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Gabriela Armendariz Ed.D., is a 2026 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Headshot of Gabriela Armendariz smiling.

Dissertation Committee:

John Scott, Ph.D., Committee Chair 

Douglas Judge, Ph.D., Committee Member

Cristy Sugarman, Ed.D., Committee Member

Keywords

decolonizing education, Indigenous worldview, education equity, K-12 teachers, reflective practice, mixed-methods sequential methods, teacher reflection

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Colonial education systems, rooted in Western epistemologies, have perpetuated a legacy of settler colonialism that continues such problems as environmental disconnection, inequality, and power dynamics that disadvantage marginalized and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities. While decolonizing education has generally been about critically examining how entrenched colonial practices shape curricula, teaching methods, and institutional policies, the emphasis of my proposed study is a focus on contrasting precolonial (Indigenous) worldview precepts, using the contrasting but non-dualistic worldview chart created by Four Arrows and Darcia Narvaez (Wahinkpe Topa [Jacobs], 2024). In partnership with K-12 educators from major school districts across the United States, I sought to answer the question, “How can reflection on our precolonial, nature-based worldview empower K-12 teachers in U.S. public schools to decolonize their personal and professional practice to teach all students equitably?” One month after the inauguration of one of the most anti-DEI modern presidential administrations, I launched a study with teachers to examine the ways in which the Worldview Chart could support teachers in decolonizing their personal and professional lives. Participants were invited to participate in a daily reflection of the Worldview Chart, five days a week, over a period of six weeks. Using a mixed-methods sequential design over a nine-week period, I collected data through prereflection and postreflection interviews, as well as biweekly surveys. I found that participating in daily reflection did empower teachers to begin decolonizing their personal and professional lives. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Comments

ORCID No. 0009-0001-8085-7041

Bio:

Gabriela (Gaby) Rodriguez-Armendariz, Ed.D (she/her) is a first-generation immigrant born in Costa Rica and raised in South Louisiana. Her father is Costa Rican, and her mother is Rwandan-Belgian. As a multiracial immigrant in the United States, she has always believed in and hoped for America's promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, which has shaped much of her justice-oriented work throughout her career. Along with earning an Ed.D focused on Social Justice from Antioch University, she received her Bachelor's of Science in Sports Administration from Louisiana State University. After undergrad, she began her career in the nonprofit world, focusing on community and youth outreach through sports. Her work in the community empowered her to pursue a Master's in Exercise Science and Community Nutrition from Liberty University, with the hopes to further serving the community. During the pursuit of her Master's, she received the opportunity to bridge her experience in Sports Administration, Exercise Science, and Community Nutrition by working as an educator in local private schools, where she was able to serve as a Physical Education teacher and Athletic Director. The combination of being in the Education world while learning about both community nutrition and personal health led her to see the cycle between access to health and education and its connection to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This motivated her to pursue a doctorate, 6 months postpartum from her second-born, and having freshly shifted out of the classroom and into the education non-profit world. During her doctorate, Gaby focused all of her research on disrupting systemic inequities in the education sector experienced by marginalized communities in the United States. She hopes to continue her research on decolonizing education to disrupt the current dynamics of the American education system at both the policy and individual levels, better serving all learners so they may each have the opportunity to hold America accountable for its promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.   

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