Date of Award

12-17-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Rhetoric and Writing

First Advisor

Heidi McCauley

Abstract

Under theory of composition instruction or literacy instruction has Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives developed into a tool for lesson scaffolding? How are learning taxonomies, with a sharper focus on Bloom’s Taxonomy, being used? An adjacent question: How has Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives influenced the development of tools like “Marzano’s Higher-Order Thinking Questions” or “Webb’s Depth of Knowledge”? Here, the line of research questioning may be understood through a Fabergé egg analogy. This analogy can explain individual, relational, and macro structures that work toward literacy and synthesis. Like a Faberge egg, each level of writing and literacy instruction should support an outer shell of quality in practical synthesis ability among student writers. A more middle layer that supports such a visible goal as quality synthesis, is writing instruction and the tools thereof. Educational taxonomies are among those middle-layer tools. Incorporating a component of sample size and time into the analysis, a good starting point in answering some of the introductory questions would be examining the period following the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act . This era marks a significant, formal shift in education—a shift to educational structures empowered by federal statute. During the years since the passage of this act, there has been an acceleration in the development of instructional scaffolding specifically designed to enhance student performance. This enhancement is measured through purported, tangible improvements in reading outcomes and adherence to educational standards. NCLB indicates a notable moment in time where American educational practices were thrust toward an evolution.

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