Many of the conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education rightly focus on the experiences of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students and how to support them on their educational journey. Fewer of the conversations involve naming and interrogating the oppressive systems that cause these students to need…

In the past 15-20 years, contemplative practices, designed to cultivate present-moment awareness, have become more common in K-12 educational settings with some growth in higher education contexts seeking to reorient around teaching the "whole student". In response to calls that have also emerged in higher education to advance social…

Neoliberalism continues to exacerbate systemic racism and restricts efforts to address racial and social justice issues. Consequently, there has not only been an increase of public concern, but students are constantly driven to organize around their experiences. Asian American students are currently and have historically been one of these…

This dissertation seeks to answer the following research question: what are the qualitatively different ways that students conceive of an antiracist professional identity for themselves after taking an undergraduate honors course with racism and antiracism as its central themes? To answer this research question, I employ critical race…

College student leadership is common learning outcome in American higher education, but it was not until the past decade when researchers began studying college student leadership using critical theories and perspectives. These scholars criticized that current student leadership models and theories have been representative of White, Eurocentric,…

Environmental education across the K-12 science curriculum lacks critical examination of human and ecological relationships, particularly in relation to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. While the "Next Generation Science Standards" include environmental topics within their disciplinary core ideas and…

The American School Counselor Association has placed an increased emphasis on school counselor leadership. School counselors play an essential role within the educational setting (ASCA, 2019). Leadership embodies the overarching role of a school counselor and is a key component of each school counselor's professional identity (McMahon et al.,…

In this dissertation, I explored students' expressed emotions as they worked on a problem-solving lab contextualizing the local lead poisoning issue in the city in which they attended college. I identified students' expressed emotions and their reasoning for expressing those emotions. I also looked at the change in students' emotions as they…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the use of live actor improvised simulations as an innovative teaching tool in the development of social justice advocacy competencies for school counselors in training (SCITs). The feminist theoretical framework that guided the design of this study is from the challenges of bell hooks in her…

While teaching math for social justice and equity has become a heavily researched topic in recent decades with Jo Boaler (2008, 2015, 2016), Rochelle Gutierrez (2009, 2013), and Eric (Rico) Gutstein (2003, 2006, 2007, 2013) emerging as recent leaders in the charge, the focus has consistently remained on traditional classroom teaching (e.g. Boaler,…

There is a long history of educational discrimination which has led to marginalized populations in the U.S. (Perez, 2021; Love 2019) This structural oppression has continued into the present day. This is apparent even in social work programs. Educational injustice is problematic with social work programs because social work's mission is to be a…

The purpose of this study was to analyze physical education teacher education faculty members and undergraduate students' perspectives on inclusion and social justice in Chile using a social constructionist lens as the theoretical framework. The participants were PETE faculty (n = 6) and students (n = 10) across three PETE programs in Chile. The…

For decades, White supremacy and Whitewashed teacher preparation curriculum have been used to prepare a majority White female teacher workforce. This same workforce has had limited exposure to diversity and a lack of cultural competence and critical consciousness yet is expected to teach diverse student populations. Furthermore, this curriculum is…

In order to address prevalent barriers to equitable education, it is critical for preservice teachers to recognize their potential for enacting change as they prepare to enter Pre-K to 12th grade classrooms. This critical qualitative study focused on preservice teachers' attitudes, perceptions, and views of their unique roles in advancing social…

The problem that this Education Leadership Portfolio (ELP) sought to address was the traditional conduct resolution (TCR) process at the University of Delaware (UD) provides too few options to resolve conduct and conflict issues that promote learning and personal growth for students who do not pose a potential threat to those involved or the UD…