Date of Award
6-12-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Dr. Timberly Baker
Second Advisor
Dr. Randy Caffey
Committee Members
Dr. Jeonghee Choi
Call Number
ISBN 9798280759237
Abstract
The success of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the state of Mississippi in preparing Black educators is a topic that needed more up-to-date research. With media and research often highlighting institutional challenges at HBCUs rather than achievements, this study takes a different turn and highlights how HBCUs in the state of Mississippi successfully prepare Black teachers for the profession. This phenomenological study investigated how novice, Black teachers experienced Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) during their teacher preparation programs (TPPs) at public HBCUs in Mississippi. While HBCUs produce half of all Black teachers nationally, limited research examines how cultural assets and strengths within HBCU teacher preparation programs contribute to teacher development. This study aimed to understand how Black teachers experienced CCW and which specific forms of capital most impacted their success. Through the lens of Yosso’s CCW framework, this qualitative study captured the lived experiences of six novice Black teachers. Participants completed questionnaires and engaged in three rounds of semi-structured interviews following Seidman’s (2006) three step interview process. The research focused on graduates from three public, Mississippi HBCUs: Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, and Mississippi Valley State University. Results indicated that participants experienced all six forms of CCW capital within their TPPs: social capital, navigational capital, familial capital, resistance capital, linguistic capital, and aspirational capital. Three forms of capital - social, navigational, and aspirational were identified as most crucial to participants’ success, particularly through faculty mentorship, peer support, and constant motivation to focus on professional goals. The findings suggest that TPPs at HBCUs provide unique cultural supports that contribute to Black teacher success. Recommendations include implementing similar culturally responsive practices at other institutions and conducting further research on specific program elements that activate different forms of capital. This study adds to the literature on HBCU teacher preparation and provides insights for improving teacher education programs to better support Black pre-service teachers. Keywords: Community Cultural Wealth, Black teachers, HBCU teacher preparation programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Mississippi HBCUs, novice teachers
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
McLain, Deajanae K., "Examining Black Teachers’ Experiences and Perspectives of Community Cultural Wealth Within Their HBCU Teacher Preparation Programs" (2025). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1081.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1081
