dc.contributor.author	McLemore, Susan Hair
dc.coverage.spatial	Central and North America -- United States -- Georgia	en_US
dc.coverage.temporal	2009-2013	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2014-05-28T19:44:49Z
dc.date.available	2014-05-28T19:44:49Z
dc.date.issued	2014-05-13
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10428/1733
dc.description.abstract	The goal of this research was to describe, in rich detail, the personal journal writing experience and to discern elements that promote and support introspective journaling. Introspective journaling precipitates an emotional, and often therapeutic, response. Although many qualitative studies on various aspects of journaling exist, none that I found have addressed the experience of the daily journaling process. This qualitative study of the daily journaling experience of five high school students sought to answer this key research question: What is the writing experience of high school students engaged in a 4-week daily journal writing workshop? Using purposeful sampling process, I selected five high school students whose writings demonstrated a willingness and an ability to engage in introspective writing. Introspective and reflective student journals, my own observation notes and memos, and student open forum discussions and interviews constituted the primary data sources. Data analysis included reading journals and highlighting phrases and passages in journal entries that were indicative of participant emotions, attitudes, reactions, and responses within the writing experience; transcribing and highlighting key responses in interviews, in order to apprehend each participant’s insights into the writing experience; making memos; then coding all data to identify emerging themes and patterns. The five themes that emerged from the data were: writing as therapy; the impact of prompts; the importance of the interested listener; the influence of the writing environment; and the writing group as family. Students reported experiencing moments of epiphany and/or catharsis through writing.	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 Researcher's Statement 2 Terminology 13 Rite of Passage13 Catharsis14 Epiphany14 Reflection15 Writing Experience15 Reflexivity15 Background of the Study16 Conceptual Framework17 Statement of the Problem20 Purpose of this Study22 Research Question22 Significance of the Study23 Chapter II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE25 Chapter III: METHODOLOGY58 Research Design58 Participants and Setting63 Structural Foundation of the Study: The Workshop67 Description of Journaling74 Introspective, Prompt-based Journal Writing74 Writer's Reflection Journal Writing77 Interactive Journal Writing78 Timeline for Implementation of the Study78 Data Collection80 Interviews81 Open Forum Discussion82 Data Analysis83 Validity and Reliability87 Ethical Issues90 Chapter IV: THE WRITING EXPERIENCE - FINDINGS92 Introduction92 Meet the Students: Pen Names96 Meet the Students: The Individuals101 Meet Sharpie Joe101 Meet Lion Heart112 Meet Jade Star120 Meet Aristotle132 Meet Allie140 Themes 150 Theme 1: Writing as Therapy150 Theme 2: The Impact of Writing Prompts 156 Theme 3: The Importance of the Interested Listener 161 Theme 4: The Influence of the Writing Environment 169 Theme 5: A Family of Writers 175 Additional Findings176 Pronouns, Verbs, and Emotion Words176 Questionnaires178 Summary of Additional Findings 183 Chapter V: THE WRITING EXPERIENCE - DISCUSSION185 Discussion of Themes188 Theme 1: Writing as Therapy 190 Theme 2: The Impact of Writing Prompts 195 Theme 3: The Importance of the Interested Listener 199 Theme 4: The Writing Environment 204 Theme 5: A Family of Writers 205 The Research Questions: Final Discussion207 Limitations of the Study214 Recommendations for Future Study215 Final Conclusions216 Addendum: Visual Journaling and Farewells218 REFERENCES223 APPENDICES241 Appendix A: Concept Map241 Appendix B: Invitation to Research Letter243 Appendix C: Participant Questionnaire245 Appendix D: Journal Challenge247 Appendix E: Journal Letter249 Appendix F: Parent Consent Form251 Appendix G: Post-Journal Questionnaires258 Appendix H: Visual Journal Lion Heart263 Appendix I: Visual Journal Jade Star265 Appendix J: Visual Journal Aristotle267 Appendix K: Visual Journal Sharpie Joe269 Appendix L: Additional Visual Journal Entries Sharpie Joe271 Appendix M: Visual Journal Allie274 Appendix N: IRB Approval - 276	en_US
dc.subject	Journaling	en_US
dc.subject	introspection	en_US
dc.subject	epiphany	en_US
dc.subject	catharsis	en_US
dc.title	Journal Writing as a Powerful Tool of Introspection and Reflection	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Tsemunhu, Rudo E.
dc.description.committee	Green, Robert B.
dc.description.committee	Siegrist, Gerald R.
dc.description.committee	Leader, Lars F.
dc.description.degree	Ed. D.	en_US
dc.description.major	Curriculum and Instruction	en_US