of experiential service learning, and (b) to explore whether associations exist between the students’ perceptions of their Catholic identities and their service-learning experiences. This study gathered research from student voice and work samples and utilized Carver’s …

The Resilience Of A School Community During A Pandemic: A Phenomenological Study Of The Trials And Tribulations Of Bishop John Paul Academy, Christopher Aquino

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted the world of education. Schools were forced to rapidly adapt to new modes of teaching, learning, and assessment to continue providing education to students safely and effectively. This study examines the experiences of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on their challenges, responses, and impact on students, teachers, and staff and how their promotive and protective factors contributed to their resilience.

The qualitative study includes narratives from school administrators, teachers, and students. The results showed that schools had faced numerous challenges during the pandemic, including shifting to remote learning, maintaining student engagement and motivation, addressing …

A Professional Profile Of Culturally Responsive Continuation High School Principals, Benjamin Charles Wardrop

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

With more than 10% of all high school age students taking classes at a continuation school at some point in their high school career, this normally forgotten alternative learning environment is one that serves many of our most historically marginalized student groups: Black, Latinx, those with learning differences, and English Learners (Ruiz de Velasco et al., 2012). Leadership in schools is the difference-maker in student learning efficacy (Wahlstrom et al., 2010; Whitaker, 2020). This qualitative study was situated on the theoretical framework created by Madhlangobe and Gordon (2012), Culturally Responsive Leadership (CRL). The aim of this study was to build …

Are The Teachers Alright?: High School Teachers’ Use Of Emotional Labor Strategies In The Covid-19 Context And Its Effect On The Profession’S Sustainability, Nina C. Benegas

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Teacher burnout during the pandemic has resulted in a mass exodus of teachers that, compounded with consistently low enrollment in teacher preparation programs, has caused a severe and catastrophic teacher shortage. This qualitative study investigated teacher perceptions of pandemic-related workload and emotional stress and their effects on job satisfaction and burnout. The dissertation study consisted of semi-structured interviews of sixteen current or former high school educators who taught before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest a wide range of disruptions to teachers’ preexisting professional responsibilities and additions to what has been considered to constitute a teacher’s typical workload, particularly: …

Amplifying Marginal Voices Of The Global Movement For Deeper Learning: A Case Study Of A Rural K-12 Mission School In Cambodia, Mark Peter L. Lopez S.J.

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Several paradigms have been developed to define what constitutes deeper learning, how to foster it, and what desired outcomes or competencies can result from it. Much of the literature, however, has been based on studies in economically developed Western countries. There has been little, if any, that is based on developing country settings where culture and context can account for differences in the manner of promoting deeper learning. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of learners in the Mudita Mission School (MMS; pseudonym), a K-12 school in a rural part of northern Cambodia, and investigated how deeper learning was …

We Do The Work. You Check The Box: Unearthing The Impact Of Racialized Stress And Trauma On Black Women Community College Educators Leading Dei Work, Brandi Renee Avila

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Since the summer of 2020, following the execution of Mr. George Floyd, many institutions of higher education established or strengthened their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In attempting to create more equitable, diverse, inclusive, and antiracist campuses to foster student success and belonging on campus, another inequity is born. Higher education institutions have failed to center the wellbeing of educators tasked with leading these efforts. This qualitative study used semistructured interviews with 10 Black women leading DEI efforts throughout the California Community College system to explore the impact of racialized stress and trauma on holistic wellbeing. Central questions guided …

Underrepresented Students’ Perspectives On Higher Education Equity In The University Of California’S Elimination Of The Standardized Testing Requirement: A Critical Policy Analysis, Yufei Chen

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

In July 2022, the University of California (UC) permanently eliminated the standardized tests requirement for its freshman admissions in order to alleviate the severed socioeconomic gap and college access barriers that were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical policy analysis research explored the immediate effects of UC’s policy reform on higher education equity. All 14 participants were underrepresented minority (URM) students who applied to at least one UC campus for fall 2022’s freshman admissions and were enrolled in four-year universities at the time of this study. From demographic surveys, focus groups, and in-depth interviews, I applied critical race theory …

Is This Antiracist?: An Autoethnographic Evaluation Of Professional Development, Allison Nava-Holstein

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Communities of color have been fighting for equal rights in society throughout history, resulting in the development of different social movements. In 2013, the Black Lives Matter movement was founded and protests erupted across America as Black lives were lost at the hands of law enforcement. In the summer of 2020, the protests continued, serving as a catalyst for schools to begin interrogating their practices and curricula, moving towards efforts to be pro-Black and antiracist.

Grounded in Critical Social Theory and Critical Race Theory, this autoethnographic study explores the experiences of me, a Latinx teacher in diversity, equity and inclusion …

(Re)Inventing Ourselves: An Asiancrit Analysis Of Counternarratives Of Asian American Women Who Lead In K–12 Public School Systems, Ella Farinas

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Despite what is known about the importance of diversity in the educator workforce, Asian American women (AAW) are not named in conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in leadership. The purpose of this qualitative study was to build on the limited research on AAW in social justice leadership (SJL), explore the lived experiences of AAW educators, and elevate their voices. I sought to answer the research questions: (1) What affordances and challenges do AAW experience in choosing and enacting SJL in K–12 public school systems? (2) How do the intersectional positionalities of Asian American women affect the way they …

More Than Just Lip Service: A Phenomenological Study Of Urban Public Charter School Leaders Of Color In Los Angeles, Korey S. Hlaudy

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Little is known about how school leaders of color implement social justice leadership praxis within the urban public charter school context, especially amid a global pandemic and heightened racial injustice. This study aimed to better understand the phenomenon of being a social justice leader of color, specifically examining how these leaders implemented practices and policies aimed to minimize the marginalizing conditions within their school communities. The dissertation study was qualitative in nature and utilized a phenomenological framework to provide an in depth understanding of the policies, practices, and mindsets of nine school leaders of color (eight principals and one assistant …

Unveiling Whiteness In Progressive Education: Learning From The Critical Narratives Of Black Progressive Educators And Activists, Chris Thinnes

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Progressive education has the socially transformative potential to mitigate the racialized violence of neoliberal education reform, but is dominated by white norms and has failed for more than a century to articulate a coherent or purposeful political agenda explicitly committed to racial equity and justice. Informed by Critical Race Theory, Critical Pedagogy, and Critical Biculturalism, this qualitative study engaged Black progressive educators and activists in an effort not only to understand the contours and impacts of white hegemonic norms in progressive education spaces, but also to produce a framework of principles, policies, and/or practices that could disrupt them. Using Critical …

Third-Grade Student Literacy: A Quantitative Analysis Of Two Concurrent Interventions, Melissa Adriana Jara

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The achievement gap is a historic and pervasive issue of social justice in education. the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further stalled student achievement in reading and math, amplifying the urgency for accelerating student learning to close the gap. The third grade is a critical year for literacy in education; if students have not mastered grade level literacy skills by then, they are likely to continue to fall behind, which can diminish academic opportunities and significantly reduce their economic potential. This study seeks social justice in education to add to the literature by elucidating strategies to improve third-grade literacy. …

From Allies To Abolitionists: Developing An Abolitionist Consciousness And Anti-Racist Practices In White Teachers, Deonna Smith

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to investigate the efficacy of a professional development designed to equip teachers with antiracist practices and support them in developing an abolitionist mindset. The study was designed for white teachers. Participants of the study engaged in a 6-week course grounded in a constructivist learning theory, TLT, and centered around the text, We Want to Do More Than Survive by Love (2019). Participants also engaged with a variety of other texts and resources grounded in asset pedagogies. The sessions were participant-led and focused on cultivating the skills for antiracist teaching while cultivating a mindset grounded in abolition.

The …

Systemic Challenges During Assessment Of Emerging Bilingual Students: Perspectives Of Speech Language Pathologists And School Psychologists, Courtney Smith

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the perspectives of speech language pathologists and school psychologists, to identify the systemic challenges they identified that negatively impact how emerging bilingual students are referred, assessed, and identified for special education. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 6 speech language pathologists and 6 school psychologists (n=12) to explore these challenges and barriers, as well as to look at the systems of belief present on campuses, that impact this process. Using a systems thinking framework and detailed inductive analysis of the data many themes emerged related to barriers such as difficulty finding an interpreter and ensuring that …

“Si No Yo, ¿Entonces Quién?”: Testimonios Of Latino/A Catholic School Teachers In Under-Resourced Urban Catholic Schools, Antonio Felix

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

There has been a significant increase in the number of Students of Color attending Catholic schools in the United States in the last forty years. However, only 17% of the professional staff in Catholic schools nationally are Teachers of Color (with about 9.6% identifying as Latino/a) (McDonald & Schultz, 2020). The racial gap between Students and Teachers of Color is a social justice issue (Berrios, 2016), and yet, research on why Teachers of Color are choosing to teach in Catholic urban schools and the motivating factors that sustain their work in hard-to-staff Catholic schools is limited.

This qualitative research study …

On Finding Cultural Humility: A Critical Narrative Case Study Of School Equity And The Collaborative Process, Stacey Anne Koff

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The ever-changing cultural diversity of the student population necessitates shifts in schooling. For too long schools have been aggressive and unconnected spaces for students of color. This critical narrative case study will explore and understand how one independent school engages in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) work to create space for its member voices and experiences. This dissertation study included document analysis, narrative interviews, and a focus group to uncover an in-depth overview of the interactional dynamics of one school site through an oral history and narrative of its members. Findings highlight how the tenets of cultural humility, including …

A Cord Of Many Strands: A Case Study Of Inclusive Practice Within The Archdiocese Of Los Angeles, Patrick James Allison

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The foundational philosophy of Catholic schools impels them toward inclusive practice. Scholars have repeatedly established that a moral mandate exists in Catholic Social Teaching for Catholic schools to include all students. However, students with disabilities have traditionally been excluded from Catholic school settings due perceived resource constraints, lack of practitioner skill, and the disposition that students with disabilities are better served in public schools. Many Catholic schools have made tremendous progress in inclusive practice, and stand at the forefront of this work, but these efforts have not been replicated at scale.

The purpose of this study was to explore how …

Challenging Racism In Catholic Schools Through Intimate School Leadership: Counternarratives Of Black Catholic School Leaders, Michael Santa Maria

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Conversations regarding racial equity are uncomfortable for many Catholic school leaders. This is due to a lack of clarity between Catholic social teaching (CST) and its implementation regarding racial justice among Catholic schools. This necessitates coherent guidance to address systemic racism in Catholic education which responds to the need for greater equity, inclusion, and antiracism in its Catholic schools. The purpose of this study was to work with Black Catholic school leaders to understand how they operationalize antiracism in their leadership practice. To understand this paradigm, this study addressed two research questions: (1) How do Black leaders experience their role …

Rising Scholars: Narratives Of Formerly Incarcerated/System-Impacted Community College Students In An On-Campus Support Program, Jason Durrell Bostick

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study uplifted the stories of formerly incarcerated and/or system-impacted students attending a California community college (i.e., “Rising Scholars”) to provide qualitative context to a growing literature following the state’s promotion of support programs at the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC) systems. This study interviewed six formerly incarcerated/system impacted Rising Scholars using a narrative inquiry methodology with a theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Desistance theory to inquire about their educational experiences before and during their enrollment at an urban California community college with reentry support. Key themes in the …

Good Intentions Are Not Enough: An Examination Of Service-Learning On A Public Charter High School Campus, Jane Louise Wyche-Jonas

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study examines the service-learning program at a charter high school (Austin Charter Academy [ACA]). The two-fold purpose of the study was to: (a) describe and explore the service-learning experience at ACA with attention to the structures of power shaping the program and (b) to examine the role of a White, female administrator in the service-learning program. The research questions for the study were:

• How does one high school charter community describe their experiences in service-learning programs?
• Who is being centered and what logics are being reinforced in service-learning projects?

The study employed a decolonizing, critical community-based service-learning …

Introducing The Ignatian Organizational Culture Framework For Student-Facing Staff At Jesuit Universities, Patrick Furlong

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

This study looked at the impact of Ignatian spirituality and Ignatian pedagogy on staff in student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities. It also explored how leaders of student-facing departments and divisions operationalize components of Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy to create an Ignatian organizational culture.

Qualitative data were collected through multiple semistructured interviews with nine leaders of student-facing units at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Key findings were organized into four thematic sections. The findings map onto different components that derive from, or are connected to, Ignatian spirituality and pedagogy. The thematic sections are: (a) leadership’s commitment …

Perceptions Of Academic Self-Concept: Testimonios Of Junior High School Latinas, Ernestina Aguilar

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Eurocentric and marginalizing schooling practices hinder Latino student persistence in US Schools. Furthermore, an intentional focus placed on Latinas uncovers compounding layers of oppression permeating the educational system. Through an analysis of testimonios, this qualitative critical narrative study better understands the schooling experiences and academic self-concept of seven Latina junior high students. Guided by Latino Critical Race (LatCrit) and Intersectionality Theories, it contributes to understandings of how Latina youth experience the transition from elementary to junior high school and how they perceived themselves as scholars. Testimonios were captured through a three-part series of semi-structured videoconference interviews. Data analysis utilized tenets …

Review Of The Impact Of Federal And State Turnaround Policies: A Case Study Of A District In State Receivership, Megan Marie Atkins

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

The districts that have been in receivership in the State of California have a student population categorized as socioeconomically disadvantaged. While state receivership is triggered by fiscal insolvency, the school district in receivership is not performing to state standards according to the indicators on the California Dashboard (California Department of Education, 2021a). In order to return to local control and governance by a locally elected Board of Trustees, the district must meet its financial obligations and meet and maintain the Financial Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) review criteria. California Assembly Bill No. 1840 (Cal. 2018) shifted the power from …

Perceptions Of Coding Instruction In K-12 Archdiocese Of Los Angeles Catholic Schools, Krikor Koko Kiladjian

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Traditional pedagogy offers students opportunities to enhance various skills and acquire content knowledge; however, additional steps can be taken to enhance student achievement, prepare them for future occupations, and bridge the divide in access to technology. A curriculum that integrates coding instruction affords students the opportunity to augment their collaboration, communication, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills. This is especially crucial for traditionally marginalized populations who have experienced inequitable access to technology. Nevertheless, coding is not integrated in schools in different domains, including Catholic institutions in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (ADLA).

This dissertation used a descriptive and inferential quantitative methodology …

Exploring Algorithmic Literacy For College Students: An Educator’S Roadmap, Susan Gardner Archambault

LMU/LLS Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that college students are largely unaware of the impact of algorithms on their everyday lives. Also, most university students are not being taught about algorithms as part of the regular curriculum. This exploratory, qualitative study aimed to explore subject-matter experts’ insights and perceptions of the knowledge components, coping behaviors, and pedagogical considerations to aid faculty in teaching algorithmic literacy to college students. Eleven individual, semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with scholars and teachers of critical algorithm studies and related fields. Findings suggested three sets of knowledge components that would contribute to students’ algorithmic literacy: general …