Date
11-13-2025
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Summer Perhay Kuba
Keywords
African American mothers, mental health, behavioral issues, workplace challenges, school setting
Disciplines
Counseling | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Porter, Cynthia Henderson, "African American Women Employed in the Education Sector Who Have Biological Children With Mental Health or Behavioral Problems: A Qualitative Phenomenological Study" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7611.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7611
Abstract
This phenomenological study is purposed to identify and describe the lived experiences of African American mothers employed in a pre-K-12 public school district in Virginia who have biological children with mental health or behavioral problems. The study was qualitative, as this method allowed challenges to be explored personally and humanistically. The theory guiding this study is social constructivism, as it relates to African American mothers’ views of their experiences in the work setting; the assumed perception of colleagues, administrators, and others; and challenges at work pertaining to limitations in functioning, performance, and interpersonal stressors that mothers may encounter. The central research questions focus on how African American working mothers employed in the education sector describe the challenges they face when their child has mental health or behavioral issues.
