Degree Name
EdD (Doctor of Education)
Program
Educational Leadership
Date of Award
8-2026
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Jill Channing
Committee Members
Terence Hicks, James Lampley
Abstract
This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study examined Tennessee high school teachers’ perceptions of culturally inclusive curriculum and its perceived influence on African American students’ achievement motivation. Guided by one overarching research question and three sub-questions, the study explored teachers’ understandings of culturally inclusive practice, implementation experiences, and perceptions of institutional support and resources. The study addressed a gap in educational leadership scholarship concerning how culturally inclusive instruction is experienced and sustained within secondary school settings serving African American students.
Using van Manen’s six-step hermeneutic phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured video interviews with 15 Tennessee high school teachers representing diverse school contexts. Interview transcripts were analyzed through iterative thematic reflection to identify shared meanings and the essence of participants’ lived experiences.
Five themes emerged from the analysis: culturally inclusive design as relational and reflective practice; cultural inclusion as complementary to academic rigor; conceptual ambiguity and interpretive variation; individual initiative and emotional labor in the absence of systemic support; and institutional support and resource alignment. Participants described culturally inclusive curriculum as grounded in students’ cultural identities, lived experiences, and community contexts. Teachers perceived culturally inclusive instruction as supporting student engagement, participation, confidence, and persistence while maintaining rigorous academic expectations. However, implementation was frequently constrained by inconsistent institutional expectations, limited professional development, insufficient curricular resources, and emotional labor placed on individual educators.
The findings suggest that sustainable culturally inclusive practice depends upon leadership alignment, ongoing professional learning, resource accessibility, and systemic institutional support rather than isolated teacher effort alone. This study contributes to educational leadership scholarship by identifying organizational conditions that may strengthen equitable and sustainable instructional practices for African American students.
Document Type
Dissertation - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Burns, LeAnders, "Tennessee High School Teachers' Perceptions of Culturally Inclusive Curriculum and Its Impact on African American Students’ Achievement Motivation" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4734. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4734
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
