The Impact of Participation in an Appalachian Literature Course on Student Perceptions of ...

299 Pages·2016·1.37 MB·English

by  Angela Mccutcheon

The Impact of Participation in an Appalachian Literature Course on Student Perceptions
of Appalachian Culture

A dissertation presented to
the faculty of
The Patton College of Education of Ohio University

In partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
Doctor of Education

Ashley B. Hopkins
April 2016
© 2016 Ashley B. Hopkins. All Rights Reserved.
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This dissertation titled
The Impact of Participation in an Appalachian Literature Course on Student Perceptions
of Appalachian Culture

by
ASHLEY B. HOPKINS

has been approved for
the Department of Educational Studies
and The Patton College of Education by

Dwan V. Robinson
Assistant Professor of Educational Studies

Renée A. Middleton
Dean, The Patton College of Education
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Abstract
HOPKINS, ASHLEY B., Ed.D., April 2016, Educational Administration
College Student Perceptions of Appalachian Culture and the Influence of Participation in
an Appalachian Literature Course
Director of Dissertation: Dwan V. Robinson
The Appalachian region and people have a long history of poverty, lower
educational attainment, and an underdeveloped economy (Appalachian Regional
Commission [ARC], 2012a; Billings & Blee, 2000; Bradbury & Mather, 2009; Dunaway,
1996; Duncan, 1992). Many of the region’s problems are related to political, economic,
and social marginalization reinforced through cultural stereotypes and perpetuated at the
advantage of outside corporations and corrupt politicians (Billings & Blee, 2000;
Dunaway, 1996; Duncan, 1992).
This dissertation is a case study and formative evaluation which sought to identify
and provide understanding of the impact participation in an Appalachian literature course
had on students’ perceptions of the culture. The four guiding research questions were
developed in relationship to the course instructor’s stated goal of developing appreciation
of the region’s culture and diverse arts. Data was collected through classroom
observations, instructor and student interviews, qualitative student surveys, and analysis
of course documents including the syllabus, student assignments, and journal prompts.
Data was then transcribed and entered into AlasTI for coding and analysis. The
researcher analyzed each individual case using first- and second-cycle coding methods,
and conducted a cross-case analysis to answer the stated research questions.
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Dedication

I am dedicating this work to my family who come from the Appalachian mountains of
Virginia and Kentucky. They are of the mountains, not just from them, their very
existence shaped through their relationships with them. They have passed down for many
generations our Appalachian cultural heritage. They have shaped me. The mountains
have shaped us all.
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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank everyone who has made this dissertation possible.
First, I would like to thank my advisor and chair, Dr. Dwan V. Robinson, for her
never-ending support and guidance. I would like to thank Dr. Sharon Reynolds without
whom structure and management of the data would have been impossible. Thank you
also to Dr. Gordon Brooks who helped me find clarity and move forward when lost. I
would also like to thank Dr. Edna Wangui and Dr. Ghirmai Negash for their critical
feedback without which context and theory would have suffered.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the instructor and student
participants who made this study possible. Further, a special thanks goes to the
individuals at the university where the research was conducted and who provided me the
space to complete the work necessary to make this project a success.
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Table of Contents
Page
Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3
Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 4
Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 5
List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 13
List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 14
Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................ 15
Background ................................................................................................................... 16
Purpose Statement ......................................................................................................... 20
Significance .................................................................................................................. 21
Methods ........................................................................................................................ 22
Delimitations ................................................................................................................. 22
Assumptions .................................................................................................................. 23
Key Terms ..................................................................................................................... 24
Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 26
Conceptual Framework: Appalachia, Marginalization, and the Role of Culturally-
Relevant Pedagogy ....................................................................................................... 27
The Appalachian context. ......................................................................................... 27
Economics ............................................................................................................. 29
Education .............................................................................................................. 31
Marginalization. ........................................................................................................ 32
Appalachian culture and stereotypes .................................................................... 33
Marginalization of Appalachia. ............................................................................ 36
Effects of marginalization ..................................................................................... 38
Marginalization in the schools .............................................................................. 39
Culturally-relevant pedagogy. ................................................................................... 41
Art, literature, and education in Appalachia ......................................................... 43
Place-based education. .......................................................................................... 47
Leadership for culturally-relevant pedagogy. ....................................................... 49
Justification of conceptual framework. ..................................................................... 50
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Theoretical Framework: Critical Pedagogy .................................................................. 51
The role of theory in qualitative research ................................................................. 51
Historical foundations of critical theory. .................................................................. 53
Historical foundations of critical pedagogy. ............................................................. 55
Defining critical pedagogy. ................................................................................... 56
Cultural Studies. ........................................................................................................ 60
Democratic ideals. ..................................................................................................... 62
The role of Marxism. ................................................................................................ 63
Critical pedagogy and identity formation. ................................................................ 65
Postmodernism. ......................................................................................................... 66
Appalachian Studies: A critical pedagogy. ............................................................... 68
Justification of theoretical framework. ..................................................................... 69
Chapter Three: Methodology ............................................................................................ 71
Research Design ........................................................................................................... 71
Site selection. ............................................................................................................ 75
Selection of participants. ........................................................................................... 77
Instructor participant ............................................................................................. 77
Student participants. .............................................................................................. 78
Sources of Data ............................................................................................................. 79
Observations. ............................................................................................................ 80
Interviews. ................................................................................................................. 82
Student surveys. ........................................................................................................ 85
Documents. ............................................................................................................... 86
Protocols ................................................................................................................... 87
Data Collection Procedures .......................................................................................... 90
Role of the Researcher. ............................................................................................. 94
Ethical considerations. .............................................................................................. 95
Credibility Techniques .................................................................................................. 97
Limitations .................................................................................................................. 100
Data Analysis .............................................................................................................. 101
First-cycle coding. ................................................................................................... 103
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Transition. ............................................................................................................... 107
Second-cycle coding. .............................................................................................. 107
Cross-case analysis. ................................................................................................ 108
Analysis of survey data. .......................................................................................... 109
Chapter Four: Presentation of Data................................................................................. 111
Findings: Surveys and Context ................................................................................... 111
The course. .............................................................................................................. 111
Classroom demographics ........................................................................................ 114
Motivations for enrolling in the course. .................................................................. 115
Appalachian heritage............................................................................................... 116
Perceptions of Appalachia. ..................................................................................... 118
Improving Appalachia. ........................................................................................... 119
Appalachian stereotypes. ........................................................................................ 120
Course impact. ........................................................................................................ 123
Course materials. ..................................................................................................... 124
Texts. ................................................................................................................... 125
Assignments. ....................................................................................................... 126
Instructor impact. .................................................................................................... 127
Improving the course. ............................................................................................. 128
Findings: Cases and Themes ....................................................................................... 130
Alex. ........................................................................................................................ 131
Course impact. .................................................................................................... 132
Instructor impact ................................................................................................. 133
Impactful course components ............................................................................. 134
Perception of Appalachia. ................................................................................... 135
Perceptions of Appalachian people. .................................................................... 137
Theme of darkness. ............................................................................................. 138
Summary ............................................................................................................. 139
Morgan .................................................................................................................... 139
Course impact ..................................................................................................... 141
Impactful course components. ............................................................................ 142
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Perception of Appalachia. ................................................................................... 144
Grim conditions. ................................................................................................. 145
Environmentalism. .............................................................................................. 146
Perceptions of Appalachian people. .................................................................... 147
Summary. ............................................................................................................ 149
Daniel. ..................................................................................................................... 150
Course impact. .................................................................................................... 152
Impactful course components. ............................................................................ 155
Perceptions of Appalachia. ................................................................................. 157
Theme of connection........................................................................................... 158
The dismal view. ................................................................................................. 160
Summary. ............................................................................................................ 161
Aurora. .................................................................................................................... 162
Course impact. .................................................................................................... 164
Impactful course components. ............................................................................ 167
Perceptions of Appalachia. ................................................................................. 168
Perceptions of Appalachian people. .................................................................... 170
The tragic. ........................................................................................................... 172
Summary. ............................................................................................................ 173
Melissa .................................................................................................................... 174
Course impact. .................................................................................................... 175
Impactful course components. ............................................................................ 177
Perceptions of Appalachia. ................................................................................. 179
Environmentalism. .............................................................................................. 182
Perceptions of Appalachian people. .................................................................... 184
Summary. ............................................................................................................ 187
Renee ....................................................................................................................... 188
Course impact. .................................................................................................... 189
Impactful course components. ............................................................................ 191
Perceptions of Appalachia. ................................................................................. 194
Perceptions of Appalachian people. .................................................................... 195
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Summary. ............................................................................................................ 196
June. ........................................................................................................................ 198
Teaching style. .................................................................................................... 200
Course goals. ....................................................................................................... 201
Selection of course components.......................................................................... 202
Perceptions of Appalachia. ................................................................................. 204
Perceptions of Appalachian culture. ................................................................... 205
Environmentalism. .............................................................................................. 207
Summary. ............................................................................................................ 209
Cross Case Analysis .................................................................................................... 210
Course impact. ........................................................................................................ 210
Knowledge, understanding, and appreciation. .................................................... 211
Connecting with the material. ............................................................................. 212
Participatory structure. ........................................................................................ 212
Examination of stereotypes. ................................................................................ 213
Instructor impact. .................................................................................................... 214
Course components. ................................................................................................ 215
Texts. ................................................................................................................... 215
Characters. ...................................................................................................... 218
Themes in the course texts. ............................................................................. 218
Assignments. ....................................................................................................... 219
Perceptions of Appalachia ...................................................................................... 221
Perceptions of Appalachian people and culture. ..................................................... 223
Morality and spirituality ..................................................................................... 224
Connection .......................................................................................................... 224
Strength. .............................................................................................................. 225
Environmentalism in Appalachia. ........................................................................... 226
Appalachia noir. ...................................................................................................... 227
Summary. ................................................................................................................ 228
Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 229