Education Commons^™

A Paradox Of Fact And Fiction: Cultivating The 'Literary Imagination' Through Quiet Rebellion, Eden A. Evans

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dissertation explores the problems that patterned and processed teaching and learning poses for implementing principles of critical pedagogy in English Literature courses. I apply multiple theoretical frameworks including literary theory, critical theory and post-humanism to place my own experiences amidst the on-going conversations about standardization and democracy. I draw upon the work of educational theorists such as Maxine Greene, Martha Nussbaum, Louise Rosenblatt, and Mary Aswell Doll to explore the ways that literature can enrich students’ lives and society, and Geneva Gay and Lisa Delpit to explore how cultural bias regarding linguistics can function when teaching literature and language …

Counternarratives Of Students With Dis/Abilities In One Rural School District, Christy M. Descartes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is an inquiry into the educational experience of students with dis/abilities who are excluded from the general education classroom in one rural Georgia school district. Theoretically my dissertation research builds on critical disability studies (Erevelles 2000, 2002, 2005, 2015; also Annamma 2018; Tremain 2005), critical geography (Harvey 2000; Helfenbein, Jr. 2004; Soja 1989, 2010), and curriculum studies (Maudlin 2008; Snowber 2016; Springgay & Freedman 2008; Swanson 2008). Methodologically building on counternarrative inquiry (Bell 1999; Delgado 1989; He & Ayers 2009; He & Ross 2015; He, Ross, & Seay 2015; Solórzano & Yosso 2002), art-based research (Barone & Eisner 2006; …

Culturally Contested Curriculum? African American Students And Classical Education, Mary E. Negley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a series of speculative essays that explore the intersections of classical education, African American education, and culturally responsive/relevant/sustaining pedagogy. For centuries, classical education dominated the educational scene, and even today many people consider it to be a paragon of learning. However, it contains elitist and outdated ideas. By recognizing the miseducation of Blacks in the United States and exploring the educational journeys of four prominent African Americans: Marva Collins (1936-2015), W. E. B. Du Bois (1868-1963), August Wilson (1945-2005), and Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950), I explore possibilities that classical education can be culturally empowering for African American …

Rey-Ifying A New Heroine: Interrogating The Curriculum Of Femininity In Star Wars Films, Rebekah S. Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Star Wars film trilogies are a cross-generational phenomenon. Due to its powerful and pervasive nature, the messages within Star War’s films must be problematized. As a cultural artifact, Star Wars was used to explore the representations of women across time and three generations. Using a conceptual framework based on cultural curriculum studies and feminist theory, this study explored the significance of Star Wars as gender text by interrogating the representations of women in the Star Wars film saga and what these representations teach about gender and femininity. By focusing on the themes of agency, empowerment, and identity, this work …

Cybernetics, Cyborgs, And Bionics, Oh My!!: Counterstories Of The Intersection Of Disability + Technology And Its Impact On Identities Of Adults With Disabilities, Ellen M. Hotchkiss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation inquiry, I explore the counternarratives of adults with disabilities relating to their identities and how their identities intersect and change with regards to technology and assistive technology. Theoretically building upon critical disability studies (Goodley, 2017; Davis, 2013, 2017; Erevelles, 2011) and posthumanism (Haraway, 1985/2016; Snaza & Weaver, 2015; Weaver, 2010) and methodologically drawing upon counternarrative or counterstories (Bamberg & Andrews, 2004; Carmona & Luschen, 2014; Delgado, 1989; Glenn, 2012; He & Phillion, 2008; He & Ross, 2012; Sandoval & Davis, 2008; Smith, 2006; Solazano & Yosso, 2002; Tuck, 2009), I explore the stories of seven participants with …

A Conspiracy To Resurrect Life And Social Justice In Science Curriculum With Henrietta Lacks: A Play, Dana Compton Mccullough

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a theoretical inquiry into alternative pedagogies that challenge current standardized practices in the field of science education. Building upon a wide array of work, such as philosophy and history of science (Haraway, 1989, 1991,1997, 2000, 2007; Harding 1991, 1998; Latour, 1987, 1991/1993, 1991; Rheinberger, 1992, 2010; Serres, 1982/2007,1991/1997, 2010/2012), curriculum studies and science curriculum (Appelbaum, 2001, 2010; Barone, 1990, 2000; Blades, 1997, 2001; Calabrese-Barton, 2003, 2011; Cartwright, 1999; Doll, 1993; Grumet, 1999; He, 2003,2008, 2009,2013; Lather, 1997,2007,2010; Schubert, 1986, 2009; Schwab, 1978; Weaver, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015); and playwriting (Brody, 2011; Innes, 2002; and Mighton, 1987, 1988), …

The Obama Effect On African American High School Males, Aundra Simmons Vaughn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

“Of all the challenges in education today, I can think of none greater than the challenge of motivating, educating, and empowering black male learners” (Kafele, 2012, p. 67). Research documents the struggles of African American males in society and education. There is concern among educators for role models for young people to emulate (Lines, 2001). To explore President Obama as a role model and the impact of his historic election on African American recent high school male graduates, a qualitative research study was used. A phenomenological design helped described the “essence” of the phenomenon— the election of an African American …

Dr. Eugene Grigsby's Connections To Art, African American Life In The South, And Social Justice Education: Implications For Art Education Curriculum, Reggie A. Stephens Mr.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

DR. EUGENE GRIGSBY’S CONNECTIONS TO ART, AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE IN THE SOUTH, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR ART EDUCATION CURRICULUM by REGINALD STEPHENS (Under the Direction of Dr. Sabrina Ross) ABSTRACT Building on concepts of double consciousness (Dubois, 1903/1994), the negative effects of a lack of visibility in curricula (Woodson, 2010), critical race theory, and the notion that artists’ lived experiences of oppression encourage actions and art that challenge injustice (Bey, 2011), this study sought to demonstrate that the lives and works of Black artists from the South in the early 20th Century are pedagogical. Inspired by the critical …

Casting Minority Gifted Students: The Pedagogical Impact Of Cinema On The Culture Of Schooling, Deborah F. Burnette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

African American students are significantly underrepresented in gifted education programs. This dissertation creates a space where gifted education, African American students, media literacy, and teacher perceptions intersect in the field of curriculum studies. Media literacy will be utilized to critique popular films by gifted endorsement teacher-students and myself. Due to the low number of states that require pre-service teachers to study gifted characteristics of children it is left up to gifted teacher endorsement programs to train teachers. By using media literacy to examine films in gifted teacher endorsement programs, I assert that the under-representation of African American students in the …

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Bronfenbrenner's Ecology Of Human Development, Carol Medders Denis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the norms associated with this condition in the United States have evolved over time. Culturally established beliefs control how the disorder is defined and treated. This study will explore the idea that ADHD is a socially constructed disorder that impacts multiple levels of society. These levels include the child, the family, the school, the medical community, and the advertising agencies. Social construction theory will be used to establish a framework for this study. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1977) system theory describing the ecology of human development will also be used to investigate the impact that different …

Curriculum Circus: Juggling Curriculum, Science, And The Arts, Domenica Devine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Education should open the door to better lives and better jobs. The fact is that it does not. In part, there are many causes including rigidity, political interference, and the separation between disciplines that we teach without context and without dialogue with our students. Specifically, I think that we should use education as a way to help students make better choices and have a better life. One way we can do it is by reconciling science with the other disciplines. And that is what is at the heart of curriculum studies.

There is a pervasive belief that the Western ideology …