Empowering Educational Leaders through Self-Reflection on Incidents of Race and Ethnicity

Authors

  • Dr. Michele Garabedian Stork Florida Gulf Coast University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6214-7484
  • Dr. Jackie Greene Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Christa Reyes Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Tabbatha Carter Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Wheatly Dorsainvil Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Teri-Ann Petrekin Florida Gulf Coast University
  • Marianela Rivera Florida Gulf Coast University

Abstract

Exploring incidents of race and ethnicity in one’s life can help an educational leader unearth hidden assumptions and biases, resulting in transformed frames of reference that support social action. This article discusses the perceptions of the participants as they explored their racial and ethnic experiences that have impacted their understanding of bias and themselves. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to explore how engaging in reflective written and oral discourse about incidents of race and ethnicity empowered the researcher participants to become transformational educational leaders. Data collection included researcher participants’ written racial incidents and racial autobiographies, rational discourse conversations, and meeting reflections. Reflective accounts were framed using Mezirow’s (1991) theory of transformative learning to discover common threads. Based on the information elicited from respondents, several themes were identified, namely, geography, influences of environment, feeling seen and heard, and self-acceptance, which contributed to the researcher-participants’ feeling empowered to become transformational educational leaders.

Author Biographies

Dr. Michele Garabedian Stork, Florida Gulf Coast University

Dr. Stork is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology/Educational Leadership in the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on school-university partnerships, using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework in instructional design and educational leadership, best practices in online teaching and learning, and digital integration to support learning. She is committed to empowering educational leaders/educators and advocates for equitable access to high-quality, inquiry-based learning experiences in K-20 education.

Dr. Jackie Greene, Florida Gulf Coast University

Dr. Greene is an experienced K-12 educator, now a full time-time college faculty member in the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast Univesity. The challenge and the mission of teaching are what have driven Dr. Greene’s career since she began teaching elementary school in 1971.

Christa Reyes, Florida Gulf Coast University

Christa Reyes is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program in the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on learning, design, and innovation.

Tabbatha Carter, Florida Gulf Coast University

Tabbatha is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on higher education administration.

Wheatly Dorsainvil, Florida Gulf Coast University

Wheatly is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on higher education administration.

Teri-Ann Petrekin, Florida Gulf Coast University

Teri-Ann is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on PK-12 administration.

Marianela Rivera, Florida Gulf Coast University

Marianela is a doctoral student in the Educational Leadership Ed.D. program at Florida Gulf Coast University. Her research is focused on higher education administration.

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Published

2023-07-31

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2023)

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2023 Dr. Michele Garabedian Stork, Dr. Jackie Greene, Christa Reyes, Tabbatha Carter, Wheatly Dorsainvil, Teri-Ann Petrekin, Marianela Rivera

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