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"My voice is me": Using currere to explore international students' constructions of voice and identity in a new language and culture

Edwards, Jennifer Flory

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Educational Leadership.
Each year since 2015, more than one million international students have attended colleges and universities in the United States. More than one-third of these students come from China (Institute of International Education, 2019). Although these students bring a wealth of cultural diversity to classes and communities, they often face challenges related to linguistic differences. The purpose of this dissertation was to seek a clearer understanding of Chinese international students' perspectives on developing voice and identity through their academic experiences in a new language and culture. More specifically, this study is guided by two key questions: (1) How do first-year international Chinese students develop a writing voice in a non-native language? and (2) What is the relationship between the development of writing voice and identity? The objective was to understand the unique narratives of three Chinese first-year international students' experiences at an American university. Situated within an interpretivist discourse of research, this study adapted Pinar's (1976) method of currere to make sense of participants' narratives. The narratives in this study explore how English language learners learn, relate, and identify differently over time and space as they experience different roles, contexts, and interactions. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews/conversations that were supported by observations, correspondence, and writing samples. The findings of this study echo much of the extant literature relating to the development of writing voice, and they extend the research through a number of unique contributions relating to identity, context, and the use of currere, resulting in implications for practice and research. I am hopeful that readers of this study will gain a greater understanding of the relationship between international students' constructions of writing voice and identity while situated in a foreign culture and consider a broader definition of curriculum in relation to inclusion and language learning.
Thomas Poetter, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Denise Baszile, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Joel Malin, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Brian Schultz, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
144 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Edwards, J. F. (2021). "My voice is me": Using currere to explore international students' constructions of voice and identity in a new language and culture [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1617633374773987

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Edwards, Jennifer. "My voice is me": Using currere to explore international students' constructions of voice and identity in a new language and culture. 2021. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1617633374773987.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Edwards, Jennifer. ""My voice is me": Using currere to explore international students' constructions of voice and identity in a new language and culture." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1617633374773987

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)