Date of Award

2017

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Gerri August

Abstract

The purpose of this participatory action research study was to explore teachers’ adoption or avoidance of critical literacy pedagogy in their preschool classroom. This two-year study was conducted at a small New England public preschool. Six veteran special education teachers participated in this study. The participants contributed to bi-weekly meetings, individual journals, and interviews. All data was analyzed using critical discourse analysis.

This study documents how some teachers embrace LGBTQ texts while others avoided these texts completely. This study also documents the tensions that can arise when taking on socially risky texts or critically analyzing these topics. This study examined teachers’ views on previously constructed social schemas or figured worlds, focusing on family structure, race, gender roles, and cultural differences. The evidence provided by this study is useful to researchers and educators as they seek to understand critical literacy perceptions as viewed through teachers’ own words and writings. It provides a framework for administrators in implementing critical literacy professional development. Also, it gives administrators tools and information on how teachers can approach bullying issues through critical literacy. This study concludes that critical literacy is not easily adopted amongst all educators, but is necessary to create democratic classroom settings.

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