Place-Based and Non-Place-Based Performing Arts Experiences and First-Generation, Appalachian College Student Engagement
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Lincoln Memorial University LMU Digital Commons Ed.D. Dissertations Carter & Moyers School of Education Spring 5-2-2020 Place-based and Non-place-based Performing Arts Experiences and First-generation, Appalachian College Student Engagement Rachel Schott [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/edddissertations Part of the Appalachian Studies Commons, Art Education Commons, Community-Based Learning Commons, Fine Arts Commons, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons Recommended Citation Schott, Rachel, "Place-based and Non-place-based Performing Arts Experiences and First-generation, Appalachian College Student Engagement" (2020). Ed.D. Dissertations. 16. https://digitalcommons.lmunet.edu/edddissertations/16 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Carter & Moyers School of Education at LMU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ed.D. Dissertations by an authorized administrator of LMU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PLACE-BASED AND NON-PLACE-BASED PERFORMING ARTS EXPERIENCES AND FIRST-GENERATION, APPALACHIAN COLLEGE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT Dissertation Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Carter and Moyers School of Education at Lincoln Memorial University by Rachel Schott January 2020 2 © 2020 Rachel Schott All Rights Reserved ii Dedication This study is dedicated to Robert Mitchell Cosby a first-generation, Appalachian college student who persisted, succeeded, and whose wisdom and kindness is an inspiration to his community, his family, and to me. XO. iii Acknowledgments I wish to offer my deepest thanks to committee members Dr. James McAllister, Dr. Alexander Parks, my Chairperson Dr. Andrew Courtner, and also to Dr. Pete Silberman for their council and encouragement. Last, I extend my tenderest gratitude to Dr. Joseph Bein for planting the seed that is now, all these years later, a fully-grown tree. iv Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the pre-college arts experiences of Appalachian college students who participated in place-based and non-place- based performance arts ensembles and, using a qualitative research approach informed by Kuh et al.’s (2005) study on positive student engagement, understand the influence that participation in these ensembles might have on Appalachian students who are the first in their generation to pursue higher education. In this study, the researcher examined student data from 28 first-generation, Appalachian college students who responded to an online survey, and 11 who volunteered to participate in-depth, personal interviews. All the student participants were enrolled at one of three private institutions in Central Appalachia. Based on data generalized from this study the researcher concluded that ensemble participation positively influenced students’ ability to engage with their college environment by facilitating valued relationships to peers, faculty, and campus facilities. v Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE Chapter I: Introduction ................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................2 Background ..............................................................................................................5 Research Questions ................................................................................................13 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................................14 Significance of the Project .....................................................................................24 Description of the Terms .......................................................................................26 Chapter II: Review of the Literature ......................................................... 30 Geographic Characteristics of Appalachia .............................................................30 Economic and Cultural Framework of Appalachia ...............................................31 Student Benefits of Arts Opportunities ..................................................................44 Formal and Informal Arts Education .....................................................................52 Place-based Pedagogy ............................................................................................58 Chapter III: Methodology ......................................................................... 77 Research Design.....................................................................................................77 Population of the Study ..........................................................................................80 Data Collection ......................................................................................................83 Analytical Methods ................................................................................................86 vi Reliability and Validity ........................................................................................87 Limitations and Delimitations ............................................................................89 Researcher Subjectivity .......................................................................................92 Chapter IV: Analyses and Results ............................................................ 96 Research Questions ................................................................................................96 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................97 Research Questions ................................................................................................98 Interview Participants ..........................................................................................123 Summary of Results .............................................................................................125 Chapter V: Conclusions and Recommendations..................................... 127 Discussion and Conclusions ................................................................................127 Implications for Practice ......................................................................................132 Recommendations for Future Research ...............................................................134 References ............................................................................................... 137 Appendix A Online Survey Protocol ...................................................... 164 Appendix B Online Survey Informed Consent ....................................... 171 Appendix C Interview Protocol .............................................................. 173 Appendix D Interview Informed Consent............................................... 176 Appendix E Online Survey Recruitment Email ...................................... 179 Appendix F County Economic Status in Appalachia, Fiscal Year 2019 181 vii Chapter I: Introduction The Appalachian Mountains and the people who live there have been a prolific source of human and natural resources for generations. In the 19th century, families in mountain communities harvested a lion’s share of the hardwood, coal, iron ore, and copper that was used to build many of America’s modern cities (United States Geological Survey and the United States Department of Mines, 1968). Appalachian families were critical in easing labor shortages during World War II and mining the coal necessary to fuel the booming postwar economy (Eller, 2008; Williams, 2002). Despite these contributions, Appalachian families have faced persistent economic and cultural barriers in achieving levels of health, education, and income commiserate with mainstream Americans (Alexander, 2006; Meit, Heffeman, Tanenbaum, & Hoffman, 2017). The foundational American promise of economic success for anyone committed to hard work and the pursuit of educational opportunities has proven to be unrealistic for many Appalachian students and their families. In 1994, economist and college president Howard Bowen argued, “In our society, education is the principal engine of social progress and higher education is a major part of that engine” (Bowen, 1994, p. 37). Researchers in the field of higher education have developed valuable models by which administrators and student service professionals can gauge important aspects of student success. A critical factor in student success in higher education is engagement, or the degree to which students connect with their academic peers, instructors, and community. Within some Central Appalachian higher education institutions, opportunities 1 exist for students to participate in performing arts ensembles that are rooted in Appalachian heritage, as well as ensembles more typically offered within higher education. The impact that participation in performing arts ensembles, and in particular that place-based pedagogical approach might have on the ways students construct meaning from their college experience is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to give voice to the experience of first-generation Appalachian college students who have participated in performing arts opportunities at their Appalachian institutions. Statement of the Problem Despite ongoing public debate about the rising cost of college,