Date of Award

9-12-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Jennifer Holtz

Abstract

This mixed methods study investigates the effect of cultural and sociolinguistic textures of talk on authentic discussion patterns and whether reading comprehension and inferencing are affected in an online booktalk environment with adolescents. The research will also investigate the contextual features of the classroom community to be studied to help determine the specific sociocultural norms established in that classroom. The unique conditions of the setting in which today’s adolescents function, such as amplified access to digital technologies, the evolving status of socialization, the express shift of physical and emotional factors, and the collective influence of prior experiences with reading, call for a more nuanced examination of their literacy practices. Data was collected from a Pre-AP 10th grade students in an urban high school setting. Using a sample of 75 students for the blog postings and recorded classroom discussions, the transcripts were sent through LIWC and the variables of tone, analytical, social, affect, cognitive process, and affiliation were examined. An F-test two sample for variances found that there is a connection between the students’ funds of knowledge and their comprehension of the text. The results also suggest that inferencing is influenced through the other variables. There was no statistical significance between cognitive process and social, affect and affiliation, cognitive process and affiliation.

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