Date of Award

2-14-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Linda Dorn

Abstract

This qualitative study explores the case of an elementary school known for its high levels of collaboration. The participants included two classroom teachers, a literacy interventionist, and a literacy coach. The purpose of this collective case study was to examine the influences of mediation on decision-making and determine how this influenced professional capital in the school. Two research questions guided the study: 1) What aspects of verbal and written analysis and reflection of literacy teaching inform the decision-making of elementary literacy teachers in a collaborative school culture? and 2) How do elementary literacy teachers combine their experiences with a literacy coach in an online collaborative space and peers in the school’s collaborative culture to build on professional capital? Sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) and supporting theories of scaffolding (Wood, 1998), mediation (Wertsch, 1985), and intersubjectivity Rogoff, 1990, Grossberg, 1982) grounded the study of professional capital (Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012). Rodgers’ (2002) reflective cycle and Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle drew from Dewey’s (1933) work on reflection to provide the basis for mediation through virtual literacy coaching. Content analysis revealed three main categories of recurring mediational tools - reflective prompts, consultation, and rehearsal - that lead to more informed decision-making among participants and contributed to the school’s professional capital.

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