Embracing all God’s children : an embedded single case study of a K–12 Southern classical Christian school’s racial diversity.

Hope Christian Academy (HCA, pseudonym), a K–12 classical Christian school located in the Southern region of the United States, enrolled a significantly lower proportion of students of color than its peer institutions, which may impact the school’s overall sense of community. Located in a suburban neighborhood, HCA’s student body was predominantly White, enrolling students of color at lower percentages than the area’s public, public charter, and private Christian schools. The limited racial diversity meant that HCA students missed out on daily interactions with individuals from different cultures, while students of color worked to find a sense of belonging. Framed by the sense of community theory (McMillan & Chavis, 1986), I conducted an embedded, single case study to describe the racial diversity at HCA. I collected qualitative data from six participants, four parents of students of color and two alumni of color. I implemented an initial questionnaire, a semi-structured interview, and follow-up reflective questions as my three data sources. The purpose of this study was to explore how parents of students of color and alumni of color at HCA perceived the school’s racial diversity and how those perceptions informed their understanding of the school’s sense of community. The findings of this study revealed that at times, the White peers of students of color used racial slurs and derogatory jokes, affecting the community’s emotional safety, which participants suggested may be due to their limited contact with populations from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, cultural competency was found to be essential for effective communication about racially related curricular topics, and participants believed that teachers would benefit from developing a deeper historical and cultural context for their lessons. Increasing the representation of people of color in the faculty and staff would support the community’s cultural competency while enhancing the classroom experience for students of color. Finally, students of color found both comfort and/or confusion in the professed Christian beliefs of the classical Christian community, especially during tense racial interactions among their peers. The limited cultural competency of this predominantly White classical Christian school and its Christian beliefs played a role when considering the sense of community that students of color experienced.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Bryce, Jennifer Gayhart, 1970-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Steketee, Anne.

• Community.
• Racial diversity.
• Christian schools.
• Private schools.
• Qualitative research.
• Embedded single case study.
• Classical Christian education.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14679

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14679