Black women face barriers to higher education that include systemic racism and sexism that lead to self–doubt, discrimination, and familial and community support. They battle barriers to and within academia through the intersectionality of their sex and racial identity groups. As a response to the barriers they face in higher education, the purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Black women navigating a doctoral program in education at a California State University. To explore the experiences of the participants, I used a qualitative study with a Heideggerian phenomenological approach and a Black feminist lens. A three­–question interview, which asked about the application process, admissions process, and first–year experience was used to explore the experiences of five Black women at two California State University campuses. The results of this study could be used to address the racial and gender equity gaps within the California State University system.

This study investigates the “the cost of caring” (Figley, 1995) for educators who teach and work with traumatized children; that is children who live in challenging social environments with ongoing stressors, such as family physical abuse, sexual assault, neglect, community violence, bereavement and loss issues, parental mental health and substance abuse, and homelessness. This study examines the theoretical framework of Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). The phenomenon of STS has been investigated in depth for professionals, such as social workers, counselors/therapists, hotline/crisis workers, law enforcement officers, nurses, emergency medical technicians/paramedics, firefighters, and disaster relief workers (Bride et al, 2007). This study explores how teachers address the emotional stressors of teaching traumatized children, the impact of their work on them both personally and professionally, if teachers are able to incorporate self-care strategies, and explores the applicability of STS to elementary educators

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 communities of practice support inclusion in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. A convergent mixed methods approach to social network analysis was used to describe the state of inclusive practice in Catholic schools and the relationships that facilitate diffusion of information and resources across these organizations. The findings of this study indicated that Catholic educators strongly support inclusion and associate it with the mission of Catholic education but lack capacity in their knowledge and resources to create inclusive environments, despite the presence of skilled teachers and other internal resources. The study found that Catholic schools are resourceful and build effective partnerships with parents, students, and outside organizations to support students with disabilities, but that networks across school sites are fragmented.

The purpose of educators is to aid their students as they develop as their own individuals. Only through education can individuals grow to become the best version of themselves, in and out of the classroom. It is crucial for educators to be aware of the many different learners in the world, so teachers are prepared for any exceptional student that enters their classroom. That is why it is so important to educate oneself on the many exceptionalities and circumstances students are facing. Encompassed within the 13 disabilities identified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1975), are sub categories of many additional exceptionalities. It is a lot of information, and it can be very overwhelming for anyone, not just teachers, to know each one. By bringing exposure to the many exceptionalities, teachers, parents, and students can potentially feel less overwhelmed. By creating a resource guide for at least one exceptionality, help is being given to those who need it. For this research, the exceptionality of focus is Expressive Aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia. Expressive Aphasia is not an exceptionality commonly spoken of outside of those involved in this study and those afflicted with this unique form of aphasia. Which This highlights the purpose of this thesis, to examine research/studies and form a resource guide for teachers and parents to learn about Expressive Aphasia. The resource guide will provide information about the history of Expressive Aphasia, offer definitions, suggest strategies, and introduce resources that can help educators, parents, and students better understand this type of aphasia. Everyone needs help, and what better way to help teachers and parents than to give them tools to effectively aid students in their educational journey.

The purpose of this pilot project was to determine the factors or supports that college graduates perceived as helping them to thrive and attempt higher education, despite having a learning disability, specifically dyslexia. Based on the literature review, this pilot study examined the four main kinds of support that most students receive while growing up; including family support, peer support, teacher support, and support from other programs and resources. The specific research question explored: What encouraged or discouraged these now adults in their pivotal growing years in regards to dyslexia? This pilot study used a mixed-methods research design which included an anonymous online survey and interview. With only one interview completed a single-case study was derived. The results of this pilot study are shared, including implications for educators and suggestions for future research. What was found is that all four highlighted sources of support played a role in the lives of the participants. The common thread that wove them altogether was socioemotional support provided by those sources.

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General education teachers are critical contributors to the successful inclusion of students labeled with learning disabilities in general education classrooms. Similarly, teacher beliefs about disability labels significantly influence how teachers include or exclude students labeled with a learning disability in their classrooms. This qualitative study investigated eight secondary general education teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion and their experiences teaching students labeled with a learning disability from a Critical Disabilities Studies perspective. Data were collected using an innovative qualitative method, Q methodology, in order to surface distinct perspectives within the group about inclusion and the experience of teaching students labeled with a learning disability in their classes. The data bore that while teachers agree with the aspirations of inclusive education, they insist they are not capable of teaching students labeled with a learning disability. These findings support the need for systemic change within teacher preparation programs and schools that can disrupt deficit notions of disability.

Thesis advisor: Lillie R. Albert / In a world where collaborative learning and social interactions play pivotal roles in educational success, this study explores the dynamics of elementary students’ help-seeking behaviors in mathematics education. Employing Social Network Analysis (SNA), regression models, and comprehensive statistical analyses, the study explores the association between students’ mathematics help-seeking networks and their performance, while also examining the potential moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES). Furthermore, the study investigates the influence of SES on students’ selection of helpers when facing academic challenges in mathematics. The findings reveal a positive association between students’ mathematics help-seeking indegree centrality—indicative of being nominated as a helper—and their performance. Conversely, a negative association is observed between mathematics help-seeking outdegree centrality—reflective of seeking help from others—and performance. However, these associations were not found to be significantly moderated by SES. Instead, SES influences the choice of helper sources, demonstrating a disparity in access to educational support. Students from wealthier backgrounds tend to rely on outside-of-school resources such as parental support and private tutoring to a greater extent than expected from a random sample, while students from less affluent backgrounds depend more on within-school resources, such as teachers and peers. The study emphasizes the importance of cultivating classroom cultures that value constructive help-seeking, which is integral to enhancing understanding and creating collaborative learning environments. Additionally, the study sheds light on educational inequalities linked to cultural capital, particularly concerning the accessibility of help resources. To address these disparities, strategies such as parental engagement workshops and the development of comprehensive digital platforms are recommended to promote equitable access to assistance across socioeconomic spectrums. Moreover, the potential of Artificial Intelligence in education is noted as a promising tool for providing personalized student support, capable of bridging socioeconomic and cultural gaps. This research concludes with a call to action for educators, policymakers, and community stakeholders to establish educational environments that encourage help-seeking as an effective learning strategy and support equitable access to resources. Such initiatives are crucial for promoting equal opportunities for educational resources and empowering every student to reach their full potential. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teaching, Curriculum, and Society.

The focus of this dissertation was to gain a better understanding of how families construct autism. Studies have overwhelmingly used the medical model or the institutional narrative to interpret how autism is understood in families. More recently, a counter-narrative has emerged resisting this medical model. Both narratives, however, simplify the intricate nature of the disability construct within families. Additionally, the term “family” has been used euphemistically to refer to mothers, fathers or siblings of children who have autism. This study explored the constructs of the whole family through shared stories of their day-to-day lives. Through a narrative inquiry, this study used semi-structured interviews and participant observational data collected in homes and communities of three families who have elementary school-aged children diagnosed with autism. Selection criteria consisted of English-speaking families who completed a university-based early intervention program. Attempts were made to select multidimensional or diverse families. Resulting data were analyzed using NVivo software. Five findings emerged. First, contexts and the interactions held within them played a significant role in the type of narrative that was used to construct disability. Second, constructs of disability were in process and fluid. Third, families held competing constructs of disability at both the group and individual levels. Fourth, the dominant cultural narrative of disability founded upon the medical model was used by families; however, its use was predicated on the desire to protect family members (i.e., child with disability as well as siblings) from perceived and directly-experienced exclusions from mainstream society. Fifth, a dominant construct of disability existed within families and was contingent upon the strength of that construct within various contexts with which the family engaged. Knowledge was added to the current literature on the complexity and fluid nature of the disability construct at the group and individual levels. In addition, these constructs were argued to be influenced by the interactive contexts and the embedded narratives of disability. Knowledge generated by this study can be used to integrate different lenses within professional training programs, and help to re-imagine the methods and aims of research that explore families who have children with disabilities.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning students (LGBTQ) face unique challenges during their university or college careers, and while society has generally become more accepting of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) over the past decade, students still often face chilly or outright hostile campus climates, as well as institutional and departmental policies and practices that create barriers to their learning and feeling of belonging in their classrooms and on their campuses. Research suggests that these issues are particularly pervasive in the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and there is some evidence to suggest that LGBTQ individuals are underrepresented in these fields, at least in the STEM federal agency workforce (Cech, 2015). In this work, I review the research pertaining to LGBTQ university and community college students in STEM fields, including departmental and campus climate, departmental and institutional policies, and student outcomes. I investigate the evidence for policy and intervention options, and synthesize the recommendations from the literature that can help to support SGM students in classrooms, departments, and institutions of higher education.