Jessica Shaw Successfully Defends her Dissertation Proposal

Jessica Shaw Successfully Defends her Dissertation Proposal


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Congratulations to Jessica Shaw who on Thursday, September 18, 2025, successfully defended her dissertation proposal The title of Jessica’s dissertation is: "AN EXAMINATION OF HOW TENURED HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS NAVIGATE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES DURING DIVISIVE TIMES."

Overview of Problem: America’s culture wars are having a rippling effect on our schools across the country. Educators are facing a growing number of state laws that influence pivotal instructional decisions. Between January 1, 2021, and October 1, 2024, 23 states implemented 47 educational gag orders along with 10 additional restrictions affecting higher education (PEN America, 2024). In 2024 alone, state legislatures passed eight laws or policies imposing direct limitations on classroom discussions and academic expression. Classroom topics can become controversial when people have differing values, beliefs, or opinions (Woolley, 2011) that evoke emotional responses and produce friction. No matter how one feels about controversial issues and schools, they’re particularly challenging to ignore in a high school classroom. 

Addressing controversial issues in high school classrooms in a way that is honest and authentic to the educator presents notable challenges, particularly in a politically charged culture. While considerable research exists on support systems for teachers and the dynamics of teaching controversial issues, a gap remains in understanding how tenured teachers navigate such challenges differently and how they reconcile tensions between their own personal beliefs and their professional responsibilities. 

Research Purpose: Through her interpretive inquiry research, Jessica will examine how tenured high school teachers in New York State (NYS) describe their experiences addressing controversial issues in the suburban classroom and how they experience tensions between their personal beliefs and professional responsibilities in an increasingly divisive American society. 

Research Design: Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) (Festinger, 1957) will provide a framework for understanding the psychological conflict teachers may experience when navigating controversial issues in the classroom. 

Sample & Data Collection: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with 12-15 tenured teachers from suburban high schools in New York State. 

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR:
Dr. Joanne Marien

DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dr. Jenny Olson

 





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