"Sometimes it's exactly as it seems": A mixed methods explanatory case study of two Black women's academic classrooms'

Academic English is a standard within the higher education community. For many scholars of color, academic English is not the language they speak in their homes or among others of their social groups. There is an expectation, within specific settings, that scholars of color are to engage in code-switching, e.g., when teaching. Black women in the academic setting have a long, complex history with universities, mainly Predominantly White Institutions, as they must battle the intersections between being both Black and female. This study sought to measure the ways—primarily linguistic, communicative, and interpersonal—in which Black women faculty communicated/connected with their students during class while also dissecting how students perceived their efforts. To explore this, an explanatory case study was done. The explanatory sequential design required collecting quantitative data first and then using qualitative data to inform the quantitative results. In the quantitative stage of the study, experience sampling surveys were given to students and the Black women faculty at the University. The student surveys focused on their perceptions of the faculty members, asking questions such as “Did your professor seem distant or cold today?” to get a general idea of the student's feelings. The faculty survey examined the linguistic and communicative choices being made and their own general feelings toward their class and performance. Observations were made in each class that received surveys. Faculty were then interviewed, and students opted into a focus group. The results show two differing student perceptions, thus showing that while both women experienced forms of racism regarding how they communicate, no two women experience it the exact same way. They also showed a moving away from the need to code-switch and a push toward authenticity in the academic space.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2023

Author dc:creator

• Susberry, Victoria

Contributors dc:contributor

• Christianson, Kiel
• Avent, Cherie
• Cromley, Jennifer
• Jenkins, Candice

• Linguistics
• Race
• Intersectionality
• Women
• Gender
• Academia
• Belonging
• Black

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2023 Victoria Susberry

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120289

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F120289