Date

8-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Rachel Hernandez

Keywords

culturally responsive teaching, teacher efficacy, diverse literature, AI, digital literacy

Disciplines

Educational Leadership | English Language and Literature

Abstract

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to explore the use of supporting BIPOC students’ literacy with books that support diversity and inclusion for secondary English teachers in the United States. The theory guiding this study is Bandura’s social cognitive theory, as it stresses personal student engagement in individual learning tasks. The Central Research Question asks: What are the lived experiences of secondary English teachers who support BIPOC students’ literacy with books that support diversity and inclusion by teaching a novel with a BIPOC protagonist in a predominantly BIPOC class? Employing a qualitative methodology, this hermeneutic phenomenology examined the perspectives of 13 high school English teachers across Southern California in the United States. Participant data were collected through individual interviews, a five-person focus group, and letter-writing. Participants' responses provided a comprehensive view of the impact of culturally responsive reading instruction on literacy instruction practices supporting Generation Alpha and Generation Z’s literacy development. The findings highlight that Generation Alpha and Generation Z students are actively navigating reading practices in the digital era post-COVID-19, the importance of students seeing their lived experiences reflected in class curriculum, the role of quality storytelling while including cultural diversity, and the role of focused, sustained reading versus skimming a digital text.

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