Date Approved

4-9-2021

Embargo Period

4-12-2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Sam, Cecile

Committee Member 1

Ferguson, Sarah

Committee Member 2

Walpole, MaryBeth

Keywords

adoption, cultural pedagogy, foster care, international adoption, transracial adoption

Subject(s)

Adopted children; Identity (Psychology)

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to investigate how schools, including educators and curriculum, shape transracial adoptees' racial identity development. International transracial adoptees and transracial adoptees who were adopted through foster care shared their school experiences through interviews. In addition, participants offered artifacts which they felt impacted their racial identity development, from their time in school, including photographs and past assignments, to further answer the research questions. Steward and Baden's (1995) Cultural-Racial Identity Model was used to frame which experiences affirmed or discounted participants' racial identity development. The data collected from this research suggested that school experiences and educators impact transracial adoptees' racial identity development. This study consisted of research that identified educators' actions, including building relationships with transracial adoptees and encouraging them to learn about and share their birth culture in the classroom, as well as normalizing teaching about cultures and diversity in the classroom, as important in affirming racial and cultural identity development.

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