Date of Graduation
Spring 2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Education Policy, Planning, and Administration
Committee Chairperson
Kathleen Riley, PhD
Committee Member
Justin Sprague, PhD
Committee Member
Juanita Wooten, EdD
Abstract
This Endarkened Narrative Inquiry study investigates the experiences, literacies, and (teacher) identity construction of four Black women preservice teachers (BWPSTs) attending a PWI located in the Greater Philadelphia area of the northeastern United States. Participants were BWPSTs who had just begun their final semester of the program and student teaching. Using theoretical framing that includes Critical Race Theory, Black Feminist Thought, Endarkened Feminist Epistemologies, and the Black Girls’ Literacies Framework, I looked for answers to my research questions: (1) What are the stories of Black women preservice teachers enrolled at PWIs? (2) How do Black women preservice teachers describe and employ their literacies? (3) What stories have Black women preservice teachers been told about who or what a “good” teacher is? How has their (teacher) identity been impacted by these stories? Through journal drawings, interviews, video journals, and a focus group, I found that the stories of BWPSTs indicate that their literacies play a significant role in their (teacher) identity construction, and the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown served as a catalyst in strengthening their literacies and sense of self.
Final Version Confirmation
1
Recommended Citation
Benjamin, Alicia M., "“Am I Not Bubbly Enough?”: An Endarkened Narrative Inquiry into the Lives, Literacies, and (Teacher) Identity Construction of Black Women Preservice Teachers at a Predominantly White Institution" (2026). West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects. 68.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_capstones/68
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons