Literacy Becomes “Popular” for a Male Student

Abstract

Literacy Becomes “Popular” for a Male Student assesses the multitude of obstacles that a struggling male student faces in regard to literacy based instruction. Many of the struggles that this student faces are directly related to his intrapersonal viewpoint on reading and writing, based upon prior encounters throughout his educational experience. This study focuses on the impact that the inclusion of popular culture and text choice have upon the engagement and interest level of one fourth grade male student. The study utilizes interviews, structured observations and work samples as sources of data. The findings of this study indicate that the struggling male student’s literacy instruction benefits from the use of choice to promote accountability, the inclusion of popular culture within instruction to improve engagement, an emphasis on notable success to positively impact attitude, and the use of technology to promote engagement. The conclusions of this study indicate that strategic feedback and success promote a growth mindset and that the inclusion of elements from popular culture improve engagement.