MA, Kent State University, 2022, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of History

The goal of this thesis is to understand shifts in United States history curriculum over time by examining the Advanced Placement US History curriculum. Despite large changes in historical scholarship between 1958 and 2015, the American historical narrative represented in AP US History only changed gradually. This thesis uses yearly AP US History Course Guides from 1958 to 2015 and oral histories of committee members in charge of test development to illuminate the structural limitations that preserve the status quo in American history. The narrative presented through the Course Guides is evaluated through the metrics of type of history (political, social/cultural, economic, religious), gender, and race. The story of the narrative of United States history over these years is one of minor revisions in a field that needs major transformation. By improving our understanding of curriculum construction, not only will historical scholarship integrate more effectively into classrooms, but the American historical narrative will change from a focus on political players to a focus on all types of people who form and shape America.

Committee: Elaine Frantz (Advisor); Todd Hawley (Committee Member); Shane Strate (Committee Member); Ann Heiss (Committee Member) Subjects: Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education History; History

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Higher Education (Education)

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore how HESA graduate students' conceptions of critical consciousness transform and evolve during a diversity course and the pedagogical practices that foster consciousness-raising. Each of the twelve participants completed two semi-structured interviews and three journal prompts. Using a case study approach, I conducted interviews at the beginning and end of the semester to compare participants' initial understandings (1st Interview) against participants' evolving understandings (journal prompts, 2nd Interview). To create the interview protocol, I followed Castillo-Montoya's (2016) four recommendations by: (a) aligning interview questions to the conceptual frameworks, (b) using follow up questions, (c) requesting feedback, and (d) piloting the protocol. To analyze interview data, I used open, in vivo, and axial coding. I analyzed the journal prompts by compiling the responses into main and sub-categories. In the first, article I use Flavell's (1979) model of metacognition and Watts et al.'s (2011) conceptualization of critical consciousness to explore HESA graduate students' critical consciousness development through metacognitive journaling. Findings illustrated that metacognitive journaling prompted participants to assess their learning by pinpointing the mastery and limitations of their social justice knowledge and preceding presumptions. In the second article, I employ Mezirow's (1978) transformative learning and Watts et al.'s (1999) stages of sociopolitical development to investigate three participants' changing understandings of critical consciousness. Findings indicated that participants made moderate to substantial gains in critical consciousness development, with only one of the three participants displaying action-taking behavior. In the third paper, I apply Mezirow's (1978) transformative learning to explore how three pedagogical approaches foster critical consciousness. Findings highlighted (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Nguyen (Committee Chair); Theda Gibbs Grey (Committee Member); Kimberly Rios (Committee Member); Laura Harrison (Committee Member) Subjects: Higher Education Administration