Using narrative inquiry, this study investigated the lived experience of embodied cognition--the integrated emotional and intellectual functions "of" cognition--in transformative learning in the context of a disorienting dilemma. These two fundamental "conscious" experiences of embodied cognition are preceded by three…

This study examines the ways that school policies are understood and taken up by teachers. A review of the relevant literature suggests that much school policy, even that which is explicitly designed to ameliorate inequities that exist within schools and school systems, often have an inverse effect. It is also established that teachers, for many…

Education has always been attached to the "American Dream," an abstract concept built from the ashes of conquest and capitalism. The dream is one of property and privacy, money and power, the ability to live a life free from obstacles. However, the American dream isn't complete without an antagonist. For a long time the antagonist has…

Although research has been conducted on the lived experiences of Black student affairs professionals and academic advisors at Historically White Institutions (HWIs), the literature is scant in its representation of the larger body of Black Professional Staff (BPS) and their experiences. BPS are undervalued and disregarded and are a vital part of…

University students are increasingly coming together to take action for racial justice and equity. Anti-racist student organizing includes how students collectively work to address racism and oppression at their institutions or beyond through sociopolitical engagement and action (e.g., protests, political education). Minority-serving institutions…

This qualitative constructivist grounded theory study used an integrated intersectional lens and Chicana feminist epistemology to examine how nine queer Latina leaders in higher education experienced their racialized and heterogendered positioning within higher education structures, how this shaped the everyday experiences of their work, and how…

U.S. educational institutions are rooted in classist, privileged, and sexist ideologies, leaving women, especially women of color, inadequately supported in their pursuit of higher education. Higher education has been influenced heavily by and primarily created for Anglo males, creating systemic barriers for women and people of color. The purpose…

This phenomenological dissertation study aimed to explore how agency is exerted beyond hegemonic masculinities in engineering and illuminated the influences of a discipline's culture on masculine thinking and being. Moreover, this study, guided by Black feminism, epistemologically and theoretically, moves Black masculinities scholarship and…

This study examines college men's resistance of traditional masculinity and support for diverse configurations of gender using the life story narratives of 14 male-identifying college students at 10 colleges across the United States. The research on masculinities in higher education primarily focuses on hegemonic masculinities (Connell, 2005;…

This qualitative action research study investigated employee reactions, motivations, and perspectives toward employer-sponsored diversity training programs. Through a qualitative exploratory case study, this research study explored the perceptions of how a diverse sampling of people individually, negotiate identities in corporate and education…

This study attempts to understand the perception of a specific group of stakeholders, front-line staff, by their response to the communication received during an enterprise resource system (ERP) implementation process. This study also aims to identify how communications contributed to resistance or acceptance of the enterprise system once the ERP…

The purpose of the study was to identify characteristics of teachers who were receptive or resistant to coaching. The study investigated how teachers' perceptions of their literacy coaches' support compared to coaches' perceptions of the support they provided to teachers. Teachers' reasons for resisting literacy coaching were examined as well as…

When teachers collaborate, they amass collective expertise and develop pedagogical content knowledge. Teacher collaboration is often a school priority because of its positive impact on student achievement, teacher efficacy, and teacher satisfaction. Schools also have complex systems in place that impact the effectiveness of teacher collaboration.…

Employees' insufficient soft skills have the potential to lead to collaboration and organizational inefficiency. Business leaders are concerned with the critical issue of insufficient soft skills among information technology (IT) professionals because these skills are essential for the effective functioning of teams and overall organizational…

This dissertation focuses on the role of tradition and ritual in historically Black education, particularly combating the legacy of antiblackness in school discipline. The study argues for the use of prophetic disruptive rituals that are grounded in meaning, hope, and love. Using Morehouse College as a philosophical case study, the project draws…