Department: Educational Theory and Practice ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
86 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 30.
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1.
Arikan, Arzu.
An interpretivist approach to understanding technology policy in education: sociocultural differences between official tales of technology and local practices of early childhood educators.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2005, Ohio State University
► This ethnographic case study examines the technology policy practices in the context…
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▼ This ethnographic case study examines the technology policy practices in the context of a federal technology initiative, the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to use Technology Program, and describes this policy process at three levels of social construction, interpretation and reconstruction. The study traces the policy expectations of technology integration in multiple layers of sociocultural practice, including the federal government layer, the teacher education layer, and the early childhood education layer. The purpose of the study was to understand the ways educators responded to the technology policy and the ways they translated technology goals of the PT3 Initiative into local practices in multiple contexts. The social construction of technology policy across three layers of policy practices did not simply entail policy engagement in predetermined or preplanned ways; rather, it revealed complex and evolving technology policy practices, interwoven in communicative exchanges, mediations, tensions, interactions, negotiations, and learning through participation. Those practices connected through three overlapping dynamics of social construction: social agency, social capital, and sense making. The complexity also included disconnected visions, promoted by political advocates in positions of power and privilege, and many versions of those visions, reconstructed by professional advocates. The study suggests that policymakers should view technology as a social construct and possess culturally relevant and realistic visions that resonate with the cultural realities of the educational community they serve. Federal policies should be cognizant of early childhood educators’ needs to access to technology and information, and supportive leadership structures that stimulate teachers’ motivation to learn and use technology.
Advisors/Committee Members: Fernie, David E.
Keywords: Technology Policy; Technology in early childhood education Technology learning; Social Construction
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2.
Bandre', Patricia E.
The status of the selection and use of children's literature in K-6 rural Ohio public school classrooms.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2005, Ohio State University
► This study explored the status of the selection and use of children’s…
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▼ This study explored the status of the selection and use of children’s literature in K-6 rural Ohio public school classrooms. Specifically, the study sought to find out: 1) what books are being selected for read-alouds and use in literature discussion groups, 2) why those books are chosen, 3) how children’s literature is being integrated across the curriculum, and 4) how selected books are obtained. In order to collect data with breadth as well as depth and increase validity and reliability through triangulation, the study incorporated the use of two research methodologies. In the first phase of the study, a cross-sectional survey was used in order to gather information from a random sample of the population through the use of a mail questionnaire. A total of 535 surveys were sent to rural teachers across the state. Of those, 244 (45%) were completed and returned. In the second phase of the study, a group of twelve randomly selected teachers recorded the titles, authors and intended purpose(s) of the books they selected for classroom use for four consecutive weeks. Additionally, teacher interviews and on-site surveys of classroom environments were used to gather descriptive data. Findings reveal that rural teachers choose more books written by females than males and more books of fiction than any other genre. Teachers tend to choose books that are personal favorites, favorites of past students, and those that support classroom topics and curricular standards. Teachers use children’s literature more frequently as a part of reading instruction, however, its presence can be found across the curriculum. The greatest number of books selected for use were originally published in the 1990s. Book awards, the presence of a multicultural perspective, and recommendations in professional publications tend to influence book selection the least. The most frequently used sources for books are commercial book clubs and purchasing them with personal funds. Few teachers use their school library and public library in order to obtain books. In addition, it was found that classroom library designs, independent reading areas, and displays promoting books and reading differ from classroom to classroom in rural areas.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hickman, Janet.
Keywords: Children's Literature; Classroom Book Selection; Rural Classrooms
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3.
Bashir-Ali, Khadar.
The invisible minority: the academic, linguistic, social, and cultural integration of refugee students in the public schools in Italy and the U.S.: a comparative study.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► The purpose of this study was to look at the issues surrounding…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to look at the issues surrounding the education of Somali Refugee students in the public schools system in Italy and the United States. The focus of the investigation was to study the social, linguistic, and academic issues that facilitate or hinder academic acquisition of the students in the schools. In addition, the intent of the study was to create among educators, administrators, and policy reformers an awareness of the educational concerns these students have in their new contexts. For a period of two years, four participants, two girls and two boys were studied across two countries, Italy and the United States. Data in the form of observation, participatory approach, interviews, document analysis, and field observations and notes were analyzed inductively through a naturalistic ethnographic approach. Four themes were the primary focus of this study: socio-linguistic, socio-cultural, socio-political issues and pedagogical issues. Socio-linguistic issues focused on the linguistic variables associated with second language acquisition and the ability of the students in the study to function linguistically in a new language and culture context which is different from the native language and culture backgrounds of the students in this study. Socio-cultural issues related to the acquisition of a culture through means of assimilation, integration, and marginalization were explored and problematized. The impact of the native culture, family life and social life were also explored and analyzed. Socio-political issues were studied and analyzed in response to educational policy reform adopted by administrators in both countries in relation to meeting the academic and linguistic needs of the Somali Refugee students who were the focus of this academic exploration. In addition, the patterns of behavior in response to the educational environment were studied within the context of school and the classroom in general. Crucial aspects of the life of these children and how they related to their American and Italian peers were investigated. Additionally, the social and linguistic interactions between teacher and student were investigated and analyzed. The goal for the socio-political investigation was to clarify issues of educational access and equity in education related to second language and culture acquisition of these students. Finally, pedagogical concerns regarding teacher preparation and awareness in both contexts of the study were analyzed and recommendations were made for teacher training programs which will eventually prepare teachers to meet the academic needs of socially and linguistically diverse students.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hancock, Charles R.
Keywords: sociolinguistics, educational policy reform, equity and equality in education, power relations, gender dynamics, ideal pedagogical methods, somali refugees, immigrant students, acquisition and transmission of culture
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4.
Bevans, Jessica Gail.
A study to determine the status and features of reading clinics that serve elementary students in teacher education institutions in the state of Ohio.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► This research explored the status and features of reading clinics that serve…
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▼ This research explored the status and features of reading clinics that serve elementary students in teacher education institutions in the state of Ohio. Survey results were collected from 42 colleges and universities. On-site visits were held at eight colleges and universities. Research questions for this study investigated four areas of clinical work. The questions were (1) what are the characteristics of readers attending reading clinics, (2) what research/theory(ies) inform instruction in the reading clinic, (3) how does the reading clinic fit within the mission of the college or university, (4) what are the typical activities that take place (for the director, tutor, and child) in the reading clinic, and (5) what are the factors that support/inhibit a successful reading clinic? Results from the survey data indicated that 26 out of 42 teacher education institutions in the state of Ohio currently offered training in a reading clinic setting to preservice and inservice teachers. Of the colleges and universities providing clinical training in reading instruction, 60% were held off-site and 40% were held on the college or university campus. On-site visitations yielded information about the nature of the reading clinics and the day-to-day operations taking place at those sites. In addition, visits provided the opportunity to clarify and expand upon information gathered in the reading clinic survey. Clear strengths of the program were the perceived connection of theory to practice for preservice and inservice teachers, providing service to the community through outreach programs, and providing remedial services for struggling readers. This study suggests that the experience gained in the reading clinic provides a unique opportunity for teachers to work with students in a supportive environment. Further, preservice and inservice teachers have the opportunity to use the theory learned in reading courses in real situations, thus strengthening the connections between theory and practice. Finally, this study discusses the strengths and weaknesses of reading clinics and how the factors that support and inhibit clinical work affect the clinical model of reading instruction.
Advisors/Committee Members: Scharer, Patricia L.
Subjects: Education, Reading
Keywords: Reading Clinics; Ohio Reading Programs; Reading Endorsments; Reading Education; Teacher Training; Teacher Preparation; Reading Teacher; Professional Training in Reading Education; Clinical Education; Reading Preparation
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5.
Brauer, Lydia K.
Contemporary constructions of English texts: a departmental case study of secondary English domains.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2006, Ohio State University
► The content and purpose/s of secondary English curriculum in the United States…
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▼ The content and purpose/s of secondary English curriculum in the United States continue to be difficult to generalize. Over the past twenty years, two collective attempts–the English Coalition Conference in 1987, and the IRA/NCTE Standards project in 1996–failed to articulate a cohesive domain. This research project explores, in the form of a departmental case study, how teachers in one secondary English department conceptualize, negotiate, and construct their subject—particularly the role of literature—over the course of an academic semester. Methodologically, this project draws from ethnographic methods in folklore and anthropology including observation, interviews, and archival research, employing grounded theory in order to understand how English texts are conceived and constructed by secondary English teachers in one high school department, and to explore the purposes, domains, and curricular tensions secondary English teachers ascribe to their text practices. The study reveals shifting text positions based on teacher modality assumptions, and department coherence based on both curriculum content and foundational paradigms of knowledge and power. This research contributes to research gaps in English education, media education, and department studies, where only a small body of scholarship addresses how teachers conceptualize English in curriculum and practice, or how a variety texts are positioned and circulate (or do not) in and across English classrooms and within departments.
Advisors/Committee Members: Clark, Caroline T.
Keywords: English Education; Media Education; Secondary English Curriculum
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10.
Colabucci, Lesley M.
Reading and responding to multicultural children's literature with preservice teachers: A qualitative study of pedagogy and student perspectives.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► While many scholars have considered how young people read and respond to…
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▼ While many scholars have considered how young people read and respond to multicultural children’s literature, few studies have contributed to our knowledge about how adult readers make sense of these texts. This research investigates how preservice teachers in an undergraduate children’s literature class read and responded to multicultural children’s literature. Teacher educators have been struggling to understand how to prepare teacher candidates for the diverse classrooms they will enter. Despite their hard work in both inquiry and teaching, we still need more research on how to teach teachers. Accordingly, this study examines student responses alongside the pedagogy of the teacher. During the spring of 2003 at a small college in a major Midwestern city, the activities of a children’s literature course with 22 students were documented. This qualitative project emerged from a constructivist paradigm and involved narrative methods. Data sources included: student writing, whole class and small group discussions, artifacts from class activities, fieldnotes, and a researcher reflective journal. Analysis and interpretation was conducted to develop understandings of the ways preservice teachers map their personal stories onto the stories in multicultural books and what those maps can teach us about preparing them for diverse classrooms. The context of the class and pedagogy of the teacher were considered alongside the responses. The students’ writing and talk about the texts suggested five broad kinds of response: (IA) intimate disclosures: life-to-text connections; (IB) intimate disclosures: text-to-life connections; (II) dialogue and difference: text-and-life collide; (IIIA) disconnections and difference: “intolerance”-of-difference; (IIIB) disconnections and difference: “tolerance”-of-difference; and (IV) transcendence-of-difference. Analysis of pedagogical moves resulted in the delineation of tensions that teachers face in doing this work with preservice teachers. These tensions are related to how teachers occupy authority, how students perceive classroom community, how the teacher uses silence, and how students address and are addressed by each other. These patterns and tensions led to pedagogical implications based on new understandings of how preservice teachers’ read and respond to multicultural texts and how the teaching they experienced contributes to those readings and responses.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bishop, Rudine Sims.
Keywords: multicultural children's literature; preservice teachers; diversity; equity
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11.
Conley, Matthew D.
Exposed pedagogy: investigating LGBTQ issues in collaboration with preservice teachers.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2005, Ohio State University
► Preparing teachers to serve the needs of children who have been historically…
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▼ Preparing teachers to serve the needs of children who have been historically marginalized is difficult work. Although a growing body of scholars and researchers has attempted to describe the complexities, challenges, and promises of such work, we are far from understanding how to do it well. While much of this discussion has addressed issues of race and ethnicity, LGBTQ concerns have been glaringly omitted. By continuing to overlook LGBTQ issues in education, we perpetuate heterosexism and maintain LGBTQ youth's marginalization. Considering previous research that suggests teachers lack knowledge about LGBTQ issues and are ill-equipped to construct pedagogies that are supportive of LGBTQ youth and families, this research aimed to create a joint learning project to foster greater LGBTQ competencies in the context of teacher preparation. This action-oriented, qualitative research project emerged from a critical, feminist paradigm, utilizing narrative methods. During the 2002-2003 academic year, the activities of nine student-participants were recorded. Data was primarily in the form of written responses to experiences at the university and reflections related to the larger community-based experiences our collaboration provided. Participants' responses to inquiry experiences related to LGBTQ issues were collected in the form of written papers and taped transcription of classroom conversations. Analysis and interpretation was conducted to develop understandings of the ways student-participants made sense of the experiences our LGBTQ-focused collaboration had provided. This report offers a description of our year of inquiry. Community development was essential to our collaborative work. In community, we were able to seek out experiences that assisted us in moving beyond the university in order to reflect on our own unexplored biases related LGBTQ issues. Following an emergent curriculum, striving for greater teacher/student parity, and collectively scaffolding experiences for one another were the kinds of practices that allowed us to expose these biases and take small steps toward activism. These practices resulted in what we came to call an exposed pedagogy. This research, then, offers pedagogical implications for engaging pre-service teachers with LGBTQ issues. It describes, in essence, how a group of unlikely collaborators came to implement an exposed pedagogy to explore lives beyond their own.
Advisors/Committee Members: Seidl, Barbara L.
Keywords: Teacher Preparation, LGBTQ Studies, Equity and Diversity Education, Collaborative Inquiry, Community Engagement
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12.
Dennis, Jennifer Wolf.
Middle school students' conceptions of authorship in history texts.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2007, Ohio State University
► Middle school students are expected to use higher-level literacy strategies in order…
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▼ Middle school students are expected to use higher-level literacy strategies in order to read history texts interpretively and critically. However, history and social studies textbooks are typically written in an anonymous, authoritative style that is based on schematic narrative templates, which reflect a society’s static collective memory, rather than a history open to interpretation. In this way, textbooks serve as an impediment to the development of higher-level historical thinking. There is evidence that students’ historical understandings are shaped by the mastery or the appropriation of specific narratives of historical events. Two interrelated teacher-research studies indicated that the middle school students (both sixth graders and eighth graders) have a strong positive bias toward anonymous authoritative texts as the most valid means for writing about the past. However, the study also revealed that the students are capable, with instructional support, of recognizing the author’s role in interpreting a historical event. These results suggest that middle school students, with classroom instruction, can learn to take a more critical stance toward historical narratives as a means to developing deeper historical understandings.
Advisors/Committee Members: Paul, Peter V.
Subjects: Education, Reading
Keywords: critical reading; middle school students; historical thinking; schematic narrative template; collective memory
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14.
Dorr, Christina H.
A descriptive study of intermediate grade students' extended transaction with the picturebooks of author/illustrator Patricia Polacco.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► Picturebooks have traditionally been part of the literary life of young children.…
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▼ Picturebooks have traditionally been part of the literary life of young children. However, picturebooks today are not only appropriate for older students, but many are expressly written for that audience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of a small group of intermediate grade students’ extended transactions with several diverse picturebooks by author/illustrator Patricia Polacco. In this study, I looked at the types of responses the students made in their efforts to make meaning of the books, how they used the illustrations to further this process, how extended time with one author/illustrator’s work deepened this development, how they employed their own lives in the task, and how the voice of the author/illustrator assisted in my understanding of the students transactions. This study has potential significance in adding to the body of research on reader response, picturebook use with older students, small group literature discussions, and extended time with the work of one author/illustrator. Data collection took place during twelve sessions over a nine week period. I used a qualitative viewpoint and acted in various roles as a participant observer, audiotapes of read aloud sessions with full transcription, field notes of my observations, student journal entries, and an interview with the author/illustrator. The major findings of this study were: intermediate grade students utilize a wide variety of responses, both individually and as a group, to both story and illustrations, to construct meaning; the personal response became a crucial category in revealing how students’ backgrounds assisted them in dealing with all emerging issues of the literature, including issues of diversity; extended time with the work of one author/illustrator allowed discoveries that built on earlier understandings; the voice of the author/illustrator confirmed students’ ideas and answered their questions; though the researcher attempted to play as small a role as possible in the study, I necessarily entered into the discussions; and, the longer we met and discussed as a group, the less the researcher became part of the group and the more the author/illustrator entered into the conversation.
Advisors/Committee Members: Lehman, Barbara.
Subjects: Education, Language and Literature
Keywords: Reader Response; Patricia Polacco; Intermediate grade students; Picturebooks; Literature Circles
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16.
Dyer, Jennifer Nicole.
SHARING AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: MULTICULTURAL TEACHING PRACTICES OF TWO MALE TEACHERS.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2002, Ohio State University
► Schools are becoming more diverse every year; educators need to reach students…
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▼ Schools are becoming more diverse every year; educators need to reach students who do not belong to the mainstream culture. By using African American children's literature in the classroom, teachers can show that they respect and value their African American students' culture and provide the opportunity to explore issues of diversity. The research questions of this study were: How do two male primary teachers use African American multicultural literature to address and explore issues of diversity when their class has a majority of African American students in schools whose missions are to support multiculturalism? How are the teachers' cultural and racial beliefs represented in their practice? How do the approaches of these teachers reflect their distinct school contexts? This study, explored how two male teachers, who belong to different cultural groups, use African American childrens literature to facilitate discussions about diversity with their predominantly African American students. This case study was based on a theoretical framework that supports social construction of knowledge by participants. A sociocultural lens was used to examine the data pool: observation of conversations and behaviors before, during, and after lessons and read-alouds in the classroom; use of audio and video recordings; interviews with the teachers, and students; and artifacts from participants. Each teacher was given copies of the same five books to read aloud with his students. They created an activity for students to participate in after the read aloud. During the read alouds and activities, the teachers engaged the students in discussions. One of the major findings of the research was that these two teachers understand the importance of incorporating their students culture and race into literacy learning. Furthermore, these teachers created learning opportunities for students to co-construct knowledge as well as demonstrated best practices (Zeleman et al., 1998) in teaching. Implications for teacher education are discussed and directions for further research are suggested.
Advisors/Committee Members: Freeman, Evelyn.
Keywords: MULTICULTURAL; TEACHERS; multicultural literature; Sam; students; Don; classroom
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17.
Ervin, Jeremy Alan.
Effects of student ontological position on cognition of human origins.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2003, Ohio State University
► In this study, the narratives from a hermeneutical dialectic cycle of three…
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▼ In this study, the narratives from a hermeneutical dialectic cycle of three high school students were analyzed to understand the influences of ontological position on the learning of human origins. The interpretation of the narratives provides the reader an opportunity to consider the learning process from the perspective of worldview and conceptual change theories. Questions guiding this research include: Within a context of a worldview, what is the range of ontological positions among a high school AP biology class? To what extent does ontological position influence the learning of scientific concepts about human origins? If a student’s ontological position is contradictory to scientific explanation of human origins, how will learning strategies and motivations change? All consenting students in an AP biology class were interviewed in order to select three students who represented three different ontological positions of a worldview: No Supernatural, Supernatural Without Impact, or Supernatural Impact. The issue of worldview is addressed at length in this work. Consenting students had completed the graduation requirements in biology, but were taking an additional biology course in preparation for college. Enrollment in an AP biology course was assumed to indicate that the selected students have an understanding of the concept of human origins at a comprehensive level, but not necessarily at an apprehension level, both being needed for conceptual change. Examination of the narratives reveals that students may alternate between two ontological positions in order to account for inconsistencies within a situation. This relativity enables the range of ontological positions to vary depending on concepts being considered. Not all Supernatural Impact positions conflict with biological understanding of human origins due to the ability of some to create a dichotomy between religion and school. Any comprehended concepts within this dichotomy lead to plagiaristic knowledge rather than conceptual change. When conflicts occur, students employ alternate learning strategies for comprehension, but not apprehension, which result in plagiaristic knowledge. These findings suggest that teachers consider the ontological positions of student worldviews because of the potential influence on knowledge construction and conceptual change, especially about topics involving the theory of evolution.
Advisors/Committee Members: Haury, David L.
Keywords: Conceptual Change; Evolution; Hermeneutics; Hermeneutical Dialectic Cycle; Metaphysics; Ontological Position; Origins; Plagiaristic Knowledge; Science Education; Worldview; Worldview Theory
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18.
Evans, Kevin David.
Knowledge of breast self-examination and other determinants relationship on the self-rated health status of elderly women.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► An urgent need exists to reduce elderly women’s risk for breast cancer…
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▼ An urgent need exists to reduce elderly women’s risk for breast cancer by promoting a health behavior that could lower this threat. The knowledge of breast self-examination could represent a health behavior that leads to the detection of advanced breast cancer and could influence elderly women’s self-rated health status. The focus of this study was to determine if the knowledge of breast self-examination (BSE) as an adaptive health behavior can influence the self-rated health status of elderly women. Additional factors were also considered for the extent of their potential influence on an elderly woman’s estimate of health. The purpose of this research was to study the relationship of breast cancer risk, knowledge of BSE, environmental press, and individual competence factors on the self-rated health status of women, age 75 years and older, residing in a group of assisted living facilities. This study looked at whether BSE knowledge could be a significant contributor to these women’s self-rated health status. This research was conducted with a quasi-experimental design and used random assignment to place assisted living facilities in either treatment or control groups. On the participant level, older women were provided with their risk of breast cancer prior to the intervention. In addition, the experimental group of older women received BSE instruction and then 8 weeks later were surveyed as to their health. Likewise, the control group provided the same data, except BSE instruction was withheld. A t-test was done to check for differences between the groups as well as a correlation to gauge relationships between the independent variables and the dependent variable for each of the groups. Finally, a step-wise linear regression was preformed to find which of the independent variables best explained the most variance in the dependent variable for each of the groups. BSE knowledge was shown to contribute statistically to the experimental older women’s self rated mental health scores. Independent activities of daily living were statistically significant for both groups at explaining variance in their physical health scores. Independence also was indicated as being important in explaining variance in the mental health score of the experimental group.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bates, R. Cory.
Subjects: Gerontology
Keywords: Breast self-examination; Elderly women; Elderly women and breast cancer; Self-rated health status
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19.
Fournier-Kowaleski, Lisa A.
Depicting washback in the intermediate Spanish language classroom: a descriptive study of teacher's instructional behaviors as they relate to tests.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2005, Ohio State University
► Education relies heavily on testing to make predictions about learner achievement, skill…
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▼ Education relies heavily on testing to make predictions about learner achievement, skill level, and future success. Tests are also a means to hold learners accountable. In recent years, the matter of accountability has become the focus of educational concerns which has only placed further emphasis on the importance of testing in America’s educational institutions. Although educators frequently claim that they do not want to teach to a test, the reality is that every educator wants his/her students to be successful. Decision makers, teachers, and students equate this success in large part with high test scores, resulting in classroom instruction that is reflective of test practices and/or expectations. The effect that testing has on teaching and instruction is a phenomenon referred to as washback. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the washback behaviors of teachers, and to a lesser extent, students, in the low stakes testing environment of an intermediate level Spanish class. The study followed a group of five teachers over a period of two quarters, teaching an intermediate level Spanish course. The results detail washback behaviors exhibited by these teachers during the first quarter of teaching Spanish 104 for the first time, and then in the subsequent quarter teaching the course for the second time. Teachers’ instructional behaviors changed during the second time teaching the course as a result of increased knowledge of the test. Factors such as past teaching experience and teacher beliefs were also found to influence changes in teachers’ instructional behaviors. Secondary factors of interest such as student study habits, student perceptions of their teacher’s behaviors, and the effect of tests were also investigated. The students’ study and classroom behaviors appeared to change to correspond to changed behaviors exhibited by the students’ teacher. The student data serves as a potential source for further investigation into the washback phenomenon.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hirvela, Alan.
Keywords: Washback in foreign languages; Spanish foreign language instruction; Testing in foreign languages; Teacher's instructional behaviors in foreign language
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20.
Furgerson, Susan Paige.
Teaching the writers' craft through interactive writing: A case study of two first grade teachers.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► Interactive writing is an instructional context where the students and teacher share…
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▼ Interactive writing is an instructional context where the students and teacher share the pen as they collaboratively compose a text. As an unscripted literacy event, interactive writing allows educators to use understandings that they have about their students’ abilities as writers and their own knowledge of the writing process to model and discuss elements of writing that they want students to employ as they write independently. Educators have seen value in using interactive writing as a tool for helping children learn about letters, sounds, words and concepts about print. Currently, a few studies exist describing interactive writing as a support for children’s development of strategies for constructing a text; however, no published study focuses on the ways teachers use it as pedagogy for helping children develop strategies associated with the craft of writing. The purpose of this study was to describe how two experienced first grade teachers used interactive writing as an explicit teaching technique for teaching the writers’ craft and to identify the specific elements associated with the craft of writing that emerged as they assisted children in the negotiation of text. I observed and videotaped ten interactive writing lessons in each classroom over a six week time period at the end of the first grade year. I also conducted pre-observation and debriefing conferences with each teacher to find out what they considered in regards to planning for a lesson and to allow them to reflect on their teaching actions and assumptions following the lessons. The findings suggest that the teachers addressed the craft of writing during the interactive writing sessions through demonstration and by actively involving students in making decisions about the text before and while writing. Both teachers planned for writing, involved the children in planning for writing, and addressed the elements of sentence variation, audience, revision, and evaluation of the writing as each related to the craft. The findings of this study also underscore the fact that teaching is highly individual. Rich descriptions of the lessons provide authentic scripts that can assist teachers and researchers in identifying possibilities for variations in the teaching of interactive writing.
Advisors/Committee Members: Pinnell, Gay Su.
Keywords: writing; elementary; interactive writing; writing process; case study
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21.
Galbraith, Jeanne Susanne.
Multiple perspectives on superhero play in an early childhood classroom.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2007, Ohio State University
► This dissertation study examines the phenomenon of superhero play in an early…
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▼ This dissertation study examines the phenomenon of superhero play in an early childhood classroom. Superhero play is an understudied and sometimes controversial form of play that is sometimes banned or limited in early childhood classrooms (Holland, 2003). The limited studies on superhero play focus on the teachers’ perspectives, often of those who ban or limit it, and on developmental perspectives emphasizing either positive or negative aspects of the play. The purpose of this study is to understand superhero play from multiple perspectives including the perspectives of the people involved, particularly the children and through teachers who support this play, and through theoretical perspectives, including sociocultural and poststructural. This is an ethnographic study focusing on understand superhero play in context through a thorough examination of the school culture, the peer culture interested in superheroes, and the intersections between the school and peer culture. The primary methods are participant observation, with the researcher becoming a member of the school culture and peer culture interested in superheroes, interviews, video recording and revisiting, and document analysis. Findings of the study reveal superhero play to be complex and multifaceted phenomenon. The findings from the school culture and teachers’ perspectives highlight how superheroes and superhero play became part of almost every aspect of the school routines and activities. The teachers’ perspectives on supporting superhero play align with their valuing children’s interests, relationships, and using democratic practices. The findings from peer culture and children’s perspectives are presented through both a group and individual analysis. From the peer culture group, shared connections to superhero play included affiliation and inclusion, leadership, power, and the expression of care. Individual differences in the group included emotional connections, physical expression, and learning language. The intersections between the school culture and peer culture around superhero play occurred as a result of mediation from the teachers. The findings of this study have implications for classroom teachers to understand more about children’s interest in superheroes and how a set of teachers was able to mediate superhero play in the classroom context.
Advisors/Committee Members: Katz, Laurie.
Subjects: Education, Early Childhood
Keywords: Superhero Play; Early Childhood; Peer Culture; School Culture; Multiple Perspsectives; Poststructual; Sociocultural
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22.
Gingrich, Randy Scott.
Responding To The Call To Teach: Preservice Teachers' Case Stories Of Teaching English And Language Arts.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2003, Ohio State University
► This study examines the effects of utilizing preservice English/Language Arts teachers' own…
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▼ This study examines the effects of utilizing preservice English/Language Arts teachers' own case stories while student teaching and sharing those case stories with other preservice teachers on the perceptions of preservice teachers about teaching. The first objective of this study determines how preservice teachers conceive of teaching through their case stories of teaching. Studying the case stories of teaching provides a window to understand the connections between their individual field experiences, course work, and prior experiences. The second objective of the study is to understand how a collaborative framework for discussing case stories-the group- reflective interview-facilitates learning about teaching. Questions used to guide the study are: 1) What do preservice teachers reveal about their perceptions of teaching English/language arts through case stories of teaching? 2) How do sharing and discussing case stories of teaching with their colleagues in the English cohort affect their thinking about the teaching of English/Language Arts? Theories of narrative inquiry and activity theory are used to consider these questions. Findings suggest that case stories of teaching and the group reflective interview can be effective to teacher education and teacher research in several ways. The data contend that teacher educators and teacher researchers may use case stories and group-reflective interviews to: 1) provide opportunities for preservice teachers from diverse backgrounds and diverse teaching contexts to converse on issues related to teaching English/Language Arts; 2) break the isolation that preservice teachers feel by helping them to build community with other preservice teachers who are facing similar dilemmas; 3) provide preservice teachers with episodes of other preservice teachers in actual classroom experiences; 4) present preservice teachers with new models for thinking about their teaching practices; 5) increase preservice teachers' ability to theorize and interpret particular instructional situations; and 6) affect how preservice teachers evaluate themselves as teachers.
Advisors/Committee Members: Clark, Caroline T.
Subjects: Education, Language and Literature
Keywords: Teacher Education; Narrative Inquiry; English Education; Activity Theory
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23.
Gunel, Elvan.
Understanding Muslim girls' experiences in midwestern school settings: negotiating their cultural and interpreting the social studies curriculum.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2007, Ohio State University
► The study investigated: (1) how are Muslim girls interpreting their school experiences…
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▼ The study investigated: (1) how are Muslim girls interpreting their school experiences in terms of interactions with teachers and their peers; including American and students from their own countries and race, gender, religion, and their immigrant status, (2) how are Muslim girls interpreting the social studies curriculum, especially U.S. History, and (3) what are the instructional decisions the social studies teachers made in relation to their students who are Muslim girls. In this section, I discuss the rationale for selecting the naturalistic inquiry for this study. This study employed naturalistic inquiry methods to collect data. The research data were collected via multiple data collection methods, including participant observation and interviews. The data were collected between March 2006 and May 2006. The analysis was done according to constant comparative method as well as general qualitative data analysis methods. Analysis of the data for this study suggested four main findings: First, social studies classrooms are found as places in which Muslim female participants of the study find themselves more comfortable compared to other classrooms. The second major finding of the study regarded how Muslim girls interpreted the social studies curriculum. The findings of the study have implications for teachers, teacher education programs, policies, and future research. Findings also suggested that further studies are needed for understanding the phenomenon in-depth.
Advisors/Committee Members: Merryfield, Merry M.
Keywords: Muslim female students; Social studies education; Critical race theory; Identity
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24.
Hancock, Stephen D.
Creating positive spaces: a narrative account of the development of a multicultural learning community.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2003, Ohio State University
► This dissertation is a response to those whobelieve in my effectiveness as…
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▼ This dissertation is a response to those whobelieve in my effectiveness as a teacher of African American children. It is also a voice for teacher research and particularly research from an African American male point of view. I have found in my studies that an African American male perspective on teaching and learning in early childhood education is rare or unavailable in articles, books, and journals concerning educational theory and practice. As a teacher researcher, I found it necessary to develop a unique approach to conducting research and methodological practices. Autoethnonarrative was developed to address the idiosyncratic nature of conducting inquiry as a teacher researcher. The approach is couched in an antiracist and multicultural lens. Autoethnonarrative enabled me to study myself in relation to pedagogical practices, styles and beliefs. In order to develop a methodological process suited for an autoethnographic approach, I introduced a new four-step systematic process. This process enabled me to organize data, create comprehensive narratives, build a list of scholars that support each narrative, and employ colleagues and peers for reflective conversations. This work is a compilation of narratives based on my teaching and personal experiences over a prolonged time period that spans twenty-seven years. In particular, however, the majority of this work presents, discusses, and analyzes stories of classroom life that illustrate issues concerning language affirmation, teaching for social justice, and parent involvement. Themes surrounding language, social justice, and parent involvement form the chapters of data presentation. Throughout the work, these major themes are presented in narrative and analyzed. At the end of each data presentation chapter, implications for teaching are presented. Finally, I present what I believe to be new and particular pedagogical frames for teaching and learning called the Critical Pedagogical Approach to Teaching and Learning. Sociopolitical constructivism, sociocultural reflective practice, and moralistic reflective practice are offered as new ways of thinking about ourselves as teachers as well as our relationship and response to teaching diverse student populations.
Advisors/Committee Members: Seidl, Barbara L.
Subjects: Education, Early Childhood
Keywords: Teacher Research; Narrative; Classroom Community
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25.
Hernandez, Alexander Anthony.
Voices of witness, messages of hope: moral development theory and transactional response in a literature-based Holocaust studies curriculum.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► The professional literature of the Holocaust is replete with research, references, and…
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▼ The professional literature of the Holocaust is replete with research, references, and recommendations that a study of the Holocaust, particularly for middle and high school students, is most effective when combined with an extensive use of Holocaust literature. Scholars and educators alike advocate the use of first-person testimony whenever and wherever possible in order to personalize the Holocaust lessons for the student. This study explore students’ responses to first-person Holocaust narratives through the lens of reader response theory in order to determine if prolonged engagement with the literature enhances affective learning. This study also explores the students’ sense of personal ethics and their perceptions on moral decision-making. By examining their responses during prolonged engagement with first-person narratives, herein referred to as witness narratives, and evaluating these responses based on moral development theories developed by Kohlberg and Gilligan, the study also seeks to determine whether there are significant differences in the nature of response that can be attributed to gender. Lastly, the study explores students’ views on racism, and how or if an extended lesson on the Holocaust causes affective change in students’ perceptions of racism and their role in combating it within our society.
Advisors/Committee Members: Hickman, Janet.
Subjects: Education, Language and Literature
Keywords: Holocaust studies; Holocaust curriculum; Reader response theory; Moral development theory
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26.
Hinton-Johnson, KaaVonia Mechelle.
Expanding the power of literature: African American literary theory and young adult literature.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2003, Ohio State University
► This study examines the intertexual relationship between select young adult (YA) African…
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▼ This study examines the intertexual relationship between select young adult (YA) African American womens literature and literature within the broader African American womens literary tradition. Given that many secondary teachers are committed to teaching works by and about African American women, particularly those written for an adult audience, it is necessary that scholars discuss the connection that exists between African American womens literature written for adults and literature classified as YA literature. One of the goals of this study was to contribute to this discussion. The study examined select works by Angela Johnson, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Jacqueline Woodson from a black feminist perspective in an effort to situate the novels within the already established African American womens literary tradition. The following six novels, two by each author, were analyzed: Angela Johnsons Toning the Sweep (1994) and Heaven (1998), Rita Williams-Garcias Blue Tights (1988) and Like Sisters on the Homefront (1995) and Jacqueline Woodsons The Dear One (1991) and I Hadnt Meant to Tell You This (1994). The novels were analyzed to see if the works illustrate any of the tenets of black feminist thought, with emphasis on tenets related to individual or cultural identity (i.e., multiple oppressions of race, class, and gender in the lives of young African American women, cultivating sisterhood, discovering voice and subjectivity, etc.). The data gathered for this study included: six YA novels, published interviews, book reviews, biographical sketches of each author, and articles written by and about authors of the books in this study. The data were analyzed through content analysis. Literary analysis revealed that there were indeed thematic connections between the novels listed above and select literature within the African American womens literary tradition. Literary analysis demonstrated that three themes, in particular, are shared: family, African American expressive culture and sexuality. Finally, literary analysis also indicated that key tenets of black feminism, as defined by the researcher, were found in each of the six novels.
Advisors/Committee Members: Clark, Caroline.
Subjects: Education, Secondary
Keywords: Young Adult Literature; Black Feminist Theory; Young Adult Literature; African American Literary Theory
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27.
Holland, Susan Marie.
Attitudes toward technology and development of technological literacy of gifted and talented elementary school students.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2004, Ohio State University
► Understanding how the universe works is fundamental to human nature, but needing…
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▼ Understanding how the universe works is fundamental to human nature, but needing to know has become essential for safely managing our future. It is our charge as educators to produce students with greater scientific and technological literacy and to encourage highly competent, ethically responsible young scientists and engineers. The International Technology Education Association urges the implementation of the Technology Content Standards in K-12 in all schools to ensure technological literacy for all students. Research is needed to explore ways to promote positive attitudes toward technology and develop technological literacy in all students. The purpose of this study was to examine the use of specific technology activities and experiences in an elementary school classroom of gifted and talent fifth-grade students. A mixed methodology was used to explore the three primary research questions: (a) what are student attitudes and perceptions related to technology, (b) what are student attitudes and perceptions related to robotics, and (c) what student technological literacy outcomes are related to the use of technology education activities and experiences? Gender differences related to each of these primary research questions were also investigated. A principal component analysis identified four subscales: Girls and Technology, Interest in Technology, Ability to Do Technology, and Value of Technology. In three of the four subscales, there were gender differences related to changes in student attitudes and perceptions. Girls perceived that girls were equally capable of participating in technology. Boys perceived that it required more ability to do technology and perceived less value related to technology. All students who engaged in technology education activities demonstrated more positive attitudes and perceptions related to interest in and value of technology compared to students without these activities. Girls also displayed more positive attitudes and perceptions related to robotics. Focus group interviews confirmed these findings and identified additional gender issues associated with roles and work habits. Both girls and boys demonstrated proficiency in the targeted Technology Content Standards and identified key technology features, including problem solving, programming, connections to mathematics and science, and teamwork.
Advisors/Committee Members: Berlin, Donna F.
Keywords: Elementary Technology Education; Gifted And Talented; Technological Literacy; Gender Differences; Robotics
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29.
Hung, Hsin-Ling.
Factors associated with the attitudes of nondisabled secondary school students toward the inclusion of peers who are deaf or hard of hearing in their general education classes.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2005, Ohio State University
► The main focus of the study was to explore the effects of…
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▼ The main focus of the study was to explore the effects of selected factors such as contact experience, closeness, class norms, class setting, grade level, and gender on nondisabled secondary school students’ attitudes toward inclusion of peers who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in general education classrooms. Additionally, the perspectives of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are included for a broader understanding of the issues examined in the study. A correlational research design was utilized. To recruit participants, a purposive sampling approach was employed. A survey approach with direct group administration was the means for data collection. The Inclusion of Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students Inventory, a researcher-developed instrument, was the instrument for data collection. Participants represented either inclusive/mainstreaming or general education classes at each grade level from grades six to twelve in a midwestern urban school district. A total of 100 students participated in the pilot study, and 260 participated in the formal study. Because of the item nonresponse issue, a hot deck imputation technique was employed for missing data treatment on data collected from the nondisabled participants. The complete data set with imputed values was subjected to several statistical analyses, including item analysis, factor analysis, independent sample t-test, comparing means, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis including one step simultaneous and two block simultaneous entry. The data obtained from the students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing were synthesized to add another perspective on the inclusion issues. The results derived from the data from nondisabled participants support the major tenets of contact theory applied in the study. The results indicate that students in inclusive classes showed more positive attitudes than students in general education classes, and students who had more prior contact experience with persons with disabilities, particularly students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, had more positive attitudes than those who had less contact experience. Moreover, among the factors investigated, the degree of closeness was the most important variable on the regression models. The perspectives of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing supported the findings based on the data collected from nondisabled students.
Advisors/Committee Members: Paul, Peter V.
Keywords: disabilities; contact experience; NONDISABLED; ATTITUDES; students with disabilities; item
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30.
Hung, Hui-Ying.
Teachers’ perspectives about Braille Literacy in Taiwan.
Degree: PhD, Educational Theory and Practice, 2008, Ohio State University
► This study investigates the state of braille literacy in Taiwan. Research on…
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▼ This study investigates the state of braille literacy in Taiwan. Research on teachers’ attitudes and perspectives about braille instruction in the U.S. includes reading medium selection, personnel training, Nemeth code, assistive technology, and beginning/primary braille instruction. Scant literature exists in Taiwan on braille teaching issues, even fewer on teachers’ perspectives of and competency in braille literacy and instruction in classroom settings (Lin, 2002b; Tsai, 2004). This study extends Wittenstein’s (1993b) and Koenig and Holbrook’s (2000c) investigation to the educational context of Taiwan to examine teachers’ braille training experiences and their competencies of and attitudes toward braille literacy related to their instructional approaches. The research questions guiding this study inquire into the educational backgrounds of teachers of young and beginning braille students in Taiwan, differences and similarities in availability of instructional resources for teachers in three educational programs (itinerant, resource room, and residential school), teachers’ braille teaching strategies and curriculum design, concerns about braille instruction, and recommendations to teacher preparation programs. Mixed methods (document analysis, surveys, and interviews) were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 76 in-service certified teachers in Taiwan who taught kindergarten, first-, second-grade levels, or beginning braille in different educational environments. The participants agreed braille is an important reading medium and acknowledged the need for more braille knowledge in literary (Zhùyīn) and other braille codes, especially Nemeth code and English braille. Although confident in their skills of teaching braille and determining their students’ reading modes, most did not have enough knowledge of early childhood special education, and their braille curriculum design relied on self-study and advice from experienced colleagues. Most were aware of the increasing use of technology in braille instruction, but were reluctant to use assistive devices to teach young and beginning braille students. Although most agreed with the significance of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) teamwork consisting of vision and regular class teachers, parents, and administrators in students’ braille learning, they did not find the IEP meetings helpful for students. The findings will contribute to research in early braille instruction and to teacher training programs for pre-service and in-service braille teachers in Taiwan.
Advisors/Committee Members: Ward, Marjorie.
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