Exploring the Nature, Institution, Discourse, and Affinity Identities of Developmental College ...

380 Pages·2017·5.97 MB·English

Reading Their Stories: Exploring the Nature, Institution, Discourse, and Affinity
Identities of Developmental College Readers through a Narrative Lens
by

Kimberly Sue Fountain Jones

A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
Auburn University
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

Auburn, Alabama
August 5, 2017

Keywords: narrative research, reading identity, self-efficacy
community college, developmental education, Discourses

Copyright 2017 by Kimberly Sue Fountain Jones

Approved by

Carey Andrzejewski, Co-chair, Associate Professor of Educational Foundations
Brandon Sams, Co-chair, Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Teaching
Emily Friedman, Associate Professor of English
Victoria Cardullo, Assistant Professor of Curriculum & Teaching
Abstract

Higher education is facing a challenge with as many as 60% of entering students
at community colleges testing into one or more developmental level classes each year
(Bailey & Cho, 2010, p. 46). This is a crisis that impacts economics, graduation rates, and
student morale. The study of students’ perceptions of themselves and their educational
history has been neglected in research. In fact, research on community college in general
is lacking in higher education research. In order to add needed depth to this conversation,
this qualitative study examined the reading identity of students placed into developmental
reading at a community college in the Southeast. Tools for analysis included James Gee’s
(1996/2000) ideas of Discourses and his four ways to view identity through Institution,
Nature, Discourse, and Affinity. The researcher interviewed six women who had
completed the developmental reading course sequence to gather their stories of reading
throughout their lives. The researcher then restoried these interviews into fictionalized
narratives to explore the issues of power, identity, pedagogy, culture, family, and friends
as those pertain to their reading identities. In the discussion of these narratives, the
researcher explored concepts such as mindset, mushfake, self-efficacy, boundary
crossing, and melancholy, all of which affected at least some of these women throughout
their reading lives. The researcher also questioned what effective and ineffective
pedagogy seemed to be influential for these readers, including student-selected texts,
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reading aloud, and purposeful engagement with texts. The researcher called for a
curricular change in reading.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is dedicated to my family. I can never adequately express my love and
gratitude for the sacrifices that Katarina, Russell, and Dean made to help me fulfill my
educational goals. Being a full time teacher, student, and mother is no easy feat, and I feel
the need to acknowledge all the women in academia who perform miracles of
motherhood every day and all of those local mothers who helped fill in when I fell short.
I also must thank my partner in educational crime, Latasha Hamilton Warner. She was
the impetus for starting this journey, and she was also the spur that pricked my intent to
keep me moving forward. Thank you to my colleagues in K-12 and Higher Education
who always had an encouraging word, especially Doss Buckalew, MSWord wrangler
extraordinaire. I would be remiss if I did not thank the literally thousands of students
whom I have taught over the last 25 years. All of you have written a page in my story,
and I am honored to have shared a few of your stories in this research. I would also like
to thank my professors at Auburn University who had faith that I could indeed complete
this sometimes seemingly insurmountable task, including, but not limited to: the late
Barbara Ash, Alyson Whyte, Brandon Sams, Carey Andrzejewski, Emily Friedman,
Victoria Cardullo, Joni Lakin, Bruce Murray, Derek Ross, and Ivan Watts. I also need to
thank God for giving me the strength and fortitude needed to get through this process
with grace. Without any of you, this research would never have come to fruition. Thank
you.
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Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii 
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv 
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... xv 
Chapter One - Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 
Problem Statement ...........................................................................................................2 
Statement of Purpose .......................................................................................................3 
Research Questions ..........................................................................................................3 
Significance of Study: ......................................................................................................4 
Theoretical Framework: ...................................................................................................4 
Narrative ..........................................................................................................................5 
Narrative as Self Identity. ........................................................................................... 5 
Narrative in the Audit Culture and as Voice for the Voiceless. .................................. 6 
Narrative as Analysis of Typology. ............................................................................ 7 
Identity .............................................................................................................................8 
Literacy of Situation and Discursive Identities. .......................................................... 8 
v
Data Collection Process ...................................................................................................9 
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................11 
Concerns and Questions .................................................................................................12 
Chapter Two - Methodology Theoretical Framework ...................................................... 13 
Narrative Theory ............................................................................................................15 
Narrative. .................................................................................................................. 15 
Narrative as Self Identity .......................................................................................... 15 
Narrative in Audit Culture and as Voice for the Voiceless. ..................................... 16 
Narrative as Analysis of Typology ........................................................................... 18 
Burke’s Dramatist Pentad ..............................................................................................19 
Identity Theory ..............................................................................................................22 
Table 2.1 ........................................................................................................................26 
Perceptions of Developmental Community College Students .......................................29 
Struggling Readers and Literacy Identity ......................................................................38 
Summary ........................................................................................................................48 
Chapter 3 - Methods.......................................................................................................... 51 
Statement of Purpose .....................................................................................................51 
Research Questions ........................................................................................................52 
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Rationale ........................................................................................................................53 
Qualitative Methodology. ......................................................................................... 53 
Narrative Credibility. ................................................................................................ 53 
Narrative Research. ................................................................................................... 55 
Research Setting and Participants ..................................................................................56 
Data Collection ..............................................................................................................58 
Data Analysis .................................................................................................................62 
Table 3.1 ........................................................................................................................63 
Table 3.2 ........................................................................................................................65 
Table 3.3 ........................................................................................................................69 
Limitations .....................................................................................................................70 
Bridling ..........................................................................................................................71 
Chapter 4 - Findings.......................................................................................................... 74 
Table 4.1 ........................................................................................................................75 
Table 4.2 ........................................................................................................................76 
Maneta’s Story .................................................................................................................. 77 
Table 4.3 ........................................................................................................................78 
Maneta’s Early Childhood Narrative .............................................................................78 
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Analysis of Maneta’s Early Childhood Narrative. .................................................... 80 
Maneta’s Secondary School Narrative One ...................................................................82 
Analysis of Maneta’s Secondary School Narrative One. .......................................... 82 
Maneta’s Secondary School Narrative Two ..................................................................83 
Analysis of Maneta’s Secondary School Narrative Two .......................................... 85 
Maneta’s Adulthood Narrative One ...............................................................................85 
Analysis of Maneta’s Adulthood Narrative One. ..................................................... 87 
Maneta’s College Narrative One ...................................................................................87 
Analysis of Maneta’s College Narrative One. .......................................................... 90 
Maneta’s College Narrative Two ...................................................................................90 
Analysis of Maneta’s College Narrative Two. ......................................................... 92 
Summary of Analyses of Maneta’s Narratives and Further Contemplation ..................92 
Rebecca’s Story ................................................................................................................ 94 
Table 4.4 ........................................................................................................................95 
Rebecca’s Early Childhood Narrative ...........................................................................95 
Analysis of Rebecca’s Early Childhood Narrative. .................................................. 96 
Rebecca’s Secondary School Narrative One .................................................................96 
Analysis of Rebecca’s Secondary School Narrative One. ........................................ 97 
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Rebecca’s Secondary School Narrative Two .................................................................98 
Analysis of Rebecca’s Secondary School Narrative Two. ....................................... 98 
Summary of Analyses of Rebecca’s Narratives and Further Contemplation ................99 
Carrie’s Story .................................................................................................................. 100 
Table 4.5 ......................................................................................................................101 
Carrie’s Early Childhood Narrative .............................................................................101 
Analysis of Carrie’s Early Childhood Narrative. .........................................................103 
Carrie’s Secondary School Narrative ..........................................................................103 
Analysis of Carrie’s Secondary School Narrative. ................................................. 104 
Summary of Analyses of Carrie’s Narrative and Further Contemplation ...................104 
Rameka’s Story ............................................................................................................... 106 
Table 4.6 ......................................................................................................................107 
Rameka’s Early Childhood Narrative ..........................................................................107 
Analysis of Rameka’s Early Childhood Narrative. ................................................. 108 
Rameka’s Secondary School Narrative .......................................................................109 
Analysis of Rameka’s Secondary School Narrative. .............................................. 110 
Summary of Analyses of Rameka’s Narratives and Further Contemplation ...............111 
Brenda’s Story ................................................................................................................ 113 
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Table 4.7 ......................................................................................................................114 
Brenda’s Early Childhood Narrative ...........................................................................114 
Analysis of Brenda’s Early Childhood Narrative ................................................... 115 
Brenda’s Secondary School Narrative .........................................................................116 
Analysis of Brenda’s Secondary School Narrative ................................................. 117 
Brenda’s Adulthood Narrative .....................................................................................118 
Analysis of Brenda’s Adulthood Narrative Three .................................................. 119 
Summary of Analyses of Brenda’s Narratives and Further Contemplation ................119 
Takeya’s Story ................................................................................................................ 121 
Table 4.8 ......................................................................................................................122 
Takeya’s Early Childhood Narrative ...........................................................................122 
Analysis of Takeya’s Early Childhood Narrative. .................................................. 124 
Takeya’s Adulthood Narrative .....................................................................................124 
Analysis of Takeya’s Adulthood Narrative ............................................................ 124 
Summary of Analyses of Takeya’s Narratives and Further Contemplation ................125 
Chapter Five .................................................................................................................... 126 
Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 126 
Reflections on Community Colleges ...........................................................................126 
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