This study looks at the ways in which middle schooling initiatives (particularly notions such as 'authentic pedagogy') are impacting on teachers' pedagogic choices and practices especially in the area of literacy teaching. There has been no research to date which explores the linkages between curriculum/school reform such as proposed in middle schooling initiatives and choices/practices demonstrated by teachers caught up in this initiative in particular schools. My research attempts to theorise the connection between crucial features of middle school reform, teacher decisions and practices in the classroom and their impact on students' own learning/adolescent literacies. I assume that if the reform is to have continuity and to contribute to higher levels of adolescent engagement and deep learning, it needs to support and facilitate certain kinds of decisions and practices in the school and classroom environments. Where I find evidence of engagement, sustained/substantial conversation across lessons, within lessons and 'deep learning' in transdisciplinary work by students, then it is fair to say that middle schooling is working for students and teachers. Where I find little or no evidence of these things, then it is necessary to apply a critical and constructive reading of reform initiatives. This critical and constructive reading attempts to outline the necessary and sufficient conditions which must be in place in schools if middle schooling is to thrive and to make the difference in young peoples' school lives it claims to make. My research is a contribution to the sustained and substantial conversation that is so necessary to middle schooling reform. Many previous studies surrounding middle schooling have remained at the level of "description". These commentaries either support or oppose the reform initiative. In making a commitment to move beyond description, generated by participant observation and ethnographic conversations, to also involve extensive D/discourse analysis (Gee, 1999; Bernstein, 1990) of pedagogic practice, this thesis sought to develop an awareness of the notion of authentic literacy pedagogy through close analysis of pedagogic choice enacted in three middle school homerooms. A further significance lies in the perspectives that it offers on adolescent literacies. The data collected raised questions about the "actual" impact of the middle school reform initiative at one school, Riverside', how this approach to schooling for young adolescents impacts on the way that teachers and students construct literacies; and whether or not these constructions are mindful of the range of those "private" and "public" literacies found in the multiple life-worlds of adolescents (Phelps, 1998). It challenges some "myths" about literacy pedagogic transformation linked to middle schooling, as well as, highlights those factors, both physical and intrinsic, that impact on reform initiatives and change. Acknowledgement of the need to engage in a theorisation of adolescent literacies that moves beyond the current narrow macro-level D/discourse agenda, which focuses on the "public" school-based literacies, also emerged. This highlights those tensions that exist between the macro, meso and micro educational environments when considering what it means to be "literate" for young adolescents. The study also highlights those disjunctions and tensions found within the progressivist middle school approach. As a result there are a number of implications that emerge. These are linked to the preparation of pre-service teachers; a concern for the physical/material landscape of middle schools; the establishment of Learning Circles as critical in creating the "ferment of change"; the need to continue theorising the notion - adolescent literacies; the need to link professional learning for teachers to those phases of pedagogic change highlighted as part of the reform process; as well as an acknowledgement of the importance of the need to support the development of more authentic pedagogies.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 2009. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-105). Issued in print and online. Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Riverside, 2009. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-98). Issued in print and online. Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations.

Submitted by Jakeline Ortega (jakortega@unoeste.br) on 2017-07-21T17:19:11Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Francisco Miguel da Silva de Oliveira.pdf: 1099760 bytes, checksum: 3a5509238ffc521c0452a1a36670e2d5 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T17:19:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Francisco Miguel da Silva de Oliveira.pdf: 1099760 bytes, checksum: 3a5509238ffc521c0452a1a36670e2d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-03 / This research proposal is linked to the master graduate program on education located at the University of Wester Sao Paulo - UNOESTE. The main thematic that led this work was the construction of school educational project - PEE - in the context of a marajoara riverside school, located at the city of São Sebastião da Boa Vista in the archipelago of Marajoara, state of Pará. The central objective was to evaluate the participation of riverside school community in the preparatory meetings for the construction of the educational project school. The use of action-research provided the use of a methodology that enabled a dynamic, participatory and meaningful process to change the school environment. The development of this proposal is justified primarily by two points: at first, the importance of PEE to strengthen democratic governance in the pursuit of school autonomy; second, because the local school community have never experienced a collective process of such importance. The legacy of this research is the learning process of everyone involved, once the school community had the opportunity to reflect on their practices, as well as the importance of effective participation of the family and, above all, rethink the process of building and / or ownership knowledge. / Esta proposta de pesquisa está vinculada ao programa de pós-graduação em educação da Universidade do Oeste Paulista – UNOESTE. O tema central que conduziu este trabalho foi a construção do Projeto Educativo Escolar – PEE - no contexto de uma escola ribeirinha marajoara, localizada no município de São Sebastião da Boa Vista, no arquipélago Marajoara, estado do Pará. Definimos, dessa maneira, como objetivo geral avaliar a participação da comunidade escolar ribeirinha nos encontros de preparação para a construção do projeto educativo escolar. Seu desenvolvimento aconteceu sobre as bases epistemológicas e metodológicas da pesquisa-ação não colaborativa. A utilização da pesquisa-ação proporcionou o uso de uma metodologia que possibilitou um processo dinâmico, participativo e significativo, no sentido de transformar o espaço escolar palco dos atores coletivos, visando como bem maior uma educação de qualidade. O desenvolvimento dessa proposta se justificou basicamente por dois aspectos: primeiro, pela importância do PEE para o fortalecimento da gestão democrática na busca da autonomia da escola; segundo, pelo fato da comunidade escolar local nunca ter vivenciado um processo coletivo de tamanha importância. O legado desta pesquisa é o aprendizado que ela proporcionou a todos os envolvidos, pois a escola teve a oportunidade de refletir sobre a sua prática pedagógica, sobre a importância da participação efetiva da família e, sobretudo, repensar o processo de construção e/ou apropriação do conhecimento.