"Smart Boy, Struggling Student": A Multisite Case Study of One Boy's Literacy and School Experiences

• In Event: 33.078 - Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 33.078-8 - Rethinking Motivation and Achievement

Abstract

We often associate school success with mastery of content knowledge and skills. But what if a child’s reading and writing abilities surpass the state standards of excellence and he still is not considered a successful student. Where does the problem lie then? In an attempt to shed light into this conundrum, this study investigates the process of mastering student form, or being positioned as a successful learner, through a multi-site longitudinal case study on a young transnational boy and his early literacy experiences. Drawing from social cultural theory and the theoretical concept of figured worlds, I explore how his mode of engagement with literacy across spaces contributes to his positioning as a “smart boy, struggling student.”

Author

• Erin Quast, University of Wisconsin - Madison