Student Theses
Date of Award
Summer 6-15-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Language
English
First Advisor
David Allen
Second Advisor
Ruth Powers-Silverberg
Third Advisor
Audra Watson
Abstract
The education of Black citizens has historically been unequal and plagued with deficit based approaches that result in the under-education and over-disciplining of Black youth in schools, with dire implications. Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education (CRSE)aims to change the narrative by honoring the racial, ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences of students of color who are marginalized in a school curriculum, featuring a pedagogy that empowers students (Ladson-Billings, 2021). Educators often report that they understand CRSE in theory but there is confusion when putting the theory into action and there are other challenges faced when working in current social and political climates. Practice goes unchanged and disproportionate outcomes persist. This qualitative phenomenological study set out to learn how teachers make sense of new learning about CRSE and how teacher identity and experiences influence their sensemaking processes, in an effort to add to a body of research that serves to build better bridges among theory, policy and practice. Through participants' experiences with CRSE there was evidence that the moment that forced them to process the information they were receiving was when they realized they were expected to do something with it. At that point sensemaking was employed as part of a process that would support participants in understanding the information being presented to them and negotiating their way through their multiple identities with this new information (Weick, 1995). Participant processes were wholly social, whether they were putting their knowledge next to expert knowledge, working collaboratively with peers, or considering how their actions impacted the perception of others. These experiences and exchanges influenced participant sensemaking of content and also influenced how participants moved towards implementation and adjusted their role identity in response.
Recommended Citation
Mustillo, Kristine, "How do Teachers Make Sense of New Learning about Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education?" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/si_etds/16
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Elementary and Middle and Secondary Education Administration Commons, Elementary Education Commons
Comments
Dissertation was submitted with faculty signatures and revised to remove signatures. Confirmed the uploaded version is the final version with faculty advisor signatures