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In Defense of Literature: The Benefit of Using Classical Literature to Bring Critical Thinking to 21st Century Classrooms

Description
Critical thinking has driven pedagogical development and captured the attention of educators for years and is now an important focus in classrooms today (Fahim, 2014, p. 141). Common core and STEM education are both impressive additions to the educational process and practice and exist to encourage students to ask questions,…

Critical thinking has driven pedagogical development and captured the attention of educators for years and is now an important focus in classrooms today (Fahim, 2014, p. 141). Common core and STEM education are both impressive additions to the educational process and practice and exist to encourage students to ask questions, analyze information, and create their own solutions or ideas. During my time studying education at Arizona State University, I noticed that a majority of references to critical thinking were in conjunction to STEM subjects. In this study, I explore and defend the benefit of using classical literature to promote critical thinking in 21st century classrooms. Included in this study is a section of curriculum during a unit studying the novel The Great Gatsby that is centered around developing critical thinking and problem solving skills.
ContributorsSherry, Alyssa Lyn (Author) / Smudde, Christopher (Thesis director) / Esch, Mark (Committee member) / Division of Teacher Preparation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
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Middle School Students' Engagement with Grammar in a Transfer-Minded Approach to Instruction

Description
This qualitative, classroom-based study investigates how 24 middle school students engaged with grammar in an instructional approach that bridged “grammar in context” practices with writing transfer practices. This “transfer-minded” approach invited students to monitor and reflect on their grammar choices in writing as a way to foster metacognition; it also…

This qualitative, classroom-based study investigates how 24 middle school students engaged with grammar in an instructional approach that bridged “grammar in context” practices with writing transfer practices. This “transfer-minded” approach invited students to monitor and reflect on their grammar choices in writing as a way to foster metacognition; it also guided students to consider other and future writing contexts where they could use the grammar they were learning as a way to foster transfer and long-term writing development. The dissertation findings detail the role of individual factors on student engagement with grammar in this study. The findings also share how students thought about and used grammar in their writing. Finally, the dissertation reveals how students engaged with the instructional practices, helping map successful and promising areas for effective grammar instruction.
ContributorsScholes, Justin (Author) / Early, Jessica (Thesis advisor) / Saidy, Christina (Committee member) / Graham, Steve (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022