Year
2023
Season
Summer
Paper Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
College of Education and Human Services
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Department
Education
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sports Management
First Advisor
Dr. Christopher Janson
Second Advisor
Dr. Pamela Williamson
Third Advisor
Dr. Paul Parkison
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Tammy Hodo
Department Chair
Dr. Krisit Sweeney
College Dean
Dr. Jennifer Kane
Abstract
This critical phenomenological study aims to understand the perspectives and experiences of members of Black Arts, a student-created, student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists. The following research question guided this inquiry: What are the experiences of students involved in Black Arts, a student-created, student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists? In addition, three sub-questions were explored: (a) How do students experience their involvement in Black Arts, a student-created, student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists in ways that uplift and magnify their voices and agency? (b) How do student experiences in Black Arts, a student-created, student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists, inform deficit perspectives often held toward Black students and how those deficit perspectives can be disrupted? (c) How do student experiences in Black Arts, a student-created, student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists, inform deficit perspectives often held toward Black art and how those deficit perspectives can be disrupted?
Arts-based, Culturally Responsive and Sustaining conceptual framework served as the pedagogical lens for understanding members of the Black Arts organization’s experiences. The data collection methods to gather data from nine participants were semi-structured interviews and Community Learning Exchanges. Data was analyzed with the use of a phenomenological approach of Colaizzi’s (1978), a method for bracketing and analyzing data through a multi-step process.
The exploration of this study lobbied for the influence of culturally responsive and sustaining practices at performing and visual arts schools and K-12 schools serving a diverse population of students. The findings provided insight into four main themes: (a) Student perception of school, (b) emancipatory resistance, (c) collective action, and (d) art as transformation. The findings are presented along with implications for K-12 and performing and visual arts schools’ implementation of culturally responsive and sustaining practices.
Suggested Citation
Ferrell, Shaneka R., "How performing arts high school students experienced involvement in a Black, student-created and student-led organization focused on uplifting Black art and artists: A critical phenomenological study with implications for culturally responsive and sustaining educational practices" (2023). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1210.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1210