Dissertation
Living the hyphen with no place to land: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of multiracial/multiethnic educational leaders negotiating identity, belonging, and leadership legitimacy in K-12 systems
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Drexel University
Sep 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011557
Abstract
As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, U.S. K-12 leadership structures remain anchored in monocultural norms that often marginalize and overlook those who do not fit within traditional racial categories. Multiracial and Multiethnic (MRME) leaders are described as those embodying multiple racial or ethnic ancestries and are made to navigate unique challenges of belonging, visibility, and legitimacy in systems not designed with them in mind. While research has explored racial identity, culturally responsive leadership, and Multiracial development, little attention has been given to the lived experiences of MRME K-12 educational leaders. While serving within leadership roles historically dominated by monocultural norms, this Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) study investigated how MRME leaders make meaning of their identities. The study examined how U.S. K-12 public school leaders negotiate identity, belonging, and legitimacy, which informed how cultural fluidity impacted their leadership practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six MRME leaders currently serving or recently serving in U.S. K-12 public schools. Data was analyzed using IPA's six-step analytic framework (Smith et al., 2009), with attention to both the "what" and "how" of participants' lived experiences. Reflexivity was maintained throughout the study, including the use of a researcher's journal to track and monitor positionality and interpretive lenses. Findings from the study informed leadership development, policy, and equity initiatives. As a result, this reframed MRME identity not as a deficit or complication but as a source of cultural competence and insight with the potential to reshape leadership paradigms in education. Keywords: Multiracial, Multiethnic, educational leadership, identity development, identity negotiation, belonging, interpretative phenomenological analysis.
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Details
- Title
- Living the hyphen with no place to land
- Creators
- Sadie L. Spencer
- Contributors
- Harry Bernard Hall (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- xii, 325 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Arts and Sciences; School of Education; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022206679904721