Advisory Committee Chair
Lynn D Kirkland
Advisory Committee Members
James M Ernest
Jenna M Lachenaye
Kathleen A Martin
Marilee M Ranson
Susan Spezzini
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2016
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
Educating those who speak languages other than English is one of the biggest conundrums in education today, and literacy acquisition is relevant as more Emergent Bilinguals (EBs) enter public schools each year. For those EBs who struggle with family disruptions and literacy, the problem is even more profound. There is a gap in the literature concerning academic outcomes due to family disruptions. The purpose of this narrative case study was to describe the life experience of a 12th-grade, Hispanic, bilingual student classified as learning disabled in elementary school who was not literate in her native language or the English language, understand her individual experience in dynamic relation to people, places, and things inside of the school setting, and investigate how the disruptions in the student’s life impacted her literacy. Furthermore, the study highlighted the use of best practices for primary grade literacy instruction adapted to teach a secondary level student who had not learned to read. Recognizing a child’s experience and using this knowledge to enlighten practice empowers the child to engage in the struggle for her own learning and language acquisition (Freire, 1970). The study was conducted using qualitative methodology as it lends itself to exploring personal experiences and their meaning for the individual in particular in regard to the case study (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Creswell, 2013, Yin, 2014). As the study was driven by the underpinnings of social constructivism, it was constructivist by its nature. As I developed the narrative, I constructed knowledge through interactions with the participant and through interviews with stakeholders in her life. Key findings include the educational influences on her learning, in particular, ineffective literacy practices and lack of literacy training, confusion determining language acquisition difficulties, and effective literacy practices. Other findings include socioemotional influences manifested through teacher and student relationships and peer relationships. Finally, the effects of family disruptions especially moves and trauma are significant.
Recommended Citation
Newton, Allison Berst, "Behind but not Forgotten: It is Never too Late to Learn" (2016). All ETDs from UAB. 2581.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/2581