Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

First Advisor

Todd Lilly

Abstract

This qualitative case study documented four high school English II End of Course teachers' stories about student engagement in the classroom. Students of color, in particular, have been maligned for underperformance on state-mandated tests. Instead of focusing on the despairing headlines and data, this study focused on how teachers follow the state standards and district curriculum guides to increase success. The teachers' authentic voices on student engagement shine through their stories. Student engagement is not a one-size-fits-all scenario which these teachers prove.

The teachers' stories served as the data for this study. The data was viewed through the lens of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy(Ladson-Billings, 1995) and Funds of Knowledge (Gonzalez, et al., 2005). When teachers consider students’ cultural backgrounds, knowledge from home, and community, learning becomes an outreach that bridges home and school. Ladson-Billings (1995) says “that’s just good teaching!”(p. 159). Moreover, through these stories, a teacher community was formed. A safe place to be heard and to share ideas.

Rights

© 2025, Carolyn Allison

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