Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Cheryl Keen

Abstract

Culturally responsive leadership practices and distributed leadership are strategies that could aid racially diverse students to become successful in STEM courses and later in a STEM field. The purpose of this study was to explore culturally responsive leadership practices and distributed leadership within a STEM school to support racially diverse students. Distributed leadership and culturally responsive leadership practices were the conceptual frameworks of the study used to explore the rationale for the decision-making within a school. The research questions addressed the challenges and opportunities of implementing culturally responsive leadership practices and distributive leadership to enhance the diversity of students in a STEM school. Qualitative case study interviews of 1 administrator and 6 teacher leaders, observations of classrooms, and artifacts of school documents were used to collect data. The emerging themes from the data analysis included collaboration among faculty, striving for positive interactions with students, community outreach to parents, technology to support communications to diverse parents, language differences, cultural issues within the diverse student body, and student motivation, preparation, and absenteeism. The findings from the study may contribute to positive social change by bringing awareness of the support needed for a diverse student population.

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