Thesis (D. Min.)--Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2003. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-131).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Leadership, 2001. / Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 107 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-101).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 160-165).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1937. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-90).

<p> Research on teacher expectations has given limited attention to the voices of African American males. This study used counterstories to explore how African American male high school students described and experienced high expectations in the classroom. Through focus groups and interviews, twelve African American males shared their experiences, offered insights into how they negotiate through classroom environments with few high expectancy interactions, and made recommendations for how teachers can effectively convey high expectations. Low expectancy interactions left participants feeling intellectually inferior, antagonized, or ignored, while high expectancy interactions fostered hope, high quality work, and synergystic engagement. Findings from this study indicate the participants not only experience bias in teacher expectations, but they assume and expect teachers will generally have low expectations of them until proven otherwise. Participants described paradigms and strategies they employ to navigate these experiences in the classroom. Critical racial consciousness, resistance, resilience, and beliefs about learning were concepts used to analyze their responses. The implications for this study present a &ldquo;call to action&rdquo; requiring a shift in professional development, paradigms, pedagogy and institutional practices implemented with relentless intention to facilitate African American male success. Teacher expectation is a lever that creates opportunities and facilitates deeper learning; therefore it is imperative that researchers capture more African American male perspectives and experiences to inform teacher practice.</p>

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This study examines black identity and alienation Nella Larsen's and Tsitsi Dangarembgal’s Passing and Nervous Conditions. The novels demonstrate the authors' interpretation of the conditions within their respective societies of the impact of slavery and colonization on Africana women. As a springboard in the development of these issues, Frantz Fanon's seminal works Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth and the DuBoisian notion of double consciousness were used in analyzing the attitudes and behaviors of the oppressed and oppressor of Africana women. This study was based on the premise that wherever black people are located, the issues of black identity and alienation surface in Africana women's literature. The literary ethnographic method posited by Frederique Van De Poel-Knottnerus and J. David Knottnerus, "Social Life Through Ethnography," was used in the analysis of the selected texts. The results of the research illustrate that the assimilation process causes the Africana women protagonists to be alienated within the general society as well as their own families and culture. The dissertation demonstrates that assimilating within societies brings forth a sense of alienation that results in a black identity crisis for the characters.

This study examines the images of African Americans in black-themed sitcoms and mediated messages presented here. The study was based on the premise that the images of African Americans on television sitcoms are one dimensional and comedic. A content analysis approach was used to analyze various television sitcoms. Definitions were used to determine what type of image existed using the foundation provided by Donald Bogle and Stewart Hall. The researcher found that although many of the African-American-themed sitcoms investigated represented traditional stereotypical images, there were mediated messages in these sitcoms, which offered a new and different perspective on African Americans. This suggests that African-American images on black-themed sitcoms are moving forward. Additionally, the researcher found that sitcoms depicting African-American life from a comedic point-of-view seem to be more acceptable in popular culture than those which depict life from a dramatic and/or realistic point-of-view.

This study analyzed sexism as it was perceived by clergywomen within the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, and the United Methodist Church. Specifically, this research analyzed the impact of sexism on thirty African-American women ministers in Methodism between 1980-2000. This study was conducted using a case study analysis, which allowed the researcher to detect seven factors which impact the lives of women ministers in terms of: 1 (1) Women and/or men's opposition to female leadership in the Church, (2) Sociopolitical- theological systems, (3) Perception of inferiority, (4) Interpretation of scripture, (5) Slow ordination process or denial, (6) The appointment process and/or appointment to smaller churches, and (7) Lower clergy salaries. The conclusion drawn from these findings suggests that the social implications influencing sexism in the Church is primarily laced in traditionalism. The significance of this study advances the knowledge of sexism in the Church, and how sexism impacts the lives of women in the workplace in general, and African- American women ministers in particular. This study also advances the knowledge pertaining to clergywomen's perception of religious sexism and leadership in the Church. Therefore, it is a contribution to religious studies, African-American studies, humanities, church leaders as well as womanist studies. In addition, this study enriches one's understanding of gender relations in terms of how the roles assigned to men and women structure society and shape their personal interactions within the Church, and within the African-American community. However, this investigation is an opportunity for African- American women ministers to voice their perceptions of their roles within the Church. These interviews provided useful indications of African-American women's perceptions, progressions, and/or stagnations within Methodism.

Factors which influence low-income African-American middle school students in Mathematics were examined in this study. Likewise, this study examined the extent to which student achievement in mathematics at the middle school level in a metropolitan Atlanta school district may be explained by certain school and teacher related variables such as instructional strategies, classroom management, teacher expectations, site-based professional learning, and teacher satisfaction with resources and how these factors might impact or cause a difference in student achievement in math as measured by the 2007 Criteria Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) scores. The research presented in this dissertation provides a starting point for developing school plans to improve mathematics instruction. The practices identified reflect a mixture of emerging strategies and practices in long-term use. This study was based on the assumption that instructional strategies, classroom management, teacher expectations, site-based professional learning, and teacher satisfaction with resources would have a significant impact in middle school students’ math achievement. It is presumed that this study would assist leaders in providing quality instruction that would benefit teachers and low income, minority children. This study is expected to further assist principals and/or leaders in providing quality leadership that will benefit middle school teachers in low-income School Wide Title I middle schools and meet the needs of their students. The significance of this study is in assistance that it can give administrators in structuring site-based professional learning and development programs along with arranging for monitoring and communication methods that will meet the needs of teachers and students. Additionally, this research will add to a body of scholarship and may cause individuals to examine and put into place, or remove certain policies and practices in middle school math classes. As a final point, this research will determine the need for additional research. The methodology employed a quantitative, quasi-experimental, ex-post facto design to review possible variables that may affect student achievement in mathematics grades six through eight. The researcher found that there was no relationship between student achievement in mathematics and the independent variables. The only significant relationship found in this study was that there was a relationship between student achievement in mathematics as measured by the CRCT and teacher preparation. Teachers with college or university based preparation had students with higher student achievement performance levels.