Context Matters: Culturally Inclusive and Equitable Pedagogies across Instructional Contexts in Undergraduate Education

Nearly 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education, racial inequality still plagues U.S. higher education institutions. Culturally inclusive and equitable pedagogies (CIEP) have been proposed to address these inequalities, and this study aimed to understand how undergraduate instructors across different instructional contexts were implementing these pedagogical practices. A survey was used to identify a racially diverse, gender-balanced sample of 20 full-time undergraduate instructors from three institutions. Interviews were conducted and transcribed, and data was analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. The study identified a complex web of factors, categorizing them across five levels of instructional context -- student, course, discipline, institution, and society. The findings explore how the interaction between prominent contextual factors and instructor identities and experiences influence instructors' pedagogical approaches. Contrary to the literature, this study found that instructors were selectively implementing inclusive and equitable practices rather than using wholesale pedagogical frameworks. Additionally, successful instructors found synergy between their research, teaching, and DEI work. The Contextualized Pedagogy Model for Higher Education was introduced as a tool for understanding the role of context in pedagogy. Situational examples were shared along with implications for future research and practice. The manuscript paints a complicated but encouraging picture of culturally inclusive and equitable pedagogies in higher education and provides recommendations for moving the theoretical and practical conversations forward. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]