It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups constituents. This study investigated parents and childrens beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and b) the correspondence between parents and childrens beliefs about literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with 152 parents 38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children 18 male and 18 female). The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents responses and childrens answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents and childrens literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs.

Historical studies of the feminization of teaching have provided important additions to feminist understandings of teaching and education in general. However, most historical accounts of the feminization of teaching have absorbed the body. Teachers are presented as body-less entities. El cuerpo is ignored, passed over, and perhaps denied to the point of invisibility. The absence of the body in educational research is problematic. The purpose of this dissertation is to reveal the images of the body of the teacher in the history of the feminization of teaching HFT) texts and to illuminate the discursive impacts on the body of the teacher in HFT texts. Multiple epistemologies of the body provide a theoretical framework and analytical tool to highlight the often-ignored and marginalized body of the teacher. I draw on multiple research methods of deconstruction, genealogical analysis, and carnal metodologias to allow for images of the body to emerge and for discursive impacts on the body to surface. Four images of the body are discussed as possibilities: teacher as container, spatial organization of the teachers body, teachers body as performative, and resisting bodies. The implications of the study suggest a rethinking of the teachers body as a vessel of multiple possibilities and counter discourses, beginning in a revolutionary teacher education. Western and androcentric conceptions of educational spaces must be redefined in order to allow for new possibilities for teaching and learning. Unleashing the “unruly” passionate body of the teacher is a subversive act of contingency and critical transformative pedagogics. The study concludes with recommendations for further research intended to broaden the research scope of current educational inquiry. Suggestions for deeper examinations include a genealogical analysis of teaching and the teacher in order to problematize current educational discourses i.e., accountability, best practices, child centered, cooperative learning). Hybrid methodologies and examinations that center the body in current contexts could generate more discussion about the im)possibility to carry out liberatory/radical projects in the classroom. Examinations of how research impacts and is impacted by the body could illuminate the inter- intrarelationship that research has with the body.

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups constituents. This study investigated parents and childrens beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and b) the correspondence between parents and childrens beliefs about literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with 152 parents 38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children 18 male and 18 female). The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents responses and childrens answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents and childrens literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs.

Influenced by ongoing attention in the field of English Education to the multiple ways language is used to make meaning and to communicate, some teachers have adopted discussion models that promote natural conversations rather than question-and-answer sessions. Authentic classroom discussion may be achieved when teachers foster approaches that are more conversational than the predominant classroom interaction pattern of initiation-response-evaluation I-R-E). Authentic classroom discussions involve shared power among participants whereby students are encouraged to verbalize independent opinions and to affect the direction and discourse of the discussion. This study examined the complex discourse interactions impacting discussion in classrooms in which teachers attempt to share control with students. The overall goal of the study was to identify characteristics of discourse interactions in selected high school English classrooms in which teachers were explicitly attempting to engage students in authentic discussion of literary texts. To characterize the discourse patterns in these classrooms, the researcher focused data gathering and analysis on the congruence between participants assumptions and behaviors during discussions. Similarities and differences between semantic, syntactic, and turn taking patterns were examined, and analysis suggested ways that these patterns may impact implicit power structures in classrooms. Using qualitative methods, the researcher observed whole-class discussions of literary texts and interviewed teachers and students in order to compare participants behaviors during discussion with their beliefs about the goals and outcomes of class discussion. After conducting content analysis with the interview transcripts, the researcher conducted conversation analysis with the discussion transcripts. Finally, cross-case discourse analysis was conducted to examine rhetorical moves related to classroom interaction patterns including questioning, helping, correcting, directing, and attributing the agency or authority behind a contribution. Analysis suggested that teacher-directed interaction patterns were prevalent even in classrooms where authentic discussion behaviors, such as extended student-to-student interactions and participants challenges of each others ideas, were encouraged. The researcher proposed that teachers attempting to engage students in authentic discussion should consider their goals and methods for classroom discussion on a continuum between I-R-E sessions and natural conversation and should teach and model strategies for engaging in authentic discussion.

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups constituents. This study investigated parents and childrens beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and b) the correspondence between parents and childrens beliefs about literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with 152 parents 38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children 18 male and 18 female). The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents responses and childrens answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents and childrens literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs.

Influenced by ongoing attention in the field of English Education to the multiple ways language is used to make meaning and to communicate, some teachers have adopted discussion models that promote natural conversations rather than question-and-answer sessions. Authentic classroom discussion may be achieved when teachers foster approaches that are more conversational than the predominant classroom interaction pattern of initiation-response-evaluation I-R-E). Authentic classroom discussions involve shared power among participants whereby students are encouraged to verbalize independent opinions and to affect the direction and discourse of the discussion. This study examined the complex discourse interactions impacting discussion in classrooms in which teachers attempt to share control with students. The overall goal of the study was to identify characteristics of discourse interactions in selected high school English classrooms in which teachers were explicitly attempting to engage students in authentic discussion of literary texts. To characterize the discourse patterns in these classrooms, the researcher focused data gathering and analysis on the congruence between participants assumptions and behaviors during discussions. Similarities and differences between semantic, syntactic, and turn taking patterns were examined, and analysis suggested ways that these patterns may impact implicit power structures in classrooms. Using qualitative methods, the researcher observed whole-class discussions of literary texts and interviewed teachers and students in order to compare participants behaviors during discussion with their beliefs about the goals and outcomes of class discussion. After conducting content analysis with the interview transcripts, the researcher conducted conversation analysis with the discussion transcripts. Finally, cross-case discourse analysis was conducted to examine rhetorical moves related to classroom interaction patterns including questioning, helping, correcting, directing, and attributing the agency or authority behind a contribution. Analysis suggested that teacher-directed interaction patterns were prevalent even in classrooms where authentic discussion behaviors, such as extended student-to-student interactions and participants challenges of each others ideas, were encouraged. The researcher proposed that teachers attempting to engage students in authentic discussion should consider their goals and methods for classroom discussion on a continuum between I-R-E sessions and natural conversation and should teach and model strategies for engaging in authentic discussion.

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups constituents. This study investigated parents and childrens beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and b) the correspondence between parents and childrens beliefs about literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with 152 parents 38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children 18 male and 18 female). The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents responses and childrens answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents and childrens literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs.

Influenced by ongoing attention in the field of English Education to the multiple ways language is used to make meaning and to communicate, some teachers have adopted discussion models that promote natural conversations rather than question-and-answer sessions. Authentic classroom discussion may be achieved when teachers foster approaches that are more conversational than the predominant classroom interaction pattern of initiation-response-evaluation I-R-E). Authentic classroom discussions involve shared power among participants whereby students are encouraged to verbalize independent opinions and to affect the direction and discourse of the discussion. This study examined the complex discourse interactions impacting discussion in classrooms in which teachers attempt to share control with students. The overall goal of the study was to identify characteristics of discourse interactions in selected high school English classrooms in which teachers were explicitly attempting to engage students in authentic discussion of literary texts. To characterize the discourse patterns in these classrooms, the researcher focused data gathering and analysis on the congruence between participants assumptions and behaviors during discussions. Similarities and differences between semantic, syntactic, and turn taking patterns were examined, and analysis suggested ways that these patterns may impact implicit power structures in classrooms. Using qualitative methods, the researcher observed whole-class discussions of literary texts and interviewed teachers and students in order to compare participants behaviors during discussion with their beliefs about the goals and outcomes of class discussion. After conducting content analysis with the interview transcripts, the researcher conducted conversation analysis with the discussion transcripts. Finally, cross-case discourse analysis was conducted to examine rhetorical moves related to classroom interaction patterns including questioning, helping, correcting, directing, and attributing the agency or authority behind a contribution. Analysis suggested that teacher-directed interaction patterns were prevalent even in classrooms where authentic discussion behaviors, such as extended student-to-student interactions and participants challenges of each others ideas, were encouraged. The researcher proposed that teachers attempting to engage students in authentic discussion should consider their goals and methods for classroom discussion on a continuum between I-R-E sessions and natural conversation and should teach and model strategies for engaging in authentic discussion.

It has been reported that the cultural-historical experiences of ethnic group members can play a role in the literacy beliefs of those members. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence the belief system of the groups constituents. This study investigated parents and childrens beliefs pertaining to early literacy acquisition as related to the ethnicity and socioeconomic status SES) of the participants. The objectives were to determine a) the differential patterns regarding emergent literacy and traditional skills approaches as they interact with ethnicity and SES and b) the correspondence between parents and childrens beliefs about literacy acquisition. The study was conducted with 152 parents 38 low-income Hispanic, 38 middle-income Hispanic, 38 low-income African-American, and 38 middle-income African-American) and 36 of their 3-, 4-, or 5-year-old children 18 male and 18 female). The parents were asked to check those items with which they agreed on a survey that consisted of an equal number of items from the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy orientations. These responses were used to determine the differences and interaction by ethnicity and SES. The children responded to open-ended questions related to the instruction of reading and writing skills. The parents responses and childrens answers were compared to ascertain the matching parent-child dyads by ethnicity and SES. An item analysis was conducted to strengthen the internal reliability consistency coefficient of the traditional skills-based and emergent literacy scales as measured by the Cronbach Alpha. A two-way multivariate analysis of variance MANOVA) revealed a significant difference in traditional skill-based beliefs for the low-income African-American and Hispanic parents. There were no significant findings for the parents traditional skill based or emergent literacy beliefs based on ethnicity, for the interaction between ethnicity and SES, or for the relationship between parents and childrens literacy beliefs by ethnicity and SES. It can be concluded that low-income African-American and Hispanic parents believe in the traditional skills approach, indicating that these parents find it necessary for children to have sufficient school readiness skills prior to learning to read or write. In addition, the parent and child dyads had a strong tendency toward emergent literacy beliefs.

It has been proposed that special education teachers, who promote self-determination and link it to educational standards, help students with a disability succeed in school. The current school reform movement has focused on accountability through mandates such as the No Child Left Behind Act, 2001, and has emphasized participation in the general curriculum through amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IDEA) of 1997 and 2004. This study informs educators if educational setting, students type of disability, and subject area taught, influence teachers opinions about the importance of teaching components leading to self-determination and self-management. The research questions that drive this study are: 1) do secondary school teachers who instruct students with a disability think that self-determination components taught in the classroom will make an important difference in students school and later postsecondary achievements? and 2) does the type of classroom setting, students type of disability, or specific subject matter influence teachers opinions regarding the importance of teaching components related to self-determination and self-management? The collection and interpretation of data were done using descriptive and quantitative methods employing a teacher survey. The survey was administered to secondary teachers who instruct students with disabilities. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The sample consisted of 97 special education teachers currently teaching at the secondary level. The results of the study indicated that teachers believe that self-determination is important for both school life and post school life. However teachers thought these skills to be more important for post school success. Teachers believe that self-determination is more important than self-management skills. Type of disability, educational environment, and subject area were not significant factors.