This dissertation presents findings from 10 months of practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993, 2009) using qualitative data collection and analysis. Informed by communities of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and critical literacy theory (Luke, 2000; Janks, 2010; Comber, 2016), the study asked the following research questions: 1) What characterizes a classroom learning community designed to support adolescents' experiences with inquiry learning? 2) In what ways do adolescents practice critical literacies when engaged with inquiry learning? and, 3) What roles do teachers navigate when working with adolescents developing critical literacies through inquiry learning? The study took place in an elective course co-designed by an English teacher and a librarian to support 12th grade students in developing their research skills. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, weekly memos, teaching artifacts and student work samples, emails, text messages, photos, and videos. Analysis and writing were informed by narrative inquiry (Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011). Findings demonstrated that students experienced various levels of confluence in developing their inquiry literacies and critical literacies when engaged in work designed to address both skill sets. Findings suggest implications for members of school communities working to develop opportunities in the curriculum for inquiry learning and critical literacy, for teacher researchers designing future practitioner inquiry research projects, and for teacher educators working with pre-service English teachers.
","abstract_html":"<p>This dissertation presents findings from 10 months of practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993, 2009) using qualitative data collection and analysis. Informed by communities of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and critical literacy theory (Luke, 2000; Janks, 2010; Comber, 2016), the study asked the following research questions: 1) What characterizes a classroom learning community designed to support adolescents' experiences with inquiry learning? 2) In what ways do adolescents practice critical literacies when engaged with inquiry learning? and, 3) What roles do teachers navigate when working with adolescents developing critical literacies through inquiry learning? The study took place in an elective course co-designed by an English teacher and a librarian to support 12th grade students in developing their research skills. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, weekly memos, teaching artifacts and student work samples, emails, text messages, photos, and videos. Analysis and writing were informed by narrative inquiry (Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011). Findings demonstrated that students experienced various levels of confluence in developing their inquiry literacies and critical literacies when engaged in work designed to address both skill sets. Findings suggest implications for members of school communities working to develop opportunities in the curriculum for inquiry learning and critical literacy, for teacher researchers designing future practitioner inquiry research projects, and for teacher educators working with pre-service English teachers.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fleming, Sarah M"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Reading and Language Arts","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kelly Chandler-Olcott"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-05-10T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-05-10T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:55:50Z","subjects":["critical inquiry","critical literacy","inquiry learning","narrative inquiry","practitioner inquiry","teacher research","Arts and Humanities"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1151","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kelly Chandler-Olcott"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fleming, Sarah M"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Reading and Language Arts"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["critical inquiry","critical literacy","inquiry learning","narrative inquiry","practitioner inquiry","teacher research","Arts and Humanities"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1151"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This dissertation presents findings from 10 months of practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993, 2009) using qualitative data collection and analysis. Informed by communities of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and critical literacy theory (Luke, 2000; Janks, 2010; Comber, 2016), the study asked the following research questions: 1) What characterizes a classroom learning community designed to support adolescents' experiences with inquiry learning? 2) In what ways do adolescents practice critical literacies when engaged with inquiry learning? and, 3) What roles do teachers navigate when working with adolescents developing critical literacies through inquiry learning? The study took place in an elective course co-designed by an English teacher and a librarian to support 12th grade students in developing their research skills. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, weekly memos, teaching artifacts and student work samples, emails, text messages, photos, and videos. Analysis and writing were informed by narrative inquiry (Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011). Findings demonstrated that students experienced various levels of confluence in developing their inquiry literacies and critical literacies when engaged in work designed to address both skill sets. Findings suggest implications for members of school communities working to develop opportunities in the curriculum for inquiry learning and critical literacy, for teacher researchers designing future practitioner inquiry research projects, and for teacher educators working with pre-service English teachers.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["THE CLASSROOM AS INQUIRY LEARNING COMMUNITY: A PRACTITIONER STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS’ DEVELOPING CRITICAL LITERACIES"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kelly Chandler-Olcott"],"dc:creator":["Fleming, Sarah M"],"dc:description.abstract":["This dissertation presents findings from 10 months of practitioner inquiry (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1993, 2009) using qualitative data collection and analysis. Informed by communities of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991) and critical literacy theory (Luke, 2000; Janks, 2010; Comber, 2016), the study asked the following research questions: 1) What characterizes a classroom learning community designed to support adolescents' experiences with inquiry learning? 2) In what ways do adolescents practice critical literacies when engaged with inquiry learning? and, 3) What roles do teachers navigate when working with adolescents developing critical literacies through inquiry learning? The study took place in an elective course co-designed by an English teacher and a librarian to support 12th grade students in developing their research skills. Data sources included semi-structured interviews, weekly memos, teaching artifacts and student work samples, emails, text messages, photos, and videos. Analysis and writing were informed by narrative inquiry (Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011). Findings demonstrated that students experienced various levels of confluence in developing their inquiry literacies and critical literacies when engaged in work designed to address both skill sets. Findings suggest implications for members of school communities working to develop opportunities in the curriculum for inquiry learning and critical literacy, for teacher researchers designing future practitioner inquiry research projects, and for teacher educators working with pre-service English teachers.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://surface.syr.edu/etd/1151"],"dc:subject":["critical inquiry","critical literacy","inquiry learning","narrative inquiry","practitioner inquiry","teacher research","Arts and Humanities"],"dc:title":["THE CLASSROOM AS INQUIRY LEARNING COMMUNITY: A PRACTITIONER STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS’ DEVELOPING CRITICAL LITERACIES"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Reading and Language Arts"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:55:50Z"}