Pairing Young Adult and Classic Literature in the High School English Curriculum Anne V
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The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine Electronic Theses and Dissertations Fogler Library Spring 5-13-2017 Pairing Young Adult and Classic Literature in the High School English Curriculum Anne V. Miller University of Maine, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Reading and Language Commons, and the Secondary Education Commons Recommended Citation Miller, Anne V., "Pairing Young Adult and Classic Literature in the High School English Curriculum" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2645. http://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/etd/2645 This Open-Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. PAIRING YOUNG ADULT AND CLASSIC LITERATURE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CURRICULUM By Anne V. Miller B.A., University of Virginia, 1984 M.L.I.S., University of South Carolina, 1997 A DISSERTATION Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education (in Literacy Education) The Graduate School The University of Maine May, 2017 Advisory Committee: Richard B. Kent, Professor of Literacy Education, Advisor David Boardman, Instructor of Mass Media Communications Cynthia Dean, Associate Professor of Education Kenneth H. Martin, Assistant Professor of Literacy Education Maja Wilson, Assistant Professor of Secondary Education Copyright 2017 Anne V. Miller All Rights Reserved ii PAIRING YOUNG ADULT AND CLASSIC LITERATURE IN THE HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CURRICULUM By Anne V. Miller Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Richard B. Kent An Abstract of the Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education (in Literacy Education) May, 2017 Literacy experts recommend young adult literature to engage teens and scaffold their developing reading and literary analysis skills. Yet, the American high school English curriculum is dominated by a narrow list of classics, virtually unchanged since the late 19th century. This static curriculum neither reflects the diversity of American culture nor the lives of students in the 21st century. Adolescent literacy scholarship can support practitioners by expanding the research on effective strategies for using young adult literature. This research study examines the effects of an intentional pairing of a classic work of literature with a work of young adult literature in a high school English classroom. The main research question asks what literacy learning outcomes and attitudes result from pairing a young adult and a classic work of literature, from the perspectives of the students and their teacher. The notion of scaffolding of instruction articulated by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976), and its roots in Vygotsky’s concept of a zone of proximal development (1978), provide the theoretical underpinning of the teaching strategy examined in this study. Rosenblatt’s (1978) transactional theory of reading informs the analysis of the students’ responses to the young adult and classic texts studied, and their perceived learning outcomes. This qualitative study used a case study design. Data was collected through individual interviews with the teacher and students, field observations, and a survey. Using a grounded theory approach, analysis of the data revealed that both students and teacher found the pairing strategy beneficial. The students value making connections between their lives and a text, and appreciate opportunities to examine complex issues and ideas. The teacher perceived increased engagement by the students as a result of the young adult/classic pairing, as well as stronger comprehension and analysis. This study analyzes the perceptions of a small group of participants in one high school classroom. Future studies could expand the participant group and utilize different texts. Additional studies could examine other approaches to using young adult literature in high school classrooms, the barriers that exist to using young adult literature, and the influences of digital resources on student reading engagement. DEDICATION To my Dad, Edward Dean Vaughan, Ph.D. 1922 - 2004 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A number of people have guided and supported me through this research process over several years; their unwavering confidence in my ability to complete the research and dissertation means more than the degree itself. The persuasion of my friend and advisor, Rich Kent, first brought me to the University of Maine graduate program in 2004. He has encouraged and assisted me in multiple ways. Rich is always willing to talk through a question or problem and has modeled what it means to be a teacher, a mentor, and a coach. He helped me to know what I could do and accomplish. I am indebted to the members of my dissertation committee for their time, effort, and guidance. Each offered a unique perspective and challenged me to think in new ways about my research and writing. Thank you, Dave Boardman, Cindy Dean, Ken Martin, Maja Wilson, and Rich Kent. I particularly want to thank the English III class of Midlands High School. The students welcomed me into their class and embraced the study. Diane, their teacher, took on this research project for a quarter of the school year, granting access to her students, curriculum, and instruction. Special thanks are due to my dear friend and colleague, Deborah Rozeboom. Deb’s willingness to act as a coding and thinking partner and editor helped me through some of the more challenging phases of analysis and writing. This dissertation is dedicated to my father. Although he died before I began my doctoral program, I took strength from knowing how proud he would be of me for iv extending my education. Discovering his dissertation in the archives of the University of Montana gave me inspiration to complete my research and writing. Most of all, I am deeply grateful for the patience and support of my family. My husband, Eddie, always has my back. Our children, Nick and Cassie, can’t remember a time when Mom wasn’t taking classes. They have unconditionally let me be me. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iv Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................1 Adolescents and Literacy .........................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................2 Background: Defining Young Adult and Classic Literature ....................................7 Young Adult Literature ................................................................................7 Classic Literature .......................................................................................11 The Research Gap ..................................................................................................16 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..............................................................................19 Introduction ............................................................................................................19 Difficulties in Using Classics with Teens ..............................................................19 Research About Young Adult Literature ...............................................................27 Advocacy for Pairing YAL with Classics ..............................................................31 How YAL is Being Used in Classrooms ...............................................................35 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................37 Transactional Theory .................................................................................37 Scaffolding .................................................................................................41 Conclusion .............................................................................................................42 vi 3. METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................44 Statement of Purpose .............................................................................................44 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................44 Bounding the Case .................................................................................................46 Research Design .........................................................................................46 Role of the Researcher ...............................................................................47 Site Selection .............................................................................................51 Participants .................................................................................................52 Institutional Review Board ....................................................................................53 Pairing the Texts ....................................................................................................54