Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Instructional Technology (Education)

Lawler, Beverly E., Ph.D., May 2023, Innovative Learning Design & Technology Instructional Design as an Occupation: The Lived Experiences of African American Women Accessing That Occupation Director of Dissertation: David R Moore Most women have faced challenges in the workplace. They often encounter sexual harassment, gender bias, challenges with working motherhood, unequal pay, and for people of color racism (State of Black Women in Corporate America, 2021). African American women particularly deal with a unique set of problems. They remain underrepresented at every level causing them to stay behind white men, men of color, and white women (Dutta, 2021). The goal of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women accessing the occupation of instructional design and identify issues of concern as viewed by African American women in this occupation. Participants noted strategies African American women use to navigate their professional lives. The participants selected included 13 African American women currently working as instructional designers. A particular focus was on African American women's unique experiences from corporate America to the private sector; regarding race, gender, sexism, compensation, and diversity and how these identities intersect and influence their careers. Another goal of the research was also to examine income and how these women viewed the distribution of wealth. Finally, the participants revealed how they believed work conditions had shaped African American women instructional designers' career paths.

Committee: David Moore (Advisor); Greg Kessler (Committee Member); Candice Thomas-Maddox (Committee Member); Dwan Robinson (Committee Member) Subjects: African Americans; Black Studies; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Design; Educational Technology; Information Technology; Instructional Design