CARE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN TEACHERS Jennifer Lynn Hauver James, Doctor of Philosophy ...

312 Pages·2006·0.64 MB·English

ABSTRACT

Title of Dissertation: CARE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN TEACHERS

Jennifer Lynn Hauver James, Doctor of Philosophy, 2006

Dissertation directed by: Professor Jeremy Price
Department of Curriculum and Instruction

This is a study of care in the lives of six women elementary school teachers. It
expands and challenges some of the dominant constructs of care found in the literature
that often underplay the dynamic of context, gendered identity and power in the making
of caring pedagogies. I chose narrative inquiry as a means to study because I was
particularly interested in exploring how these women understand and experience care in
their lives as teachers. This approach looks to the three-dimensional space of experience
as a source of knowledge and understanding. The pedagogies of care held by these six
women reflect their needs to care in particular ways: They see themselves as self-
sacrificing, they see care as an isolated act, and they believe they need to look to the
authority of others to validate their knowledge and experience. I assert that these
understandings of care are informed by dominant patriarchal discourses about
womanhood and caring that contribute to their enactments of care as teachers. Through
these enactments, I believe these women are unknowingly complicit in the devaluation of
their voices and experiences. The culture of the school contributes to these
understandings in complex ways. There seems to be a dynamic relationship
between these teachers’ ability to free themselves from the determination of others and
their ability to care for students. I posit that if pedagogies of care are to meet the needs of
students and at the same time empower women teachers to name themselves as gendered
beings, they will need to be more authentic, critical, collective and inclusive than those
explored here. This study complicates traditional constructs of care by drawing on the
voice and experience of these women. The findings significantly contribute toward
conversations at the intersection of pedagogy and gendered identities. As such, it raises
critical questions about how contexts shape our life experience and the meanings we
make of that experience as women and as teachers.
CARE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN TEACHERS

by
Jennifer Lynn Hauver James

Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy.
2006

Advisory Committee:
Professor Jeremy Price, Chair
Professor Francine Hultgren
Professor Elizabeth Marshall
Professor Joseph McCaleb
Professor Linda Valli
Copyright by
Jennifer Lynn Hauver James
2006
This work is dedicated to the many bold and beautiful
women in my life, as we work together for the freedom
to name our places in the world.

ii
Acknowledgements

I would like to acknowledge the many people who have helped me reach
this long-awaited goal. First, to my husband and best friend, who has
sacrificed so much to support me throughout the entire process of course-
taking, researching, writing and defending, thank you for always believing
in me. Also to my daughters, Sarah and Grace, for all the “Mommy time”
you have willingly (and unwillingly) given for “Mommy work time.” I
pray someday you may look upon this accomplishment with pride as I do
today. To my very good friend, Stephanie Fillman, who has been a
confidant, a crutch, a caregiver, an editor and a sounding-board—words
cannot express my gratitude. To my cousin, Elizabeth Hull, and my
friend, Jennifer Cassata, for your willingness to help me puzzle out ideas
and your attention to detail, thank you. To the six women who opened
your hearts and lives to me, I am forever indebted to you. I only hope that
the sense I have made of your experiences will contribute to greater
understandings for us all. To my advisor and friend, Dr. Jeremy Price,
who has helped open my eyes to this fascinating world of meaning-
making, thank you. Thanks also for your unending patience, support and
belief in my potential as a scholar. To my committee, for your
encouragement throughout this process, your thoughtful contributions to
our conversations of care, and your open doors, thank you. To my sister-
in-law, Kimberly Ashberry, without whose loving care of my children I
could never have turned my full attention to this work, thank you for the
gifts you have given—peace of mind and a happy heart. And finally, to
my parents, who instilled in me a love of learning and a belief that I could
accomplish whatever I set in my sights, I did it!

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………vi

Noddings’ Quote……………………………………………………………………….vii

CHAPTER ONE: THE STUDY…………….………..……..…………………..………1
Goals of the Study……………………………………………………………….3
Who am I?……………………………………………………………………….9
Narrative Inquiry as Phenomenological Tradition……………………………..12
The Six Women…………………………………………………………………15
Summary………………………………………………………………………..30

CHAPTER TWO: CONVERSATIONS IN LITERATURE..…………………..……..34
Caring Professionals……………………………………………………………35
Critical Feminist Contributions…………………………………………………42
Contradictions in Care………………………………………………………….51
Teacher Identity Development…………………………………………………58
Care in the Lives of Teachers…………………………………………………..66

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY………………………………..……………..69
Narrative Inquiry as Method……………………………………………………70
Research Context……………………………………………………………….75
Studying the Familiar…………………………………………………………..83
Methods of Data Collection………………………………………….…………85
Analysis: Interpreting Meaning and Significance………………….…………..92
Issues of Validity and Generalization…………………….………….…………97
Research for Whom?………………………………………………….………..98

CHAPTER FOUR: CARING AS WOMEN..…………………………….…………..101
Elizabeth Braslav…………………………………………………….………..103
Mary Ackerman……………………………………………………….………113
Ella Mitchell…………………………….…………………………………….124
Ava Tsadik…………………………………………………………….………129
Sarah Rodriguez……………………………………………………….………136
Kathy Dressler…………………………………………………….…………..147
Discussion……………………………………………………….…………….153
Summary………………………………………………………………………158

iv
CHAPTER FIVE: CARING AS TEACHERS.………………………………………..160
Elizabeth Braslav………………………………………………………………162
Mary Ackerman……………………………………………………………….167
Ella Mitchell…………………………………………………………………..173
Ava Tsadik……………………………………………………………………178
Sarah Rodriguez……………………………………………………………….183
Kathy Dressler…………………………………………………………………188
Discussion……………………………………………………………………..192
Summary………………………………………………………………………203

CHAPTER SIX: CARING IN CONTEXT..………………………………………….205
Relationships with Administrators……………………………………………205
Discussion…………………………………………………………………….220
Shared Vision…………………………………………………………………223
Struggling with the Vision……………………………………………………233
Discussion…………………………………………………………………….242
Professional Climate………………………………………………………….245
Discussion…………………………………………………………………….254
Summary…………………….………………………………………………..257

CHAPTER SEVEN: CARE IN THE LIVES OF WOMEN TEACHERS..………..…258
Marginalization as Women……………………………………………………258
Recasting Pedagogies of Care…………………………………………………267
Implications……………………………………………………………………275
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..277

APPENDICES………………………………………………………………………… 279
A: Informed Consent Form for Participating Teachers…………………..……280
B: Informed Consent Form for Principal………………………………………282
C: Informed Consent Form for Professional Development Leaders…………..284
D: Interview Protocol—Initial Interview with Teachers………………….…..286
E: Interview Protocol—Monthly Interviews with Teachers…………….….…287
F: Interview Protocol—Post-Observation Interviews with Teachers……..…..288
G: Interview Protocol—Principal Interview………………………………..…289
H: Interview Protocol—Professional Development Leader Interview….….…290
J: Example of Concept Web (Inspiration Software)………………………..…291

REFERENCES..…………………………………………..………………………..…..292

v
LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Subsidiary Research Questions…………………..……………..….………….15

Table 2: Background Information on Participants……………..…………………...…..16

Table 3: Aspects of Student Growth Said to Need Care…….……………….…………41

Table 4: Data Collection Matrix…………………………………..………….……..…..92

vi
When I care, I really hear, see or feel what the other tries to convey.
I want to respond in a way that furthers the other’s purpose of project…
I am seized by the needs of another.
(Noddings, 1992, p. 16)

vii