Date of Award
Winter 12-4-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Education: Curriculum and Teaching
First Advisor
Melissa Schieble
Second Advisor
Jennifer Samson
Third Advisor
Gillian Bayne
Abstract
This dissertation examines how Black students experience Black joy within expanded learning opportunity (ELO) programs and how those programs are structured to nurture that joy. It is guided by the central research question: How do Black students describe the ways in which an expanded learning opportunity program fosters their joy through experiences of being seen, affirmed, and nourished? Using an instrumental case study design at two secondary schools, the study draws on semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of students participating in robotics, debate, Sister Circle, cheer, basketball, and creative writing. Data were analyzed through multiple cycles of coding, first organizing students’ accounts around being seen, being affirmed, being nourished, and identity and self-definition, and then synthesizing these dimensions into three interrelated themes.
The findings show that ELOs fostered Black joy by cultivating belonging, agency, and brilliance. Students experienced belonging in communities of care where they felt noticed, emotionally safe, and supported through shared vulnerability and collective celebration. They developed agency in student-led spaces that offered real opportunities to make decisions, lead activities, and shape the work. Their brilliance was recognized through program structures—such as showcases, competitions, and public sharing of work—that made intellectual, creative, athletic, and cultural excellence visible and valued. The study concludes that when ELOs are intentionally designed in these ways, they operate as opportunity-creating ecosystems and that joy itself can serve as a meaningful indicator of equity, wellness, and educational possibility for Black students.
Recommended Citation
Mosley, Jamila, "FINDING BLACK JOY: UNDERSTANDING HOW BLACK STUDENTS ARE SEEN, AFFIRMED, AND NOURISHED IN EXPANDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES." (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1454
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Holistic Education Commons, Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching Commons, Other Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons
