Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

James Jupp

Second Advisor

Laura Jewett

Third Advisor

Ana Carolina Díaz Beltrán

Abstract

This qualitative, narrative inquiry investigates how experienced faculty members embody and enact responsive pedagogical practices at a community college Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). Despite generational poverty and low degree attainment among Latine students, institutions face mounting pressure from deficit-mindedness and political mandates that threaten educational equity and resources for HSIs. This research sought to answer: How do community college faculty teaching at a Hispanic Serving Institution exhibit attributes of responsiveness?

The theoretical framework utilized the core tenets of Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy and integrated models from Gloria Ladson-Billings (culturally relevant pedagogy), Geneva Gay (culturally responsive teaching), Django Paris (culturally sustaining pedagogy), and Luis Moll (Funds of Knowledge). This foundation yielded six critical analytic attributes, including student home lives or identities, knowledge systems, culturally responsive caring, academic success in schools, interactive/dialogical and critical consciousness. Methodologically, I employed pragmatic narrative inquiry, gathering rich data from five expert Latine faculty (collectively possessing 150 years of experience) through individual interviews, a focus group, and artifact analysis. The credibility of the findings was ensured through triangulation and thick description.

The thematic analysis yielded seven emergent themes, which holistically embody a concept referred to as Deep Community Engagement confirming that responsiveness is an integrated, self-regulating philosophy: (1) The Transformative Power of Personal Educational Journey, (2) High Expectations Tempered with Culturally Relevant Support and Validation; (3) The Importance of Familia, Cariño, y Respeto; (4) Empowerment Through Relevant Content and Student Agency (5) Asset-Based Approach to Students; (6) Use of Non-Traditional Instructional Materials and Open Educational Resources (OER); and (7) Continuous Pedagogical Growth, Reflection, and Adaptation.

The student concludes that faculty convert their own experiences of adversity into a pedagogy of purpose, establishing validation as the prerequisite for rigor. This practice, sustained by radical self-reflection and the rejection of commercial curricula, confirms that the pathway to student persistence at the HSI is found in fostering an environment where a deep, professional sense of cariño and ethical responsibility ensures practice remains dynamically relevant to the needs of the community.

Comments

Copyright 2025 Joseph Coppola. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3290522731

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