Dissertation Abstract

The Dynamics of Literacy Acquisition and Learning: Focusing on Gifted Learners in a Language Arts Collaborative Class

This case-study research focuses on the dynamics of literacy acquisition and learning in a language arts-art collaborative class addressing the curricular needs eighth-grade students identified as gifted and/or highly motivated. Basing the curricular design on the social situatedness of literacies, three teacher research participants developed a framework for exploring literacies first from student research participants' personal perspectives, then extending observations and explorations to other diverse cultures. Data include written texts, art pieces, dialogic interviews, reflective journal entries, class discussions and observations, and audio/videotapes. All provide descriptive information that served as a basis for analyses addressing questions related to explaining the dynamics that impact doing writing. Conclusions indicate that curricular design based on relevant, purposeful questions provides cohesiveness, consequently promoting effective literacy instruction. Attention to instructional scaffolding with particular emphasis on teacher-student collaboration emerges as a fundamental framework for developing appropriately challenging differentiation in literacy acquisition and learning--beyond minimal proficiencies.

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