Education Commons^™

If Not Me, Then Who? A Study Of Racial And Cultural Competence In A High School English Department, Dianna Sox

Theses and Dissertations

While the student population in U.S. public schools is diversifying, the teacher population and curriculum remain monochromatic. This action research study grew from the observation that racial and cultural content and discourse were absent from the English classrooms in my suburban high school due to a perceived lack of teacher cultural competence. Through this convergent mixed-method study, grounded in critical race theory, whiteness, and cultural competence, I sought to examine the factors that contribute to racial silence and improve teacher cultural competence in order to transform our classrooms into more racially and culturally just spaces. Surveys, independent reflections, focus group …

Social Foundations Of Education And The Teacher Development Continuum: A Case Study Of A University-Based Induction Program, Bryanna L. Montpeirous

Theses and Dissertations

Given the expanding racial, socio-economic, and cultural divide between student and teacher populations in U.S. public schools, pre-service and early-career teachers need to develop the cultural competence necessary to navigate an increasingly diverse population of students. To do so, pre-service and early-career teachers must cultivate an understanding of how education and schools are affected by the structure of and issues within society. The field of social foundations of education (SFE) provides an opportunity to assist prospective and current teachers in developing the critical inquiry skills and cultural competence needed to persist in teaching an increasingly diverse population of students.

This …

“We Make A Life By What We Give”: The Impact Of A High School Mentoring Program On The Perceptions And Academic Achievement Of Black Males, Brandon R. Ross

Theses and Dissertations

This action research study describes how a high school mentoring program impacts the academic achievement and postsecondary planning of Black male students. It further explores the perception Black male students have on school and their White teachers. The theoretical frameworks that support this research are social bonding theory (SBT) and critical race theory (CRT). This study used a qualitative design through a survey to examine the following research questions: “How does a high school mentoring program impact the academic achievement and perception of school for Black male students?” The study further examined “How a high school mentoring program impacts the …

Addressing Unconscious Bias, Power, And Privilege To Increase Cultural Competence Skills In Healthcare Faculty: Intersecting Critical Race Theory And The Pyramid Model For Intercultural Competence, Christina B. Gunther

Theses and Dissertations

Inequity in healthcare has long been understood to be caused by individual and structural racism in the health system. Little progress has been made in diminishing the disparities that exist between Black and African American minoritized populations and the White majority. Cultural competence training in healthcare has focused on surface level differences in ethnicities, including language and religious practices, while ignoring difficult to address topics such as race and racism. This action research study, using a convergent mixed-methods design, attempted to address the gap in knowledge of race and racial structures in healthcare for the faculty in the college of …

Dialogue Sessions On Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Topics: A Phenomenological Action Research Study In An Independent School Setting, Erica Forniss Wiltshire

Theses and Dissertations

Administrators and teachers play an integral role in creating educational spaces where all students can feel safe, welcome, and appreciated. Inspired by the unique responsibility of educators and guided by the work of noted proponents of cultural competence, this exploration is approached through a triplicate lens including phenomenological philosophy, critical race theory, and social reconstructionism. This critical social reconstructionist-hermeneutic phenomenological action research study seeks to gain a deeper understanding of early elementary, independent school teachers’ views on cultural competence before and after three targeted dialogue sessions.

Diversity And Cultural Competence In The Lis Classroom: A Curriculum Audit, J. A. Jacobs, Nicole A. Cooke

Faculty Publications

In a case study examining a library and information science graduate curriculum, 18 graduate students engaged in a comprehensive diversity audit of the School of Information Science curriculum. The diversity audit was a student-generated review of 108 syllabi and permitted students to engage in an action-learning project that benefited the school and allowed them, and the school’s faculty, to see first-hand why diversity and cultural competence are important facets of library and information science curricula.