Date of Award

1-1-2015

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning

Program

Reading

Content Description

1 online resource (xi, 205 pages)

Dissertation/Thesis Chair

Kelly Wissman

Committee Members

Cheryl Dozier, Peter Johnston

Keywords

American literature, English literature, High school students, Reader-response criticism, Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.), High schools, Books and reading

Subject Categories

Arts and Humanities | Reading and Language | Secondary Education

Abstract

Students’ perspectives on their high school reading experiences can provide great insight into the long term influence literature has in the lives of adolescents; however, students’ voices are seldom prioritized in the current research and in the conversations about curriculum and educational policy. This dissertation presents and analyzes the narratives of high school students nearing graduation as they reflect on the texts and social practices of English. The conceptual framework of this study is informed by Louise Rosenblatt’s transactional theory and Mikhail Bakhtin’s belief that an individual’s interaction with literature inspires rethinking and reevaluation of the reader’s “inconclusive present.”

Share

COinS