This study uses discourse analysis to examine how scientific concepts (Vygotsky, 1997) develop in an English Language Arts class over the course of one curricular unit. The study focuses on how two students in one 12th grade English Language Arts classroom develop towards the scientific concept of summary. The study examines the teachers classroom discussion of the concept of summary, and the students development of the concept of summary. The development is investigated using Systemic Functional Linguistics to analyze the classroom and interview talk from both teacher and students. The use of concept mapping and SFL analysis (Halliday, 1994) focus on transitivity, interpersonal metaphor, and clause linking devices to enhance, elaborate, or expand the concepts web of relations. Understanding the initial developmental level of the concept helped to examine how the teachers discourse surrounding the concept mediated the concept of summary. Language and schooling as a part of the teaching and learning context and pedagogical issues are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-04292008-122651 |
| Date | 30 June 2008 |
| Creators | Carpenter, Brian David |
| Contributors | Mary Schleppegrell, Richard Donato, Amanda Godley, Amanda Thein |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04292008-122651/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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