Date

8-20-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Susan Stanley

Keywords

Educational Leadership, Equity, Implicit Bias, Responsive Leadership, Systemic Bias, Sense of Belonging, Systemic Bias, Transcendental Phenomenology

Disciplines

Educational Leadership

Abstract

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological case study was to understand the educational experiences of impoverished urban children as perceived and addressed by school administrators in a K–12 school within the United States. The theory guiding this study was Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which emphasizes the importance of social interaction, cultural context, and community in shaping learning and development, and aligns with the study’s focus on how educational leaders interpret and respond to the needs of marginalized student populations. The central research question guiding this study was: How do school administrators perceive and address the educational experiences of impoverished urban children within United States K–12 school? This study used a qualitative transcendental phenomenological design. The sample consisted of school administrators with experience in the selected urban educational setting. The setting included a selected K–12 school in one urban district in the United States. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and letter writing. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis consistent with phenomenological methods to identify patterns, insights, and strategies that inform leadership practices aimed at improving educational outcomes and fostering inclusive environments for students from impoverished urban backgrounds.

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