Date of Award
Fall 10-25-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Secondary Education - English (Ed.D)
Department
Secondary English Education
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Anete Vásquez
Second Advisor
Dr. Stephen Goss
Third Advisor
Dr. Robert Montgomery
Abstract
The problem this research seeks to understand is the intersection of the gender achievement gap in reading and the gendered practices of “the school” as a powerful social institution. This project draws upon the studies of the 1990s-2000s in order to discover the potential impact of the social, cultural, and political movements and shifts that began in 2017. Most earlier research into adolescent male readers was conducted from a deficit perspective. This study explores the reading lives of boys who are positioned at the end of their K-12 public schooling career and are finishing their second year in IB (International Baccalaureate) Language A: Literature HL (Higher Level). Narrative inquiry was employed to develop an understanding of the experiences that shaped the reading lives of 12th grade boys enrolled in the most rigorous English/Language Arts course offered at their high school. The boys composed literacy narratives and reflected upon their reading lives through journaling, discussion, writing, revision, interviews, and a focus group. Analysis of this data set resulted in a continuation of the characterization of the male reader, as well as advice for how educators can create classrooms and curriculum that support gender as a social construct and an expansion of hegemonic masculinity.