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Teaching Tolerance in Language Arts for Student Awareness in Middle Schools

Elston, Amy Darr
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1396196165

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, Educational Leadership.
This qualitative study examined how students' awareness of tolerance varied depending on their school setting. In addition, the study focused on teachers' attitudes and perspectives about including elements of social justice in their seventh grade language arts curriculum. The setting of the study was representative of schools in rural, urban, and suburban settings in the Midwestern United States. Through the study, the researcher evaluated students' awareness of tolerance through the use of focus groups. In contrast, a semi-formal interview was used to gauge teachers' perspectives and attitudes in regards to teaching issues of tolerance in their seventh grade language arts classes. Transcriptions of the focus groups and interviews were analyzed, coded, and divided into themes to express the findings of the study. In addition to field notes, the researcher kept a journal to document personal responses to the experiences in each school. The findings of the study did not show substantial differences in the school settings and the students' knowledge and awareness of tolerance in most cases; however, the semi-structured interviews with the teachers displayed variance in the school settings and the teachers' attitudes and perspectives toward teaching tolerance. The findings showed that the teachers in a suburban setting were the most likely to address issues of tolerance in their seventh grade language arts curriculum. The implications for teaching are that educators must provide opportunities through their classroom curriculum for students to learn skills that will encourage them to become tolerant and accepting members of society.
Thomas Oldenski, SM, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Connie Bowman, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Frances Pestello, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Daniel Raisch, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
210 p.
Education; Language Arts; Middle School Education
tolerance; middle school; language arts; awareness; teaching; social justice; curriculum

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Elston, A. D. (2014). Teaching Tolerance in Language Arts for Student Awareness in Middle Schools [Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1396196165

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Elston, Amy. Teaching Tolerance in Language Arts for Student Awareness in Middle Schools. 2014. University of Dayton, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1396196165.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Elston, Amy. "Teaching Tolerance in Language Arts for Student Awareness in Middle Schools." Doctoral dissertation, University of Dayton, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1396196165

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

dayton1396196165
6,050
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Dayton and OhioLINK.