Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 12-2017 Changing the World through the Word: Developing Critical Consciousness Through Multicultural Children’s Literature with Critical Literacy in an Elementary Classroom HyeKyoung Lee Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Educational Leadership Commons Recommended Citation Lee, HyeKyoung, "Changing the World through the Word: Developing Critical Consciousness Through Multicultural Children’s Literature with Critical Literacy in an Elementary Classroom" (2017). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 6796. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/6796 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH THE WORD: DEVELOPING CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH MULTICULTURAL CHILDREN’S LITERATURE WITH CRITICAL LITERACY IN AN ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM by HyeKyoung Lee A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Education Approved: Steven Camicia, Ph.D. Sylvia Read, Ph.D. Major Professor Committee Member Amy Wilson-Lopez, Ph.D. María Luisa Spicer-Escalante, Ph.D. Committee Member Committee Member Scott Hunsaker, Ph.D. Mark R. McLellan, Ph.D. Committee Member Vice President for Research and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2017 ii Copyright © HyeKyoung Lee 2017 All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Changing the World through the Word: Developing Critical Consciousness Through Multicultural Children’s Literature with Critical Literacy in an Elementary Classroom by HyeKyoung Lee, Doctor of Philosophy Utah State University, 2017 Major Professor: Steven P. Camicia, Ph.D. Department: School of Teacher Education and Leadership In this study, I explored how fifth-grade students develop critical consciousness of their sociocultural realities through a critical literacy framework using multicultural children’s literature in the classroom. Despite its significance, there is very little research on critical literacy implementation to help students enhance critical consciousness in elementary classrooms. In this qualitative case study, I implemented Lewison, Flint, and Van Sluys’ four dimensions of critical literacy including (a) disrupting the commonplace, (b) interrogating multiple viewpoints, (c) focusing on sociopolitical issues, and (d) taking action and promoting social justice as a theoretical framework to guide this study. I used two types of texts for the study. I used multicultural children’s literature that represents different sociocultural groups’ inequitable experiences and various social realities as a springboard to scaffold critical thinking. I also used students’ everyday iv experiences as real life texts. I used a qualitative case study design to frame and conduct this study in order to collect data and examine students’ cultural patterns including values, beliefs, behaviors, and language that they enacted in the critical literacy practices. I collected data through classroom observations, semistructured student and teacher interviews, informal conversation, researcher’s reflective journal entries and field notes, and student-made artifacts. I used constant comparative analysis method for inductive data analysis. Findings show that the students were more aware of their own sociopolitical positions in the school, home and society, as well as how their lives were shaped by the sociocultural and political forces. The students were able to link their critical understanding of their own lives to larger sociopolitical issues associated with power and privilege, and this understanding encouraged them to engage in action for social justice. They were eager to take action such as writing a petition for a gender fairness agenda to create a positive school climate. This study is important for educators who hope to encourage students to become critical thinkers, as it shows how children critically engage in reading, discussion, and action regarding social justice issues through multicultural children’s literature with critical literacy approaches. (293 pages) v PUBLIC ABSTRACT Changing the World through the Word: Developing Critical Consciousness Through Multicultural Children’s Literature with Critical Literacy in an Elementary Classroom HyeKyoung Lee The purpose of this study was to explore how fifth graders develop critical consciousness regarding the self and the world through critical literacy approaches using multicultural children’s literature. I employed Lewison, Flint, and Van Sluys’ four dimensions of critical literacy. I used a qualitative case study to design, frame and conduct this study in order to collect data and examine students’ cultural patterns including values, beliefs, behaviors, and language that they enacted in the critical literacy practices. I collected data through classroom observations, semi-structured students and teacher interviews, informal conversation, researcher’s reflective journal entries and field notes, and student-made artifacts. Findings show that the students were more aware of their own sociopolitical positions in the school, home and society, as well as how their lives were shaped by the sociocultural and political forces. The students were able to link their critical understanding of their own lives to larger sociopolitical issues associated with power and privilege, and this understanding encouraged them to engage in action for social justice. They were eager to take action such as writing a petition for a gender fairness agenda to create a positive school climate. This study is important for educators who hope to encourage students to become critical thinkers, as it shows how children vi critically engage in reading, discussion, and action regarding social justice issues through multicultural children’s literature with critical literacy approaches. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank to my advisor, Dr. Steven Camicia, for his constant support and guidance throughout this process. Without his trust and encouragement, this dissertation and my whole Ph.D. journey would have not been possible. I am truly grateful to him as a mentor. I would also like to acknowledge my committee members, Drs. Sylvia Read, Amy Wilson-Lopez, Scott Hunsaker, and María Luisa Spicer- Escalante, for their participation and deep commitment to this study. I greatly appreciate the enormous support and feedback that I have received from them. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Sue Kasun for her caring and scholarly insights that guided my intellectual inspirations and pursuits. I have always appreciated her guidance with this research and mentorship throughout my academic journey at USU. I also thank Dr. Spencer Clark for his critical advice and meaningful suggestions for this study. If not for the efforts of the fifth-grade teacher who let me observe her classroom, this study would not have been possible. I appreciate her willingness to share her teaching practices with me and patience throughout the whole research process. I admire her enthusiasm and passion for the classroom. To the TEAL family, my many thanks to you for your beautiful friendships and sharing in and out of the classroom. From my deepest heart, I am truly thankful for my family. My mother, Seok JungJa, and my sister, Lee HyeEn, they have been my greatest friends and supporters of my academic journey. I would also like to convey my gratitude to my parents-in-law, John Israelsen and Angela Israelsen, and all the Israelsen family, for their support and viii positive encouragement. Last, but not least, I wish to extent my deepest respect and love to my husband Justin Israelsen. Your unwavering encouragement and love gave me energy to continue on at the times I needed it most. I could not have weathered all these processes without your love and support—thank you. I will carry all these beautiful experiences and memories from my doctoral studies in my heart. HyeKyoung Lee ix CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... iii PUBLIC ABSTRACT ................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... x LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION, PROBLEM, AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............... 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement ........................................................................................... 7 A Narrowed Curriculum Focus ........................................................................ 9 Need for a Student-Centered Curriculum ......................................................... 11 A Critical Literacy Perspective for Social Studies ........................................... 13 Connections to Curriculum Standards for Civics ............................................