Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Executive Leadership
First Supervisor
Augustina West, EdD
Second Supervisor
Yasmin Morales-Alexander, EdD
Abstract
The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to examine eight preschool lead teachers’ perceptions of the behaviors of Black girls, with a specific focus on those leading instruction in classrooms of 3- and 4-year-old learners, to assess if their perceptions of the behaviors of Black preschool-aged girls influenced their discipline practices and behavior management. The findings of this study revealed that preschool lead teachers held positive perceptions and early adultified views, also known as adultification bias, of Black girls in preschool settings. Furthermore, early adultified views of preschool lead teachers toward Black preschool-aged girls did not correlate with discriminatory disciplinary experiences. Conversely, preschool lead teachers held deficit-based views of Black families, such as lacking the capacity and resources to support Black girls’ confidence, which resulted in the perception that Black preschool-aged girls require more nurturing. Moreover, preschool lead teachers’ disciplinary approaches toward Black girls were shaped by intersectional factors—such as race, gender, age, and culture—rather than by formal early childhood discipline policies or guiding principles. This study offers recommendations for improving and sustaining positive preschool lead teacher-child relationships and family-school partnerships for Black preschool-aged girls and their families through ongoing professional development in anti-bias education and policies in disciplining early learners.
Recommended Citation
Walker, LaChelle Dionne, "Teacher Perceptions in Early Childhood Classrooms: Understanding the Disproportionate Suspension of Black Girls in Preschool" (2026). Education Doctoral. Paper 653.
https://fisherpub.sjf.edu/education_etd/653
Please note that the Recommended Citation provides general citation information and may not be appropriate for your discipline. To receive help in creating a citation based on your discipline, please visit http://libguides.sjfc.edu/citations.