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IMPLICATIONS OF CLASSROOM WRITING INSTRUCTION EMPHASIZING IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, AND DIALOGUE: A CASE STUDY A dissertation submitted to the Kent State University College and Graduate School of Education, Health, and Human Services in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Steven J. Howell May 2011 A dissertation written by Steven J. Howell B.S., Kent State University, 1993 M.Ed., Kent State University, 2001 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2011 Approved by _____________________________, Director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee William Kist _____________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Averil McClelland _____________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Andrew Gilbert Accepted by _____________________________, Director, School of Teaching, Learning, and Alexa Sandmann Curriculum Studies _____________________________, Dean, College and Graduate School of Education, Daniel F. Mahony Health, and Human Services ii HOWELL, STEVEN J., Ph.D., May 2011 TEACHING, LEARNING, AND CURRICULUM STUDIES IMPLICATIONS OF CLASSROOM WRITING INSTRUCTION EMPHASIZING IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY, AND DIALOGUE: A CASE STUDY (240 pp.) Director of Dissertation: William Kist, Ph.D. When we consider the role of writing in our language arts classrooms today, I would argue that the vast majority of it is framed by Freire’s (1984) banking model of education, wherein we have a teacher who knows how to pass a standardized writing test and tries to deposit that information into the learner who knows nothing. In fact, to extend the metaphor, the only withdrawal that seems important to either the teacher or the student is what product the student creates at the time of the test. Somehow, we language arts teachers have found ourselves in the unfavorable position of having betrayed our own knowledge and expertise. Essentially, the problem that this study seeks to address is the surrendering of effective, creative, and imaginative writing strategies to the narrow scope of writing as evidence of understanding and standardized test preparation. The purpose of this study was to inform three primary questions: 1. What are students’ perceptions of the use of the arts as a tool for writing and making meaning? 2. How would a deliberate, honest, and authentic approach to increasing and facilitating dialogue and communication in the language arts classroom affect students' writing and/or their writing process? 3. What effect does using empathic literature selections have on students' writing? The study was a naturalistic case study that led to several findings. Of the arts, the study revealed that students demonstrated increased confidence in their writing and began to value the process of writing over the product. Further, students perceived this writing approach as new and freeing. Of dialogue, the study revealed that dialogue is a dynamic convention, one that constantly changes and rarely looks the same in different contexts, and that an honest, deliberate, authentic approach to increasing dialogue creates a comfort and familiarity that encourages writing as well as sharing. Finally, the use of empathic texts allowed students to demonstrate greater clarity and organization in their writing. Students also developed a new approach to voice and audience, and empathic texts fostered empathy within students’ writing. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are many people to whom I wish to express my gratitude. First and foremost are my wife, Kirstein, and my sons, Jonah and Solomon. Your patience and understanding were, perhaps, the most important element to this work. Professionally, I have to begin with Dr. Nancy McCracken for her encouragement and early motivation. Dr. David Bruce I wish to thank for his early role as co-director of this dissertation. I also offer my gratitude and appreciation to Dr. William Kist for seeing this study to its end and to Dr. Andrew Gilbert and Dr. Averil McClelland for their persistent guidance and support. Finally, and most importantly, I need to thank my students. You have given me the interest and motivation to come to work each day, to laugh, to learn, and to grow. You are the bigger and better half of me as a teacher. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................... 1 Theories of Writing Instruction .............................................................................. 2 Accountability Movement ...................................................................................... 7 Teacher Action Research ...................................................................................... 13 Statement of the Problem...................................................................................... 15 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 16 Arts................................................................................................................... 17 Dialogue ........................................................................................................... 20 Empathy ........................................................................................................... 22 Research Question ................................................................................................ 24 Research Question 1......................................................................................... 24 Research Question 2......................................................................................... 25 Research Question 3......................................................................................... 25 Definitions............................................................................................................. 26 Assumptions.......................................................................................................... 27 Assumptions About the Arts ............................................................................ 27 Assumptions About Dialogue .......................................................................... 29 Assumptions About Empathy .......................................................................... 31 Significance........................................................................................................... 33 Summary............................................................................................................... 34 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE............................................................................ 35 A Brief History of Writing Instruction ................................................................. 35 My Journey as a High School English Teacher.................................................... 46 The Arts ................................................................................................................ 56 Dialogue................................................................................................................ 65 Empathy ................................................................................................................ 70 Summary............................................................................................................... 77 III. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 78 Design of the Study............................................................................................... 81 Description of Context and Population................................................................. 81 Participants............................................................................................................ 82 Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 84 v Arts................................................................................................................... 85 Interviews......................................................................................................... 93 Observations..................................................................................................... 95 Data Analysis........................................................................................................ 95 Reliability.............................................................................................................. 98 Summary............................................................................................................. 100 IV. CASE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 101 Overview............................................................................................................. 101 Selection of Key Informants ............................................................................... 101 Kayla.............................................................................................................. 102 Tyler ............................................................................................................... 117 Penny.............................................................................................................