Date
8-20-2026
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education in Curriculum & Instruction (EdD)
Chair
Christopher Clark
Keywords
equity, NGSS, STEM, culturally responsive teaching, inclusive teaching, phenomenological study
Disciplines
Education
Recommended Citation
Nguyen Taylor, Temy, "Teachers’ Lived-Experiences Enacting Culturally Responsive Teaching: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8817.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8817
Abstract
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of implementing Culturally Responsive Teaching practices during the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards for science teachers at comprehensive high schools in one district in California. The theory guiding this study was Prochaska’s and DiClemente’s theory on the transtheoretical model of change to understand the phenomena of teachers’ pedagogical decisions in the classroom as they transition to enact culturally responsive teaching (CRT) because of the NGSS. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Piaget’s social constructivism theory were the educational theories that served as a backdrop for teacher and student interactions in the classroom. The central research question was: How do high school science teachers describe their experiences of implementing CRT practices during their adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards? Using the NGSS, participants with experience teaching high school science were selected using purposeful sampling. Data collection included individual interviews, journaling, and focus groups. Moustakas’s phenomenological procedures were applied to analyze the data. The findings revealed that teachers viewed curriculum implementation as a primary driver of CRT practices, particularly through efforts to increase engagement and equity in science learning. Additionally, the study found that sustained implementation of CRT depended heavily on support systems such as professional development, collaboration with colleagues, and administrative encouragement. Thus, the study demonstrated that implementing CRT within the NGSS-aligned science instruction was a dynamic and evolving process requiring intentional support, reflective practice, and continued professional growth to create equitable and inclusive science learning environments.
