Browsing by Author "Lenters, Kimberly Ann"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    A Hermeneutic Inquiry into Grade Eleven Students’ Experiences of Classroom Talk in Language Arts
    (2017) Blackman, Galicia; Field, James Colin; Lenters, Kimberly Ann; Burwell, Catherine
    The goal of this hermeneutic inquiry was to interpret and understand how some students experience classroom talk, which is centered on a particular theme or topic, in English Language Arts. I came to understand that this kind of talk, or discussion, is akin to the idea of play, a way of being whereby students come with their opinions, and then they engage with the multiciplicity of perspectives in the learning arena. This can be a pleasurable encounter for students, but the conditions for this “play” to occur include respectful relationships with peers, and an open atmosphere ushered by the teacher. This open, unpredictable kind of discussion is not a step-by-step classroom encounter, but there are ways that students, classmates, and teachers can foster the pedagogical conditions for meaningful discussions about their literary texts to occur.
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    Literacy in-the-round: Examining the roles of dramatic embodiment and relationality in secondary English Language Arts classrooms
    (2024-08-09) Campbell, Harrison; Burwell, Catherine; Aukerman, Maren Songmy; Lenters, Kimberly Ann; Spring, Erin; Honeyford, Michelle A.
    The impetus for my doctoral research came from my desire to explore the possible applications of drama-based pedagogies within the English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. To do this, I examined how drama-based work, inspired by posthumanist concepts, could be applied to create additional opportunities for embodiment and relationality within secondary ELA classrooms. Within this study, literacy was a central focus and was defined as practices related to multiple forms of meaning making that included embodiment and relationality. Case study methodology informed by posthumanist concepts drove the data collection and analysis. Data was collected in a Grade 12 ELA classroom through observations, conversations, classroom artifacts, and student performances, and analyzed through both coding and iterative cycles of writing. The data was then used to explore the roles of affect, embodiment, and relationality in secondary ELA classrooms and to see how drama-based work could encourage more multimodal explorations of text. This study found that drama-based work encouraged pedagogical reflection and inspired ways through which to approach literacy teaching. My research contributes a picture of how drama-based work in one secondary ELA classroom enhanced meaning making around texts by drawing on drama’s embodied and relational learning opportunities. It demonstrates how drama can be used to introduce new avenues to help students find “what is real by making believe” (Campbell, 2021).
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    Older People’s Resilience in the Context of Climate-Disasters: A Single Instrumental Case Study of Older Women in Poverty who are Widowed, Head of Household, and Living in a Disaster-Affected Community in the Philippines
    (2018-08-01) Kwan, Crystal; Walsh, Christine Ann; Drolet, Julie; Hirst, Sandra P.; Lenters, Kimberly Ann; Dominelli, Lena
    While disasters are not a new phenomenon, the intensity and frequency of them have increased and are projected to continue to escalate due to climate change, globalization, rapid urbanization, and environmental degradation. Older people living in poverty represent a vulnerable group who require special attention because often their limited access to social, economic, political, and environmental resources increase their risk to the impacts of disasters. The purpose of my study was to identify the key factors and processes (specifically during the mitigation phase of the disaster management cycle or non-disaster times) that shape and influence older people’s resilience within the context of disasters, with a focus on older women living in poverty. My research design was primarily informed by case study methodology, and it included participatory action research (PAR) elements. Purposive sampling was conducted in Apitong, a community in Tacloban City, Philippines that was deeply affected by the 2013 typhoon Haiyan. Four participants were recruited as key informants of the case: a group of older women living in poverty, who are widowed, head of household, and living in a disaster-affected community in the Philippines. The following data collection methods were used: Photovoice (PV)/Videovoice (VV), semi-structured interviews (including one-to-one, focus group, and peer interviews), observation, and document review. The participants were involved in data collection, as they were trained in basic camera use, the PV/VV process, and how to conduct peer interviews. A translator was used in all the interviews, training workshops, and transcriptions. I conducted analysis (using thematic analysis) continuously and recursively, alongside data collection. Utilizing a socio-ecological conceptual framework of resilience, I identified seven environmental and one individual factor and processes that shape and influence the participants’ resilience. My study findings contribute to the paucity of literature regarding older people’s resilience within the context of disasters, specifically the need for more case-specific and context-based knowledge. Additionally, within the discipline of social work, my study informs education, research, and practice in two overlooked but critical areas: green and gerontological social work.
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    Supporting Multimodal Literacies in Early Learning Settings: A Case Study of Two Child Care Centres in Alberta
    (2022-06) Fischer, Rhonda; Lenters, Kimberly Ann; Roessingh, Hetty; Takeuchi, Miwa
    In early learning settings, multiple modes of communication are used to help young children convey meaning. These modes, or multimodal literacies, include signs, images, gestures, sounds, speech, movements, and actions. In this doctoral research, I explored how early learning and childcare educators support multimodal literacies in young children. Using a multiple case study, I utilized video walk-throughs of eight different educator playrooms, interviews with early childhood educators, and pedagogical documentation collected from educators to further my understanding of how multimodal literacies are supported in early childhood settings. The findings of this study revealed that educators conceptualize multimodal literacies differently; however, they include agency, embodiments, intentionality, and play as key aspects of children’s multimodal literacies. Conceptualization and understanding of the multiliteracies pedagogy are also examined. The findings also showed that educators of young children use multiple strategies to support multimodal literacies including pedagogical documentation, responsive environments and a co-inquiry model of noticing, naming, and nurturing. Lastly, my findings reveal that educator participation and finding a balance between supporting play and ideas and following children’s lead in play is critical in supporting multimodal literacies.