Graduation Term

Summer 2026

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Teaching and Learning

Committee Chair

Lara J. Handsfield

Committee Member

Joyce R. Walker

Committee Member

Kyle A. Miller

Abstract

This qualitative action research study examined how secondary teachers at a Midwest high school engaged in the process of designing classroom displays for culturally responsive teaching. The semester-long study explored how teachers’ understandings of culturally responsive teaching informed their design decisions, how they engaged students with display content, and how ongoing reflection and participation in a professional development study group shaped their practices over time. Data were collected through interviews, surveys, study group transcripts, and photographs of classroom displays.

Findings indicated that participation in the study group served as both validation and inspiration, supporting teachers in refining their approaches to culturally responsive design. Teachers demonstrated increased intentionality in aligning classroom displays with culturally responsive principles, particularly in efforts to decenter dominant White cultural narratives and promote broader representation.

Participants also expressed a growing interest in multimodal design strategies to enhance student engagement and accessibility. Constraints such as limited time and physical space were identified as ongoing barriers to implementing and sustaining meaningful display changes. Participant intentionally in aligning classroom displays with attributes of culturally responsive teaching played a key role in guiding their designs of classroom displays.

The implications for this study suggest that classroom displays can serve as a pathway for enacting culturally responsive teaching. They also highlight the value of ongoing collaborative professional development, such as study groups, in supporting teachers’ understanding of culturally responsive teaching and potential uses for classroom displays. Recommendations include incorporating study groups into professional development models to support teachers designing culturally responsive teaching displays and providing a significant amount of time for the process of designing and creating classroom displays.

Access Type

Dissertation-Open Access

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