Date Approved
9-25-2024
Embargo Period
9-25-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Department
Educational Leadership, Administration, and Research
College
College of Education
Advisor
Ane Johnson, Ph.D.
Committee Member 1
MaryBeth Walpole, PhD.
Committee Member 2
Anthony Driggers, Ed.D.
Keywords
Community College; Identity; Media and Information Literacy; Self-authorship
Subject(s)
Identity (Psychology); Community college students
Disciplines
Education | Educational Leadership
Abstract
This qualitative case study explores how information messages, on and offline, influence the identity construction of young adult learners using a self-authorship frame at County Community College (CCC). Self-authorship is the construction of beliefs, values, and identities based on a personally defined internal process rather than reliance on external formulas for meaning (Baxter Magolda, 2023). Data collection and analysis included semi-structured interview transcriptions from eighteen students aged 18-24. The findings revealed the dynamic interplay between traditional values and online ideals, highlighting the challenges of influence and dissonance in the identity journey. The study's findings call on educators and policymakers to add media and information literacy (MIL) to all levels of education in the digital age. Like self-authorship, MIL involves critically evaluating and understanding external messages before internalizing information as fact.
Recommended Citation
Vona, Jaime DiGirolamo, "MIRROR MIRROR ON THE SCREEN SHOW THE ME THAT I WANT SEEN: NAVIGATING DIGITAL INFLUENCES ON IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION: A QUALITATIVE CASE STUDY" (2024). Theses and Dissertations. 3298.
https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/3298
