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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until December 18, 2028

ETD Abstract Container

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An Early Childhood Teacher’s Journey Learning to Use Dramatic Inquiry: A Teacher Inquiry Study of Wobbling, Realization, and Change

Kim, Myung Jin
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4460-3503
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1692617638304216

Abstract Details

2023, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, EDU Teaching and Learning.
This teacher inquiry study documents my personal journey as a teacher. The main research question was how have my teaching practices as an early childhood educator changed over time in relation to my changing understanding of learning, teaching, and drama in education? This study is a story of my growth and transformation as a teacher over ten years. I draw on my experiences as a kindergarten teacher in Korea, my work using dramatic inquiry with emergent bilingual children in the United States, and my experiences as a graduate student at Ohio State. Using teacher inquiry and narrative inquiry as my methodologies, I analyzed raw data, such as journals, fieldnotes, photographs, and video-and audio-recordings to create narratives of my teaching practice. I engaged in reflective dialogue with my past selves as a teacher in different times and places when I had used play and dramatic inquiry in my own classrooms. I also analyzed the teaching practice of my advisor using dramatic inquiry. My analysis was shared in a community of inquiry as part of my coursework at Ohio State. This reflective process allowed me to better understand my changing teaching practices in more depth and to confront feelings of discomfort that became pivotal moments of realization that I analyzed to show changes over time. I used Cultural Historical Activity Theory as my main theoretical framework for analysis. In addition, I used a framework created by Janet Emig. I analyzed the narratives to identify my changing hidden assumptions, beliefs, and theories of teaching, learning, and drama in education. My findings showed significant changes over a ten-year time frame. I used an innovative approach to construct, present, and analyze the narratives as data. I present and then analyze narratives of the practice of four past teacher-personae. Each persona represents a unique phase in my teaching journey. Collectively, they show change and reveal some of the complexity of my growth and transformation as a teacher. It is my hope that this research will contribute not only to the field of early childhood education but also to the broader field of teacher research conducted using narrative inquiry. I hope that my research may inspire other teacher researchers to engage in critical self-reflection, challenge their assumptions and beliefs, and improve their teaching practices.
Brian Edmiston (Advisor)
Melinda Rhoades (Committee Member)
Patricia Enciso (Committee Member)
370 p.
Bilingual Education; Early Childhood Education; Education; Teacher Education
Early Childhood Education Elementary Education Drama in Education Dramatic Inquiry Teacher Change Teacher Inquiry Teacher Research Narrative Inquiry Teacher Education Community of Inquiry

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kim, M. J. (2023). An Early Childhood Teacher’s Journey Learning to Use Dramatic Inquiry: A Teacher Inquiry Study of Wobbling, Realization, and Change [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1692617638304216

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kim, Myung Jin. An Early Childhood Teacher’s Journey Learning to Use Dramatic Inquiry: A Teacher Inquiry Study of Wobbling, Realization, and Change . 2023. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1692617638304216.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kim, Myung Jin. "An Early Childhood Teacher’s Journey Learning to Use Dramatic Inquiry: A Teacher Inquiry Study of Wobbling, Realization, and Change ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2023. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1692617638304216

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1692617638304216
© 2023, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.