Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rebecca Rosa

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Committee Chair

Charisse Gulosino

Committee Member

Dustin Hornbeck

Committee Member

Nikki Wright

Abstract

This qualitative, explanatory case study examined the barriers teachers experience fostering belonging in their students. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems provided a theoretical framework through which the study was organized, while a Critical Race Theory (CRT) lens provided context for how racialized power and structural inequities shaped teachers’ ability to build belonging. The study focused on the experiences of six core subject teachers who worked in a majority-minority, urban charter high school in the Midsouth. Teachers participated in semi-structured interviews, reflecting on their experiences across multiple ecological levels, from classroom practices at a microsystem level to community influences at the macrosystem level. The data generated from these interviews were coded thematically and analyzed using both deductive and inductive approaches, ensuring alignment with the four research questions and Bronfenbrenner’s model. The findings revealed that belonging does not just flow from teacher to student, it is reciprocal, systemic, and impacted at all levels, by various factors, including racialized and systemic inequities spotlighted by CRT. Barriers were tied to race, policy, and power, the intersection of which influenced teachers’ ability to support belonging in their students. Racial misalignments led to misunderstandings and triggered cycles of mistrust and disengagement. Disciplinary policies and accountability checks also created barriers by turning teachers into “enforcers,” undermining their relationships with students. Limited administrative support created invisible and emotional labor for teachers daily. These findings highlighted trust versus engagement loops and invisible and emotional labor, mapped across Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems and racialized dynamics.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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