The Anchor of Retrospection & Rememory: Study Outcomes
Addressing a Critical Gap
The experiences of academically high-performing Black female students in Advanced Placement (AP) courses within independent private schools remain largely uncharted in educational literature. While Black girls' race and gender are visible on campus, they often report feeling invisible in advanced courses and may lack a sense of belonging in these environments. Existing research often fails to prioritize the intersectional experiences of Black girls, particularly the role of gendered intraracial peer relationships in their pursuit of achievement and identity development.
Study’s Purpose
This retrospective qualitative study centered the lived experiences and voices of academically high-performing Black women who were enrolled in AP courses at U.S. independent private schools. The research utilized a Qualitative Retrospective Design, grounded in Black Feminist Thought (BFT) as the standpoint epistemology, and employed Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) to co-construct new, emergent theory. The methodology prioritized retrospection and rememory processes to understand how these women navigated their educational journeys.
The Trajectory of Black Girl Belonging (TBGB)
The study's findings directly illuminate how academic environments shape Black girls' intersectional identities, revealing how intraracially gendered peer dynamics influence their sense of belonging academically and socially. The analysis resulted in the formation of five categories, moving from voices to theory.
