Clinical Trial

Resistance is Futile-Or is It? Making the Right Instructional Decisions for All

This research proposal aims to investigate the factors and influences that shape teachers' decisions when selecting literature for middle-grade English classrooms, particularly in the context of recent educational mandates and controversies. The proposal highlights the backdrop of events such as racial disparities, social protests, and debates around diversity and inclusion, which have sparked intense discussions about education in the United States. The study plans to employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data collection through a survey and qualitative data collection through interviews. The survey will gather information from English teachers in grades four through eight, identifying the specific factors they consider when choosing literature before and after recent legislation to explore their experiences with book bans and mandates. The subsequent qualitative phase will delve deeper into teachers' decision-making processes and perceptions of the political climate's impact on their choices. The significance of the study lies in its potential to shed light on the influence of current educational policies and political tensions on teachers' autonomy in selecting literature. It aims to contribute to the understanding of teacher cognition in literacy, the mediating role of mandates, and the implications for teacher decision-making in English classrooms. By examining both the quantitative and qualitative data, researchers hope to gain a comprehensive understanding of the influences on teachers' literature decisions. The intellectual goal of the study is to inform recommendations and actions in educating teachers about text selection, considering the current educational climate and the challenges they face.

• Book Bans
• Decision-making
• Diversity And Inclusion
• Educational Mandates
• Interviews
• Literature
• Mandates
• Middle-grade English Classrooms
• Mixed-methods Approach
• Politicization
• Qualitative Data
• Quantitative Data
• Racial Disparities
• Social Protests
• Survey
• Teacher Autonomy
• Teacher Cognition
• Teachers