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Southeastern University FireScholars Doctor of Education (Ed.D) Fall 2020 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY: THE PERCEPTIONS OF HISPANIC MALES’ CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR BASED ON PATERNAL ABSENCE Gabriela E. Matos Southeastern University - Lakeland Follow this and additional works at: https://firescholars.seu.edu/coe Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Matos, Gabriela E., "A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY: THE PERCEPTIONS OF HISPANIC MALES’ CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR BASED ON PATERNAL ABSENCE" (2020). Doctor of Education (Ed.D). 64. https://firescholars.seu.edu/coe/64 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by FireScholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Education (Ed.D) by an authorized administrator of FireScholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY: THE PERCEPTIONS OF HISPANIC MALES’ CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR BASED ON PATERNAL ABSENCE By GABRIELA E. MATOS A doctoral dissertation submitted to the College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction Southeastern University October, 2020 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY: THE PERCEPTIONS OF HISPANIC MALES’ CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR BASED ON PATERNAL ABSENCE by GABRIELA E. MATOS ii DEDICATION Beginnings are difficult. When we first moved to the United States, my dad had to work long hours to make ends meet. I remember my mom, brothers, and I spent many evenings waiting by the parking lot of our apartment building for my dad’s arrival. Mostly, I remember the genuine and pure joy of embracing my dad after he came back from work. I remember how he smelled; it was the smell of having worked long hours under the hot, piercing Florida sun. My mom and dad described those times as lonely, difficult, and uncertain. Yet, all I knew and understood was that my dad who had been working long hours would always come home. I dedicate this work to my dad, Jose del Carmen Matos, who was and remains present in my life along with my mom, Ramona Esther Matos Cueto. They have shown me what family looks like. They have dealt with my stress, tears, and struggles. I dedicate this work to my brothers, Jose and Moises, who will one day be phenomenal fathers with the help of their lovely wives, Natalie and Idalys. Thank you so much for loving me. I dedicate this work to every male, young and old, who are called to be fathers; fathers who are present; fathers who stay. Persevere. Stay. Do not quit on your families. Do everything in your power to be intentionally present. Above all, I dedicate this work to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who showed us the meaning of true love, permanence, and ever-lasting life. In fact, He is the perfect Father. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Dissertations are difficult. I am grateful for those who battled with me through their prayers, words of encouragement, and wise counsel. I would like to thank Dr. Rafidi for her constant positivity and encouragement from the moment we met through the phone when I thought my dissertation would fall apart because I had to go through a chair change. Every Wednesday call and email made an enormous difference. Thank you, Dr. Deck, for your methodological wisdom and guidance. You have taught me to love coding. Thank you, Dr. Keafer for challenging me and forcing me to dive deeper in this research. Thank you, Dr. Stanley, for your prayers and kindness. Thank you, Dr. Lopez, for making me sound eloquent and professional on paper; you are a true genius. To Madeline Otano, Cari Andreani, Monica Strahley, Manuel Dotel, and Jennifer Diaz thank you so much for your advice, prayers, and guidance throughout the many stages of this dissertation. Your friendship and mentorship are one I eternally cherish. To my Cueto and Matos family, Genesis and Josue Cajina, my CDA family, and my seventh-grade lunch squad thank you for loving me despite my divided mind and limited time. To the late Iraida who never ceased to encourage me to keep writing. Thank you for your prayers, support, and friendship. To the study participants and my students and small group girls throughout the years thank you for sharing your stories and lives with me. Your stories ignited my desire to study father absence with the hope of making some positive change. Without all the wonderful people God has surrounded me with, this would not have been possible. Thank you. iv Finally, I would like to acknowledge the importance of music throughout the study. The words of Piero De Benedictis, Joan Manuel Serrat, and the late Jarad Anthony Higgins (Juice Wrld) catered to the essence of the father absence phenomenon. Thank you to the words and sounds of Juan Luis Guerra, Vicente Garcia, Tercer Cielo, LANY, Tauren Wells, GAWVI, SEU Worship, North Point Worship, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, David Archuleta, Justin Bieber, and the Backstreet Boys for being the soundtrack during the writing of this study. v Abstract This qualitative research study used a phenomenological perspective to describe the perceptions of classroom behavioral challenges experienced by Hispanic young adult males who grew up without a constant paternal figure. The purpose of the study was to discover the essence of the effects of father absence on Hispanic males’ educational experiences to inform both parents and educators of the internalized and externalized classroom behaviors. The study presented Feuerstein’s mediated learning experience (MLE) as a theory for limiting negative behaviors in Hispanic males caused by father absence both in and outside the classroom. The method of inquiry followed Creswell’s defining features of phenomenology which included: a description of the phenomenon; the identification of the young adult Hispanic male participants; a philosophical discussion of the phenomenology; the role of the researcher in the study of bracketing while remaining Dasein; data collection through demographic information, face-to-face interviews with study participants, and the inclusion of song lyrics relevant to the phenomenon; data analysis which developed into five themes; and a discussion of the essence of the father absence phenomenon. Hispanic young adult males in the study were found to experience multiple hardships both in school and in their lifeworld as the effect of father absence. Essential themes of father absence experience were relationship with mom, relationship with father, always stayed in school, friends are family, and self-concept. The study highlighted the essence of the father absence phenomenon and strengthened the phenomenological research process. Keywords: abandonment, classroom behaviors, divorce, death, externalized and internalized behaviors, father or paternal absence, generational patterns, Hispanic fathers, Hispanic male sons, incarceration, mediated learning experience, mental illness, substance abuse vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study .................................................................................................... 2 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 4 Theoretical Foundation ....................................................................................................... 7 Mediated Learning Experience .................................................................................... 9 Questions, Lack of MLE, and Consequences .............................................................11 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................. 14 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................................. 14 Overview of Methodology ................................................................................................ 15 Research Question ..................................................................................................... 15 Research Design ........................................................................................................ 15 Data Collection .......................................................................................................... 15 Procedures .................................................................................................................. 16 Limitations

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