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African American Female College Students’ Experiences at Predominately White Institutions
Full text linkAfrican American women who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have historically encountered systemic challenges that include racial isolation, microaggressions, a lack of cultural understanding, and insufficient institutional support. These barriers often impact their sense of belonging, academic persistence, and overall success. I aimed to explore the lived experiences of African American women who graduated from PWIs to understand how these women navigate institutional structures and sustain their academic journeys. I aimed to examine the unique challenges and supports experienced by African American women, and to identify factors that contribute to or hinder their persistence and success at their PWI. The study was conducted within the qualitative paradigm using narrative inquiry as the research methodology. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of African American women who graduated from PWIs. Participants were asked to share personal stories about their academic experiences, challenges, support systems, and reflections on institutional practices. The data were analyzed using thematic coding to identify recurring themes and insights. The research procedures included initial coding and researcher reflexivity to ensure the credibility and trustworthiness of the findings. The sample consisted of 20 participants representing PWIs across the United Stated. Key findings revealed that participants faced racialized and gendered barriers but demonstrated strong resilience, leaned on peer and familial support, and developed personal strategies for success. The study concluded that while PWIs have implemented some diversity initiatives, more culturally responsive and intentional support systems are necessary to foster equity and belonging for African American women who attend PWIs. The findings highlighted the need for institutional accountability, culturally competent faculty training, and sustained mentorship opportunities
Digital Leadership: Secondary Education Principals’ Perceptions and Change Competencies Toward Implementing Digital Citizenship Curricula
Full text linkSecondary education public schools are increasingly being confronted with student misuse of information and communication technologies (ICTs). Students are using these technologies to engage in disruptive and harmful behaviors like cyberbullying and sexting. As a result, some public school districts have responded by banning the use of ICTs in the classroom, while others have turned to teaching digital citizenship through a dedicated digital citizenship curriculum. However, effectively implementing such a curriculum remains a significant challenge. According to the literature, the best way to implement a digital citizenship curriculum is by fostering a positive school culture where stakeholders model and support responsible ICT use, which is inherently heavily influenced by principal leadership. Despite the central role principals play in shaping these conditions, their perspectives have been largely absent from existing research on digital citizenship education. This qualitative case study explored how secondary education public school principals perceived digital citizenship and how those perceptions influenced their principal change leadership competencies toward implementing a digital citizenship curriculum. The study was conducted in a midsize public school district in Southeast Texas. Purposive sampling was used to select five secondary education public school principals within the district who completed an online open-ended questionnaire and face-to-face semistructured interviews. The researcher also completed field notes. The study’s data were analyzed thematically to identify four emergent key themes and 12 subthemes related to principals’ actual or hypothetical actions to embed digital citizenship as a campus-wide norm, build their staff capacity, model appropriate behavior, and strategically plan. The study concluded that principals’ perceptions of digital citizenship were shaped by their level of technological proficiency and would influence their leadership behaviors during digital citizenship curriculum implementation efforts. These findings contribute to the limited body of research on principal leadership in digital citizenship education and underscore the need for principal leadership development programs to integrate technological proficiency, strategic planning, and change leadership competencies to support responsible technology use in secondary education public schools
Professor Perspectives: Inclusion of Students With an Intellectual Disability in Transition Programming on a College Campus
Full text linkStudents with intellectual disabilities (ID) are often unemployed or underemployed compared to students who do not have ID. Transition or postsecondary programming for students with ID has increased in recent years in response to the U.S. federal requirement for special education professionals to complete transition plans before students turn 16. The requirement for transition planning in Texas is age 14, and the ARD committee including the student and parent come together to develop goals for future planning. Transition plans include information on future employment, future independent living skills, and agency connections that students with ID may need to access to after they graduate from high school. Due to changes in planning requirements, transition programs have emerged on college campuses across the United States, but vary in their approach. Transition programs differ in their structure from full inclusion, where students take courses with their typically developing peers, while others remain segregated and focus only on job skills. This qualitative single case study analyzed professor perspectives and beliefs of college inclusion practices. The researcher collected data using a semistructured interview protocol, member checking, and offered an option to be identified in the literature using a pseudonym. The areas of focus should be the level of inclusion offered in transition programming based on campus offerings, identified needs of students, professors, faculty, and families, to provide the college experience for all students. Keywords: Inclusion, postsecondary education programs, transition services, intellectual disabilit
Underrepresentation of African American Women Superintendents in the Public Schools of Texas: Descriptions of Their Lived Experiences
No full textThe problem addressed through this study was the underrepresentation of African American women superintendents in the public-school districts of Texas, despite women making up a majority of the public-school workforce. The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of African American women superintendents regarding the support and barriers they encountered as they navigated their journeys to the position of public school district superintendent in Texas. The study was grounded in the Black feminist thought framework. Five semistructured interviews were conducted with currently serving African American women superintendents in Texas. The participants had been in the role of superintendent for various amounts of time, one completing her first year and another who has been a superintendent for more than a decade. Data analysis proceeded through the thorough two-cycle coding process. The in vivo codes that emerged in the first cycle kept participants\u27 language and cultural context intact, which was of particular importance through a lens of Black feminist thought. Research Question 1 examined African American women superintendents’ perspectives in Texas on their support and experiences in their journey to the superintendency. The themes uncovered from Research Question 1 involved the importance of supportive mentors, professional organization support, spiritual grounding, and cultural support. Research Question 2 revealed some of the hurdles African American women superintendents encountered while pursuing their journey to educational leadership. The themes uncovered from Research Question 2 were around resilience through identity and purpose-driven leadership; racialized and gendered leadership expectations; systemic barriers; empowered visibility; transformational leadership that builds systems, trust, and opportunities; intentional and reflective leadership; and student-centered purpose and relational leadership. Superintendents who are African American women contribute unique and powerful lenses to educational leadership. Their shared experiences reveal a life of triumph and challenge and underscore that inequities around access to leadership positions continue to persist in public education. Despite external challenges that have developed over time, their personal confidence, reflective practices, and student-focused vision can serve as models for transformative leadership
The Heart of Policing: Exploring the Essence of the Phenomenon Between Organizational Culture and Police Officer Job Satisfaction
No full textThe purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the essence of the phenomenon between organizational culture and police officer job satisfaction among rural law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma. Retaining police officers has become an increasingly challenging task for law enforcement organizations across the United States, as high turnover, costly recruitment, and voluntary resignations continue to strain departments. While previous research has primarily examined demographic and occupational variables influencing satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how organizational culture affects the lived experiences of U.S. police officers. Guided by Edgar Schein’s organizational culture theory, this study examined how espoused values, specifically leadership and conflict management practices, influence the job satisfaction of police officers. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 CLEET-certified officers from rural agencies in Oklahoma. Data were analyzed through descriptive and in vivo coding to capture participants’ lived experiences. Three essential conclusions emerged: (a) leadership practices are central to cultural credibility and officer satisfaction, (b) recognition and meaningful involvement sustain morale and strengthen cultural buy-in, and (c) systemic and procedural inconsistencies erode trust and obstruct satisfaction. The findings emphasize the importance of intentional leadership visibility, authentic recognition, and systemic consistency as core strategies for boosting cultural alignment and police officers\u27 job satisfaction.
Keywords: job satisfaction, leadership, organizational conflict, organizational culture, rural law enforcement, tribal law enforcemen
Secondary Special Education Teachers: Perceptions on Burnout Since the Start of COVID-19
No full textThis study examined burnout among secondary special education (SPED) teachers following the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly disrupted education and intensified teacher stress. Burnout, defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, has been linked to teacher attrition and decreased student achievement. The problem addressed was the increased levels of burnout and stress among SPED teachers and the lack of sufficient administrative support to mitigate these effects. The purpose was to explore SPED teachers’ perceptions of burnout since the pandemic and identify the supports needed to reduce it. Using a qualitative case study design grounded in Maslach’s burnout theory, the study gathered data from seven secondary SPED teachers at a Texas public high school. Purposeful sampling identified participants with experience before and after the pandemic. Data were collected through demographic surveys, semistructured interviews, and a Zoom focus group discussion, and were then analyzed thematically to identify patterns and perceptions. Findings revealed that teachers experienced heightened emotional exhaustion, increased workloads, and reduced morale. Participants attributed burnout to excessive administrative demands, lack of resources, insufficient training, and limited collaboration. Emotional strain from supporting high need students and inadequate administrative understanding of SPED roles further intensified stress. The study concluded that burnout among SPED teachers is a persistent issue requiring systemic change. Enhanced administrative support, targeted professional development, and improved collaborative structures are essential to reduce burnout, improve teacher retention, and promote educator well-being in post-pandemic educatio
