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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until April 25, 2026

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Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom

Ensley, Chelsea
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712912471118483

Abstract Details

2024, PhD, University of Cincinnati, Arts and Sciences: English.
In Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom, I argue that the cultivation of meaningful student-teacher relationships between Appalachian students and composition teachers is pivotal to the development of meaningful learning and literacy practices, as well as the creation of a culturally valuable academic and literacy identity. My dissertation builds on the work of composition pedagogy scholarship, Appalachian studies, and relational-cultural theory (RCT) to generate awareness concerning the student-teacher relationship and the impact this relationship has on Appalachian students’ learning and writing processes. By collecting data via one-on-one interviews with select Appalachian students from a rural university in western North Carolina, I showcase how my participants understand themselves as writers, students, and Appalachians. By using Carol Gilligan’s listening guide methodology, I analyze each participant’s word choices, expressions, and stories. Throughout my analysis, I call attention to the various cultural values participants use to guide their experiences in the writing classroom. In particular, by analyzing the voices of pride and individualism, I am able to showcase how some Appalachian students are working with their cultural values to navigate their college experience and create a bridge between their newfound academic identity and their Appalachian identity. Along with bringing attention to how my student-participants rely on their Appalachian knowledge and values in the writing classroom, I also explore the RCT concept of growth-fostering connection, arguing that a relationship between Appalachian students and their writing teacher—characterized by connection, compassion, and mutuality—can lead Appalachian students to an awareness and appreciation of their cultural expressions and practices. That is, I show how a growth-fostering relationship in the composition classroom can empower Appalachian students and encourage them to retain their cultural knowledge and language, while simultaneously putting to work academic language and practices. My dissertation demonstrates the value of writing teachers turning their attention to the relational dynamics of their classrooms. As I argue, there is immense value in developing an awareness of the experiences of marginalized student-writers—like Appalachian student-writers—in order to understand how to engage these students in more meaningful and connected ways that acknowledge their cultural values and ways of being while also supporting them in the development of their academic practices and identities.
Laura Micciche, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Christopher Carter, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Samantha Necamp, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Sara Webb-Sunderhaus, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Miriam Raider-Roth, Ed.D. (Committee Member)
191 p.
Composition
Appalachia; Relational Cultural Theory; Appalachian Students; Writing Classroom; Listening Guide Method; Appalachian Student-Writers

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Ensley, C. (2024). Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom [Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712912471118483

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Ensley, Chelsea. Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom. 2024. University of Cincinnati, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712912471118483.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Ensley, Chelsea. "Listening to Appalachian Voices in the Writing Classroom." Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1712912471118483

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1712912471118483
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.