This study was a qualitative study that explored the lives of Mexican American
female educators with more than 25 years of experience teaching in South Texas
border schools. The purpose of the study was to explore the participants' views and
perceptions regarding their educational experiences, both formal and informal, within
the contexts of community, political climate, family, religious, and educational
institutions.
A nonrandom, purposeful sample of five classroom teachers was used. Data
were collected through extended interviews with participants. Data were unitized,
coded, categorized, and compared to yield emerging themes. The narrative data
yielded stories of overcoming barriers such as prejudice, classism, racism, and
segregation. The participants identified family members and teachers as persons who
most impacted their own lives as teachers.
Guided by the participants' constructions of educational experiences, the study
revealed stories of a collective struggle for educational equity. Through constant
comparison analysis, major constructs emerged, specifically, the participants' resiliency in the face of difficulties and barriers and protective factors in their lives.
This study concluded that the participants used resiliency traits to reach their education
goals. These traits included social competency, a sense of purpose, positive
expectations for the future, autonomy, and strong religious belief. The protective
factors were: (a) families' high expectations despite difficult economic situations, (b)
opportunity for responsible participation at home and at school, and (c)
autonomy/strong religious faith and evidence of a strong caring adult in their lives. The
participants' stories of struggle provided a backdrop upon which they voiced their
perceptions regarding education and educating Mexican American students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/5009 |
| Date | 25 April 2007 |
| Creators | Ramon-Reuthinger, GeorgeAnne |
| Contributors | Larke, Patricia J. |
| Publisher | Texas A&M University |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | 1268953 bytes, electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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