Date of Graduation

Fall 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

English

Committee Chairperson

Justin K. Rademaekers, PhD

Committee Member

Michael S. Burns, PhD

Committee Member

Megan Schoettler, PhD

Abstract

Verbal interpersonal communication has been diminishing from the teaching and learning process over the past decade in public-school classrooms. School district administrations mandate teachers to utilize digital learning platforms and standardized tests due to the ease at which this technology can quickly gather data. While the transition to digital platforms and test-based education may be well-intended, the result has often been a decrease in dialogic inquiry-based pedagogy which removes teacher autonomy, student agency, and has negative effects on students’ ability to critically think and effectively engage in communication and instruction. The over-emphasis on collecting data based solely on a digitized measure is particularly problematic in Title I schools, whose funding structure is greatly impacted by student performance on these digital platforms and tests. This thesis presents an empirical study of the effects of increasing dialogic instruction and writing-based assessments on student engagement and critical thinking in a Title I School in Southeastern Pennsylvania, where the researcher has been a member of the faculty for over 20 years. The qualitative methods include observations, interviews, and teacher reflections with nine teachers across content areas and disciplines. This thesis finds that dialogic instruction is effective across the content areas and has a positive impact on both student and teacher engagement in the teaching and learning process. Findings also suggest that future research may uncover that increasing dialogic instruction also has a positive impact on student performance on standardized tests.

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