Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Second Advisor

Dr. Giovanni Caputo

Third Advisor

Dr. Heather Crandall

Abstract

This study analyzed the perceptions of secondary education teachers on the use of Internet Slang by their high school students. The researcher analyzed educators’ perceptions in order to answer what teachers’ thoughts were on the use of Internet Slang being introduced into secondary education academic assignments. Additionally, were there negative or positive effects from the use of Internet Slang via texting, social media, and messaging on the writing skills of students? A literature review and a qualitative applied research approach with the use of document analysis via an open-ended survey were the methods for this study. This assisted the researcher in understanding the opinions, motivations, and reasoning of the educators to further develop ideas and hypotheses for follow-up studies. Additionally, to understand the opinions of educators, Concept Mapping was utilized with a mix of Word and Code-Based approaches to interpret the qualitative data. The results of this study began with a look at previous research conducted by Lenhart, et al. (2008) & Ochonogor et al. (2012) where both studies found secondary education students were using Internet Slang on academic assignments and in the classroom. Results of this study show Internet Slang is in fact being used by students in the classroom and found in academic work. Social Presence and Media Richness Theories assisted in understanding Internet Slang use, via educators’ opinions, by determining how educators perceived students as real and how they perceive a message using Internet Slang. Online devices have now changed the face of social presence and teens have developed their own language through the use of Internet Slang. This medium has changed the way teenagers act. The majority of schools, in this study, are allowing students to use their personal devices. Schools are purchasing devices which allow the ability to enable students to change understanding of the English language, and educators are learning to interpret the way students use Internet Slang.

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