Dissertation

Examining Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Policies in Black Diasporic Youth Learning Opportunities and Outcomes

My dissertation examines how African-centered preschool programs are implemented in the U.S. through a focus on routines, curriculum, family engagement, and teacher education and training. Using perspectives from Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit), my first aim provides nuance to the literature on the connection between culturally sustaining pedagogy and Black children’s well-being and academic achievement in early learning settings. For my second aim, I use a sequential quantitative-qualitative research design to investigate parents’ characteristics and motivations for enrolling their children in African-centered preschools in the Southeast U.S. In my final aim, I use panel data from the Zambia Child Grant Programme to assess whether the program has an impact on education attainment, and the potential pathways through which the program impacted school progression.

About Takondwa

Takondwa Musa, born and raised in Malawi, earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a minor in Organizational Leadership at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

As a Ronald E. McNair Fellow, Takondwa’s research examined trade and aid imbalances within the Southern African region. Subsequently, he was a participant in the Urban Water Innovation Network, UWIN, Undergraduate Research Program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. While being hosted at Florida International University, Takondwa conducted a social network analysis quantitative study that sought to visualize growth and change within UWIN. He also worked as a Research Assistant in the School of Social Work at Rutgers University for two years before entering the Public Policy Ph.D. program.

Takondwa’s research interests are international economic development and international trade.