Transitions.

Abstract

This empirical research thesis examines how adolescents perceive their out-of-school literacies and literacy skills, and how they see themselves using or not using these skills within their current and future school work. With a sample of two participants from a rural high school in Chautauqua County, this study uses a qualitative methodology to collect data from researcher interviews and field notes. Descriptive interview data analysis reveals that adolescents instead of making connections between outside school literacies and in-school literacies appear to use the school model of literacy skills to determine out-of-school literacy skills, rather than have the out-of-school model of literacy skills to determine out-of-school literacy skills, rather than have the out-of-school literacy activities produce their own model of literacy skills. Moreover, analysis indicates that these adolescents lack meta-cognition or metalinguistic knowledge about literacy skills and how they are transferable between various social groups or settings. Instead findings indicate a disconnect between adolescents’ out- of- school literacies and literacy skills as the adolescents attempt to apply school-based literacy concepts to non-school literacy events instead of recognizing skills as being not tied to or limited to school class work. More metacognitive metalinquistic awareness may help students to recognize and transfer literacy skills across reading tasks and reading activities.