Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom

Despite some calls for more inclusive reading lists, the written standards and high school reading lists often represent a Eurocentric perspective which can reinforce inequities perpetuated by the status quo. Many teachers are motivated to engage with critical literacy tools, but they often lack th...

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Main Author: Ashley Wolstein
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Oklahoma Libraries 2025-05-01
Series:Study and Scrutiny
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.shareok.org/studyandscrutiny/ojs/studyandscrutiny/article/view/1179
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author Ashley Wolstein
author_facet Ashley Wolstein
author_sort Ashley Wolstein
collection DOAJ
description Despite some calls for more inclusive reading lists, the written standards and high school reading lists often represent a Eurocentric perspective which can reinforce inequities perpetuated by the status quo. Many teachers are motivated to engage with critical literacy tools, but they often lack the background knowledge, teaching resources, and administrative support to carry out a critical curriculum or change canonical reading lists. This qualitative case study drew upon decolonial theory to explore how one secondary teacher and two of her ninth-grade language arts sections engaged with a critical questioning tool applied to a young adult novel  by an Indigenous author. I employed iterative thematic inquiry and analyzed data during and after collection. The analysis makes clear here the benefits of the tool in regards to transforming the ELA classroom: providing a process for critically engaging with literary texts and facilitating decolonial understandings. Implications include the following: (1) teachers need time, support, and training to enact a decolonial or critical curriculum and (2) further research needs to be conducted regarding the use of the critical questioning tool.
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spelling doaj-art-33cafc109f9e4bf6bb7a2b31f7a5527c2025-08-04T20:16:10ZengUniversity of Oklahoma LibrariesStudy and Scrutiny2376-52752025-05-017110.15763/issn.2376-5275.2025.7.1.31-73Toward the Transformation of the ELA ClassroomAshley Wolstein0Concordia University Chicago Despite some calls for more inclusive reading lists, the written standards and high school reading lists often represent a Eurocentric perspective which can reinforce inequities perpetuated by the status quo. Many teachers are motivated to engage with critical literacy tools, but they often lack the background knowledge, teaching resources, and administrative support to carry out a critical curriculum or change canonical reading lists. This qualitative case study drew upon decolonial theory to explore how one secondary teacher and two of her ninth-grade language arts sections engaged with a critical questioning tool applied to a young adult novel  by an Indigenous author. I employed iterative thematic inquiry and analyzed data during and after collection. The analysis makes clear here the benefits of the tool in regards to transforming the ELA classroom: providing a process for critically engaging with literary texts and facilitating decolonial understandings. Implications include the following: (1) teachers need time, support, and training to enact a decolonial or critical curriculum and (2) further research needs to be conducted regarding the use of the critical questioning tool. https://journals.shareok.org/studyandscrutiny/ojs/studyandscrutiny/article/view/1179adolescent literaturecritical literacydiverse textsEnglish language artsinquiry-based pedagogy
spellingShingle Ashley Wolstein
Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
Study and Scrutiny
adolescent literature
critical literacy
diverse texts
English language arts
inquiry-based pedagogy
title Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
title_full Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
title_fullStr Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
title_full_unstemmed Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
title_short Toward the Transformation of the ELA Classroom
title_sort toward the transformation of the ela classroom
topic adolescent literature
critical literacy
diverse texts
English language arts
inquiry-based pedagogy
url https://journals.shareok.org/studyandscrutiny/ojs/studyandscrutiny/article/view/1179
work_keys_str_mv AT ashleywolstein towardthetransformationoftheelaclassroom