Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Critical race counterstories give people the space to share their racialized stories with the world. These stories work to expose different forms of racism like color-blind racism. Critical race counterstories originated from the work done in critical race theory (CRT). In this thesis, Brooklyn Raines makes the case for how hip hop functions as a method of critical race counterstory. Because of hip hop’s ability to reflect the social, political, and economic conditions in the world with an emphasis on the role race plays, Raines promotes the use of counterstories in their pedagogy with hip hop as a particular instance for incorporating counterstory in first-year writing courses to equip students with liberating tools. These tools include skills like critical thinking, rhetorical knowledge, and text interpretation. In this thesis there’s a literature review of how hip hop has been incorporated in classrooms as well as two chapters dedicated to units for educators that want to bring hip hop as a form of critical race counterstories into their classrooms. The first unit is based around Kendrick Lamar’s rhetorical exchange with Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera. The second unit is created around the backlash Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion received from their empowering record WAP. The hope for this project is educators can equip students with tools like media literacy skills, the ability to interrogate notions of White supremacy, and the ability to form their own opinions with the assistance of responsible research. Educators deserve to know there is exciting curriculum outside of the cannon of what is expected to be taught that is oftentimes rooted in White supremacy.

The purpose of this research investigation was to explore the experiences of eighth-grade Latina/o students in a large, urban school in the Southeastern United States. Overall, the study uncovered the essence of the Latino/a student experience in social studies and furthermore revealed that social studies is not meeting the needs of Latino students. Using phenomenology as a method of research, two interviews were conducted with twelve research participants who were selected through purposive sampling. In addition to the interviews, students wrote narratives and drew images as a form of data triangulation. The goal was to give students various methods for relaying their experiences. Data were analyzed using suggested methods of analysis by Moustakas (1994) and Creswell (2007). Using Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Race Theory as a framework, results revealed that students experienced middle school social studies through the lens of race. Students felt oppressed by the curriculum and textbook due to the fact that culturally responsive teaching practices were primarily absent, diversity was presented only through a Black-White dichotomy, and the social studies curriculum was dominated by notions of White supremacy. Latina/o students experienced a curriculum that was boring as a result of teachers who were boring. Students validated the use of Critical Race Theory and Latino Critical Race Theory as a framework for educational research at the middle school level. In all, this research investigation fills a void in social studies research. The voices and experiences of Latino learners in social studies have been absent in social studies research. iv Educators can use this research study to alter the approaches to the social studies curriculum for the betterment of our culturally diverse learners.

Thesis advisor: Rebecca Lowenhaupt / There is a need for schools to implement practices to disrupt the inequities that exist for marginalized students in public education. As the theory of critical consciousness details, inequality is sustained when the people most affected by it are unable to decode their social conditions (El-Amin et al., 2017). An equitable democracy depends on critically conscious citizens (Seider & Graves, 2020). When educators and students can identify oppressive systems, they are better prepared to take action to disrupt those systems. This study analyzes how adult learning opportunities might position educators as agents of social justice-oriented educational practice. For the sake of this research, adult learning is defined as encompassing the learning experiences of educators, including district professional development as well as outside learning experiences in higher education institutions or the community. There is limited research regarding how the construct of race impacts adult learning experiences for critical consciousness. Therefore, this research studies the impacts of the construct of race during the process of adult learning. This study investigates how educators narrate their experiences with race during adult learning through the lens of critical consciousness. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2022. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

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This case study describes and examines the pedagogical practices of urban middle school teachers who execute multicultural literature unit plans with students of color. Culturally relevant theory guides the analysis of the teachers’ planning and pedagogy. The data gathered include; semi-structured curriculum director, teacher and student interviews; field notes of classroom observations; student reflective journals as well as curriculum artifacts. Data were analyzed and coded for findings, and implications for further research are given. Findings show teachers enact some, but not all principles of the framework of culturally relevant pedagogy. / Literacy & Learners

This research study examined the most salient experiences that facilitated the multicultural understanding, development, and practices of effective teachers of diverse students. Field notes collected during four months of participant observation in addition to teacher and student interviews provided the data for this study. Critical race theory was used as a framework for exploring the factors influencing the teachers' educational philosophies and pedagogical practices. The data for this study were analyzed according to emerging themes, depicting each teacher's background experiences, instructional philosophies and practices, and their recommendations for pre-service teacher teacher education. The following themes emerged from the data analysis and interpretations: (1) Teachers' background experiences provoked an awareness of societal influences on race; (2) Teachers' understanding of the sociocultural factors of race influenced their pedagogical decisions; (3) Teachers' critical awareness promoted a comprehensive view of students and their behaviors. The implications from this study suggest that opportunities to critically examine society promote an understanding of how societal messages both implicit and explicit influence thinking which in turn affects how teachers and students participate in the process of "schooling." / Ph. D.

In the United States, the largest group of educators, historically and presently, are white middle-class women, yet there is a rising population of racially diverse students creating a persistent dissonance and disconnect between the culture of the white teacher and their students. In this study, I sought to discover how the racial identity development of novice white female educators evolved, given their common participation in the Teach for America program. Using the conceptual frameworks of critical race theory, critical feminist theory, and the body of scholarship in critical whiteness studies, I conducted a critical narrative inquiry of eight novice white female educators. From the participants’ stories, three themes emerged: (a) relationships matter; (b) the privilege to want something different; and (c) intersection of whiteness and power. Further analysis was conducted to address the ideas of race-consciousness building through defining moments and sustained connection, and white dominance through an ascription of power and an analysis of gender. This study represents an effort to address the phenomenon of white teacher dominance by listening to the voices of white educators who experienced race-based development. Ultimately, this study aimed to contribute to the scholarship that informs how white educators develop their own racial identities so as to not do additional harm and trauma to racialized communities.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and agriculture are rapidly growing fields and important disciplines for meeting the needs of a growing population, including those related to food access and sustainability. However, there are not enough qualified employees entering into these fields, and additionally, those entering into the fields are not often from underrepresented groups, presenting a need for an increased push to boost the entrance and retention of minorities into degree programs that will prepare them for employment in fields of STEM or agriculture. African American men are one population that has even more disparate numbers of students entering and persisting in these fields and there exists a gap in information about the lived experiences and perceptions of members of this group within this field. This study utilized a phenomenological lens to explore the experiences of self-identified African American men currently enrolled in a STEM or agricultural degree program. Individual problem-solving preferences, academic motivation and subscription to black identity were examined using a conceptual framework adapted from Kirton's Cognitive Functions schema and the Organismic socio-behavioral perspective. This conceptual framework was viewed through a lens of critical race theory in order to determine the salience of these factors on the development of a STEM identity among African American males. The results of this study interrogate current educational practices to provide information about student perceptions, experiences with belonging and coping strategies utilized to overcome real and perceived barriers to STEM or agricultural degree attainment giving voice to this underrepresented group. Data from this study provide information to better inform STEM recruitment and retention practices and include recommendations for future research. / Doctor of Philosophy / STEM and agriculture are two of the most rapidly growing fields within our time and important disciplines for meeting the needs of a growing population, including those related to food access and sustainability. However, there are not enough qualified employees entering into these fields, and additionally, those entering into the fields are not often from underrepresented groups, presenting a need for an increased push to boost the entrance and retention of minorities into degree programs that will prepare them for employment in fields of STEM or agriculture. African American men are one population that has even more disparate numbers of students entering and persisting in these fields. This study utilized a phenomenological lens to explore the experiences of self-identified African American men currently enrolled in a STEM or agricultural degree program. Problem-solving preference, academic motivation and subscription to black identity were explored through a critical race lens, using a conceptual framework adapted from Kirton’s Cognitive Functions schema and the Organismic socio-behavioral perspectives interrogating student experiences, perceptions of belongingness and coping seeking to determine the salience of these factors on the development of a STEM identity.