Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum & Instruction

First Advisor

James Jupp

Second Advisor

Laura Jewett

Third Advisor

Michael Whitacre

Abstract

This narrative inquiry explores bilingual educators' experiences implementing the Amplify Reading curriculum in a diverse, Title I-funded urban district. As schools adopt standardized curricula, tensions emerge between monolingual standards and the needs of bilingual students. Using a Vygotskian framework with Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) and Knowledge Structures (KS), the study examines how teachers navigate systemic contradictions and how these tensions influence their professional identities.

Using an interpretivist approach, data were collected via semi-structured interviews, a focus group, and a researcher’s journal from six experienced bilingual educators. Thematic analysis reveals profound structural fractures within the activity system: a primary contradiction between administrative fidelity and student understanding leading to robotic compliance; a secondary contradiction of cultural dissonance placing teachers in a double bind; a tertiary assessment-instruction paradox where knowledge-based content clashes with skill-based testing; and a quaternary contradiction of scaffolding failure, where a lack of institutional support shifts the burden of implementation entirely onto educators.

The findings demonstrate that teachers actively mediate curriculum through specific Knowledge Structures, including Evaluation, Choice, and Principles, acting as filters for student identity. Furthermore, participants constructed horizontal shadow systems of collaborative resilience to manage the invisible labor of implementation. The study concludes that successful implementation is a non-linear process driven by teacher agency and subversive fidelity, prioritizing student needs over institutional mandates.

Comments

Copyright 2026 Jose Orozco. All Rights Reserved. https://proquest.com/docview/3371104001

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