Date of Award
Summer 7-31-2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Secondary Education
Department
Education
Committee Chair
Dr. Rachel Gaines
First Committee Member
Dr. Darren Crovitz
Second Committee Member
Dr. Nita Paris
Abstract
The primary focus of my research was to describe the educational beliefs and instructional practices of Early College High School (ECHS) English language arts teachers; to describe the ways in which their beliefs and instructional practices did or did not align with critical literacy pedagogy; and to describe the ways in which their educational beliefs and instructional practices promoted the academic and critical literacies of African American secondary students. The key theoretical underpinnings of the study included critical sociocultural theory and critical literacy pedagogy. Based on this framework, I contend that teaching from a culturally responsive critical literacy pedagogical framework fosters the development of both the academic and critical literacies of African American secondary students. A case study method was utilized in which mini-cases of two Early College High School English language arts educators were explored. The case study was conducted within a non-traditional school setting, an Early College High School, which was focused on the college and career-readiness of underserved students. The data collection methods included interviews and observations, which were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding as part of thematic analysis. This study contributes to the research in that it illustrates the educational beliefs and instructional practices of secondary English language arts teachers in the context of the academic and critical literacies of African American secondary students within an Early College High School, a relationship that had not previously been explicitly or extensively explored.
Comments
Secondary Education - English