This study explores the perceptions of Hispanic students regarding their teachers' equity-oriented classroom practices at Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC), a majority-Hispanic community college in Southern California. The study used a qualitative phenomenological approach and involved twelve participants: three teachers and nine Hispanic students.…

Pláticas methodology is introduced in this article to advance the centering of Latinx researchers and Latinx students in STEM research. As an increase in Latinx educational researchers enter academia, engaging an appropriate epistemology and methodology that is culturally relevant and race-centered is key in the ongoing STEM education research…

To advance knowledge of critical consciousness development, this study examined age-related change in awareness of inequality by race and ethnicity, gender, parent education, generation status, and their interactions. With longitudinal data (2013-2017) from 5019 adolescents in grades 6-12 (55.0% female) from California, Minnesota, and West…

Previous research on student learning outcomes has begun to advocate for the inclusion of student researchers. To fully grasp undergraduate student perspectives of learning objectives, this study was co-created and conducted by undergraduate student researchers, allowing for an inclusive, equity-centered research model to guide our findings. We…

Researchers studying college student activism have learned much about those students' motivations, tactics, and educational outcomes. Less is known about the relationships between activists and key institutional agents. For student activists with minoritized identities, institutional agents sometimes establish and maintain barriers between their…

Latina community college students face significant barriers in achieving their educational goals, particularly transferring to 4-year institutions. Despite comprising a large and growing demographic within community colleges, their unique needs and experiences often remain unaddressed. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of…

Equity-centered preparation builds novice teachers' capacity to make meaningful instruction accessible to all students, particularly those historically excluded from high-quality learning experiences. Drawing on social learning theory, we examined Teacher Study Groups as a model for supporting preservice special educators' development of…

It is evident that more qualitative research on Advanced Placement [AP] classrooms for students from marginalized backgrounds is needed to uncover how AP practices and pedagogies might better serve students who had been historically excluded from the AP Program. I asked my former calculus students (32 total - 22 participated) from my last three…

This article explores prevalent stories about "Gen Z" students that unintentionally undercut both their success and learner-centered pedagogies. The authors consider how those beliefs might be reframed to serve all learners more effectively. We also explore how the racial reckoning, health pandemics, social unrest, and additional…

The continued significance of Derrick Bell's "theory of racial realism" is exemplified by the exclusionary sociopolitical and institutional climate that Latinx students experienced throughout the Trump presidency. I utilize various tenets from CRT and LatCrit as analytical and methodological tools for conducting a qualitative study at…

This study explored how preservice teachers engaged in collaborative inquiry with elementary students to facilitate social justice and equity in science education. By inviting elementary students as key stakeholders into collaborative inquiry, we examined how preservice teachers uncovered critical problems of science education in underserved…

Prior research about undocumented college students detailed structural barriers and derailed academic trajectories. However, education access policies in states like California have lowered barriers and increased enrollment. Research has presumed that undocumented students all view their legal status as a barrier which may now be more complex…

This study explored the achievement, engagement, and school climate perceptions of African American males in urban high schools. Hierarchical regression and focus group interviews were used to analyze male sample (n = 114) data from a larger study. Findings suggest that students' perceptions were influenced by having information about and access…

In July 2022, the University of California (UC) permanently eliminated the standardized tests requirement for its freshman admissions in order to alleviate the severed socioeconomic gap and college access barriers that were heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This critical policy analysis research explored the immediate effects of UC's policy…

Despite the steady growth in transfer enrollment in the California State University (CSU) system, Black transfer students face significant equity gaps in access and completion. This study aims to enhance the limited research on the transfer experiences of Black students at four-year institutions, particularly within the CSU system, where over 40%…