Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Philosophy (Ph.D)

Department

Education Specialties

First Advisor

Kristin Anderson

Second Advisor

Lisa Bajor

Third Advisor

Michael Sampson

Abstract

Contemporary society consists of emerging globalization where students will face global issues and will be expected to think critically in the professional realm. However, critical literacy and global literacy are often largely ignored in the rural high school ELA classroom where fewer cultural opportunities exist and less diversity is evident (Riley, 2015). The purpose of this study was to address a significant need for understanding the strengths and weaknesses of implementing a critical global curricular framework in a rural high school ELA classroom. Additionally, this study aimed to uncover both student and teacher perspectives regarding this implementation as well as its effectiveness. This research is framed in Barton & Hamiltion’s (2000) critical theory that learning must be hands on, Fosnot’s (2005) constructivism theory describing a classroom as a mini society, and Hettne & Soderbaum’s (2014) social global theory emphasizing the unification of cultures. Further, this mixed methods research approach includes an exploratory sequential design with three phases; the participants included 12th grade ELA students and teachers in one rural school district in the eastern United States. The qualitative research phase included the implementation of a critical global curriculum with the collection of student journal data and field notes obtained from teacher meetings. The second quantitative phase involved administering the Global Perspectives Inventory (GPI) before and after curriculum implementation to determine effectiveness of curriculum, and a final phase combined qualitative and quantitative research to determine the strengths and weakness as well as the overall effectiveness of a critical global curriculum in the rural high school ELA classroom. Results from this research offer the potential to guide future research in practical models for critical global curriculum across all landscapes in secondary education as well as a resource for the implementation of a critical global curriculum in rural high school ELA classrooms.

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