Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations Department of Middle and Secondary Education Spring 5-16-2015 Teachers' navigation of policy context: Plotting the course for balance between conviction and reform Linda James Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/mse_diss Recommended Citation James, Linda, "Teachers' navigation of policy context: Plotting the course for balance between conviction and reform." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2015. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/mse_diss/9 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Middle and Secondary Education at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Middle and Secondary Education Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ACCEPTANCE This dissertation, TEACHERS’ NAVIGATION OF POLICY CONTEXT: PLOTTING THE COURSE FOR BALANCE BETWEEN CONVICTION AND REFORM, by LINDA JAMES, was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s Dissertation Advisory Committee. It is accepted by the committee members in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor of Philosophy, in the College of Education, Georgia State University. The Dissertation Advisory Committee and the student’s Department Chairperson, as representatives of the faculty, certify that this dissertation has met all standards of excellence and scholarship as determined by the faculty. The Dean of the College of Education concurs. _________________________________ Amy Seely Flint, Ph.D. Committee Chair _____________________________ _________________________________ Michelle Zoss, Ph.D. Mona Matthews, Ph.D Committee Member Committee Member _________________________________ Peggy Albers, Ph.D. Committee Member _________________________________ Date _________________________________________ Gertrude Tinker Sachs, Ph.D. Chairperson, Department of Middle and Secondary Education _________________________________ Paul Alberto, Ph.D Dean, College of Education ii AUTHOR’S STATEMENT By presenting this dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for the advanced degree from Georgia State University, I agree that the library of Georgia State University shall make it available for inspection and circulation in accordance with its regulations governing materials of this type. I agree that permission to quote, to copy from, or to publish this dissertation may be granted by the professor under whose direction it was written, by the College of Education’s Director of Graduate Studies, or by me. Such quoting, copying, or publishing must be solely for scholarly purposes and will not involve potential financial gain. It is understood that any copying from or publication of this dissertation, which involves potential financial gain, will not be allowed without my written permission. NAME ii NOTICE TO BORROWERS All dissertations deposited in the Georgia State University library must be used in accordance with the stipulations prescribed by the author in the preceding statement. The author of this dissertation is: Linda C. James 4635 Blue Ridge Road Morganton, GA 30345 The director of this dissertation is: Dr. Amy Seely Flint Department of MSE College of Education Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303 ii CURRICULUM VITAE Linda James EDUCATION: Ph.D. 2015 Georgia State University Language and Literacy Masters Degree 2009 Nova Southeastern University Teaching and Learning Bachelors Degree 2007 Mercer University Early Childhood Education PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 2007-present Teacher Morganton County School System 1993-2005 Teacher/Director Casa Montessori School PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS: Flint, A., Anderson, N., Allen, E., Campbell, T., Fraser, I., Hilaski, D., James, L., Rodriguez, ii S., Thornton, N., (2011). When policies collide with conviction: Educators striving to overcome obstacles in the face of adversity . Language Arts Journal of Michigan . Flint, A., Anderson, N., Allen, E., Campbell, T., Fraser, I., Hilaski, D., James, L., Rodriguez, S., Thornton, N., (November, 2011). When policies collide with conviction: Educators striving to overcome obstacles in the face of adversity. Keynote presentation at the NCTE conference, Chicago, IL. PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES AND ORGANIZATIONS 2012 National Council of Teachers of English ii Teachers’ Navigation of Policy Context: Plotting the Course for Balance Between Conviction and Reform by Linda James Under the Direction of Amy Seely Flint ABSTRACT This study examined an aspect of educational policy that has on the whole, been neglected in the extensive sum of research conducted on the topic. Specifically, it sought to investigate the ways in which elementary teachers navigate and negotiate the policy context in which they work and teach. The framework for this study examined the mediated constructs of teacher practices in politically restrictive environments through the theoretical lenses of symbolic interactionism and critical pedagogy. Symbolic interactionism was used to interpret the actions, both individual and social, of the participants as they discussed the ways in which they cope with educational policies and the impact on them as individuals and as educators. Critical pedagogy was employed to investigate issues of power, and how this power affected those navigating educational policies. (Freire, 1970). The participants in this study were three early childhood teachers; all with a vast ii amount of teaching experiences. Qualitative interview data (Seidman, 2013) was collected to understand and report the philosophical and social constructs that served as a catalyst for the meaning-making process behind educational policies and the ways in which teachers understand and implement them into classroom practice. Constant comparative analysis was used to identify codes and later, categories as they emerged through a comparison of the data. In addition, discourse analysis; specifically Gee’s (2011) seven building tasks were applied to identify the ways in which power was exercised daily in schools, classrooms, and in the politically charged realm of education. Findings reveal that boundaries separating one’s home life from one’s teaching life are nonexistent, as well as a lack of humanness present in the current teaching environment creates a sense of despondency by the participants as they reflect on how their own agency as educators is placed into the hands of policy makers. Moreover, a critical need exists to build relationships between policy makers and teachers as both groups continue to work and move forward for the positive advancement of students and teachers. INDEX WORDS: Educational policy, Accountability, No Child Left Behind, Policy context ii TEACHERS’ NAVIGATION OF POLICY CONTEXT: PLOTTING THE COURSE FOR BALANCE BETWEEN CONVICTION AND REFORM by Linda C. James A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Teaching and Learning in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education in the College of Education Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 2015 Copyright by: Linda C. James 2015 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to all teachers who sacrifice themselves daily as they champion the cause for their students. You have my most heart-felt love, honor, and appreciation for all you have done and will do for students no matter the cost to yourselves. Remember, we are all rewarded for the service we do to others in this life. It is my ardent prayer that even after leaving the confines of the classroom, I never forget nor become far removed from what it’s like to live and be you. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I feel like another person looking in on my own life as I near the end of this journey that at times seemed as if it may get the proverbial ‘best of me’. One could never emerge on the other side of such an experience the same as when they went in. I am so thankful for every word of support and encouragement from friends, co-workers, and family. I will be forever grateful to my committee members: Dr. Amy Seely Flint, Dr. Peggy Albers, Dr. Mona Matthews, and Dr. Michelle Zoss. Each of you throughout this process have provided me with advice and words of wisdom that have served me in multiple capacities more than you will ever know. My studies as a doctoral student have forever changed me because of you. Dr. Flint, for the barrage of weekend e-mails, random notes in my writing, being the lead in my first publication, and helping me to do, say and write things I never knew I could, I thank you. You are indeed the epitome of a true mentor and teacher…always uplifting the positive and quietly whittling away at the things needing refining. I am thankful to my husband Randy, who has for twelve years supported me in my endeavor to continue learning and bettering myself. From building projects while I was an undergraduate, to learning to become quite an efficient cook during my doctoral years, to figuring out ways to come up with tuition funds, he has allowed me to put my studies first and him second for a very long time. I am just so thankful for all the times he has championed my cause, and I will miss his now famous line, “Shouldn’t you be doing school work?” To my mother and the ultimate role model of how to succeed in the face of adversity, I thank you for all the times you rallied me on when I was tired, for all the times you’ve bragged on me to anyone who would listen, and for all the prayers you’ve submitted on my behalf, I love and thank you. To my daughter, Lindsay, I pray with all my heart that my studies have never detracted from being your mom. I hope that you recognize through my journey the things in life worth having are also the things worth working for. You have and always will be the apple of my eye and I pray your educational endeavors impart to you the same number of learning experiences mine have for me. The end is more than a fancy piece of paper; it’s evidence of your personal commitment and fortitude to the things you hold dear.