Teachers' Perspectives on Multimodal Texts in Middle School Reading Language Arts Classrooms in the Rio Grande Valley

Literacy in the 21st century includes multiple modes of communication that include culturally and linguistic diverse representation. It also includes multimodal texts that use visual, audio, and technological elements to create meaning. The new changing technologies have expanded literacy to more than print and written forms. Literacy instruction has seen pedagogical changes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Educators need to explore new literacy practices that benefit the growing diversity in societies along with the fast-growing technologies. Students need skills and mentoring to navigate digital learning platforms. Literacy in the 21st century includes multimodal texts, technology, nontraditional literacy skills, and multiliteracies. Recent literacy research shows an increasing implementation of multimodal literacies; thus, there is little to no research on teachers' perspectives and students' literacy development. This study offers insight into teachers' perspectives on multimodal texts in middle school Reading Language Arts classrooms. Teachers' perspectives regarding the ongoing changes to literacy and the digital world can provide understandings of how teachers are developing students' literacy skills. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]