Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Theory, Policy, and Practice
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of educational reforms from 1983- 2014 through conducting oral histories with three Louisiana teachers. My research, as a postmodern and cultural feminist, was to interview and create a dialogue with three teachers; to find the intersection between school, reform and the meaning these give to their teaching life. I chose to interview teachers who are currently or close to retirement, who taught in a Louisiana accredited school system.
My focus was to investigate the lives of teachers, including their thoughts on educational reform changes during their tenure of teaching. Much has been written about the curriculum and policy changes in education, but not within the focus of teacher’s lives in Louisiana. My research into teachers’ lives looked at the personal, historical and institutional factors impacting three women educators in Louisiana.
Through my research, I identified three common themes in the meaning the three Louisiana teachers gave to educational reforms. Strong and effective education is about relationships not reform; autonomy not control; and the idea of a holistic, big picture point of view, not the reduction of standards and accountability.
Date
7-12-2018
Recommended Citation
Seatter, Ashley L., "Re-forming Educational Reform: An Oral History of Three Louisiana Teachers" (2018). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4680.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4680
Committee Chair
Hendry, Petra
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.4680