Abstract
This multiple-case study examines the perceptions of Hispanic female faculty on disorienting dilemmas and how they have impacted the development of their critical transformative consciousness and pedagogical practices in higher education. Particularly, it explores two research questions: (1) What are Hispanic female faculty members’ perceptions of their disorienting dilemmas and how they may have contributed to the development of their critical transformative consciousness? and (2) To what extent and how do Hispanic female faculty members’ professional behaviors demonstrate their current, perceived level of consciousness? Four Hispanic females, all ranked faculty members across different academic fields, provided data through two semi-structured interviews, three classroom observations, and documents such as syllabi, published journal articles, and readings. The analysis is grounded in the integration of Freire’s (1974) critical consciousness and Mezirow’s (2000) transformative learning theory, which provides insight into how disorienting dilemmas shape their awareness and influence their professional growth. The findings reveal that these dilemmas act as catalysts for critical reflection, thus developing critical transformative consciousness. Additionally, the findings indicate the participants’ professional behaviors, shaped by their critical transformative consciousness, reflect a commitment to engage in critical pedagogy approaches and critical engagement through their scholarship and professional services. These findings inform best practices for addressing systemic barriers, providing support for underrepresented faculty, particularly Hispanic women, in navigating academic challenges, and into implementing critical transformative consciousness in the classroom.