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Dissertation
"It's just different right now": African American educators on working conditions in public schools during the current sociopolitical climate : a narrative study
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Jun 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011028
Abstract
Few studies have considered the influence of the sociopolitical climate on working conditions in schools. To date, at least 44 states have restricted curricula that supports student learning about race and racism in America. Alarmingly, the number of states that have placed restrictions on what can be taught as it pertains to race continues to grow. School districts across America continue to grapple with this issue. Coupled with other sociopolitical issues, the restrictions on teaching continue to influence the working conditions where African American educators teach. The purpose of this study is to explore how African American Educators describe the influences of the contemporary sociopolitical climate on their working conditions and their decisions to stay in or leave the teaching profession. This study was guided by the following research questions: 1) How do African American Educators describe the contemporary sociopolitical context in the United States? 2) How do African American Educators describe the influence of the contemporary sociopolitical context on the working conditions in their schools? 3) How do African American Educators describe the influence of their school's working conditions on their decisions to stay or leave the teaching profession? To explore these questions, we conducted a narrative study to gather the lived experiences of Black educators in today's sociopolitical climate. Data for the study were collected using semi-structured interviews. This narrative study analyzed the lived experiences of study participants to answer the proposed research questions. The findings of this study revealed three key themes: (1) Black educators persist in the teaching profession as an act of resistance and identity affirmation despite the hostile sociopolitical climate; (2) participants expressed agency in resisting book bans and misrepresentations of Critical Race Theory while remaining committed to truth-telling and culturally sustaining pedagogy; and (3) political ideology among participants emerged as a fluid, intersectional construct shaped by lived experience, community priorities, and professional values. Collectively, these findings underscore the urgent need to protect and affirm Black educators navigating politicized educational spaces. Their insights offer a compelling lens into the interplay between policy, identity, and pedagogy in the current educational landscape. This study concludes with recommendations for practice and future research.
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Details
- Title
- "It's just different right now"
- Creators
- Trina Catrow - Drexel University, School of EducationAndrea Leach - Drexel University, School of Education
- Contributors
- Kristine S. Lewis Grant (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- xi, 173 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- School of Education (1997-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022058936704721