Dissertation

Bridging the Gap Between Muslim Students and School Leadership in the United States

Khawaja, Sahar

2025

Overview

Entering the third decade of the 21st century, the political landscape in the United States presents a challenging environment for Muslims, mirroring the global trend of oppression and discrimination faced by this community (Neptune, 2021). Despite being the fastest-growing demographic in the nation (Lipka, 2017), Muslim Americans increasingly encounter discrimination. By actively addressing and dismantling these stereotypes, educators can cultivate an inclusive environment where the needs of Muslim students are understood and respected. Understanding the stories and experiences of these students is vital for school leaders, as it enables the creation of an environment where every student feels a genuine sense of belonging and acceptance. This qualitative case study aims to illuminate the experiences of Muslim students attending schools in a Rocky Mountain region state of the U.S. Employing an instrumental case study design, this research seeks to unravel the K-12 educational journey of Muslim students, uncover potential cultural and religious barriers they faced, and offer practical recommendations to educational practitioners, including educators, principals, teachers, and school personnel, for fostering a more inclusive and accommodating environment. This study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature by bridging the culture/knowledge gap between American educators and Muslim students.Utilizing the frameworks of Ahmed (2022) and MusCrit (Ali, 2022) as my conceptual framework, the central research question guiding this inquiry is: What are the experiences of Muslim students in the Rocky Mountain region schools with respect to their religious identity? The findings were organized according to three research questions. The first section addressed the challenges Muslim students faced, including internal struggles in maintaining their Muslim identity, external challenges from other students and educators in the form of ignorance, stereotyping, and Islamophobia, as well as institutional and systemic barriers. Supports for Muslim students included accommodations for prayer, Ramadan, and dress code, the presence of Muslim Student Associations, an inclusive school culture, and supportive educators and families. Suggestions for improvement included the inclusion of a prayer room, addressing the knowledge gap regarding Islam, the intentional creation of inclusive spaces for Muslims, and enhanced community and family engagement.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Education / Education Policy / Educational administration / Educational leadership
• ISBN: 9798311901000