Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Don D. Jones

Abstract

Although culturally responsive curricula are designed to educate students to be both socially and culturally successful, the curriculum implementation leadership practices middle school principals have used to support such curricula have been unclear. This study explored how middle school principals in southern Texas were supporting their teachers with implementing a culturally responsive curriculum in their schools. This basic qualitative study employed the applied critical leadership conceptual framework to explore the culturally responsive curriculum implementation leadership practices of middle school principals in southern Texas. The criteria for the selection of participants were 2 to 5 years’ experience as a principal in a middle school managing a school in grades 6, 7 and/or 8 with a population between 300 and 1,200 students and a self-reported minority presence. Data were collected through interviews with 10 purposively selected middle school principals recruited from LinkedIn. Data analysis included the identification of emergent codes, categories, and themes. Findings revealed that these principals build collaboration within their schools to promote cultural appreciation and belongingness to meet the diverse needs of their students who were experiencing challenges. Results indicated that principals reported being proactive and adopting restorative approaches in addressing race and social injustice issues. They reported implementing culturally responsive curriculum leadership practices in nonstandard ways based on situational responses. These results are valuable for educational policymakers to plan how to standardize culturally responsive practices for diverse environments in the more positive social integration of immigrants into the wider society.

Download

Share

 
COinS