Congratulations to Elena Kwoka, who on Monday, April 6, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation.
The title of Elena’s dissertation is, "A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY OF HOW ARTS-BASED PEDAGOGY EMPOWERS ENGLISH LEARNERS’ SELF-AUTHORSHIP."
Overview of Problem: English Learners (ELs) often face challenges expressing their identities and authoring their own stories within traditional academic settings. Standardized assessments and language-focused curricula can limit the opportunities that they have for creative expression, voice, and agency. There is a need to explore pedagogical approaches that integrate art and multimodal practices to support ELs in developing language skills while affirming their cultural and personal identities.
Research Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative case study is to document and describe how one summer arts-based program can support English Learners (ELs) in feeling more confident in their language, culture, and identity. Drawing upon Kegan’s (1994) theory of self-authorship and Maxine Greene’s (1995) aesthetic education framework, this study examines how imagination and creative expression contribute to a student’s identity development.
Research Design: This study employed a qualitative case study approach to explore how a summer arts-based program supports English Learners’ self-authorship, agency, and language development.
Sample: Data sources included one program instructor, one teaching artist, one program director, seven students, and artifacts produced by English Learners in an integrated summer program.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected through observations, student artifacts, semi-structured interviews, and reflective field notes, to capture the experiences, creative expressions, and perspectives of participants in the summer arts-based program. Findings: Four themes emerged from analysis, each named using in vivo quotes from participants: (a) All My Emotions; (b) My Home is an Adventure; (c) Trabajamos Juntos: We Work Together; and (c) They Have Tried Their Hardest. The findings suggest that arts-integrated programming can be a powerful tool for supporting language development, agency, and identity formation among ELs.
Conclusions/Implications: This study demonstrated how arts-based experiences support English Learners’ (ELs’) self-authorship, agency, identity, and language confidence. Through visual art, poetry, and collaborative projects, students reflected on personal experiences, expressed cultural narratives, and exercised meaningful choice in a low-risk environment. Implications for practice include designing programs that center student voice, integrate multimodal practices, and leverage cultural knowledge to foster self-expression and learning. Future research should examine longitudinal impacts, diverse contexts, and the role of language proficiency in arts-based self-authorship.
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE CHAIR(S):
Dr. Susan V. Iverson
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE MEMBER(S):
Dr. Jennifer Hauver
Dr. Dulce Barker
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