An evaluation case study of a myth class to stimulate identity development for early adolescents

This qualitative case study evaluated the ways that a 1-trimester myth class taught to 8th and 9th grade students stimulated identity development. The curriculum, designed by the researcher, is based on 2 scholarly domains: curricular interventions for promoting adolescent identity development, and the psychological function of myth. The main research question was: In what ways, if any, does this myth class stimulate identity development in the early adolescent participants throughout one trimester? There were 5 research subquestions concerning self-reflection, perspective-taking, perception of similarities and differences, subjective experience of mythic themes, and psychological developmental issues.; The research method was evaluation case study. The participants were 9 eighth and ninth grade students at Santa Barbara Middle School, consisting of 8 females and 1 male, plus 1 male and 1 female coteacher. The class was taught 4 days a week, 40 minutes per day, for a 7-week trimester. Class sessions included oral myth-telling, structured exercises to deepen students' understanding of the objective myth, and subjective explorations of themselves in relation to the myth. The 2 ancient Sumerian myths used in the curriculum were Gilgamesh and Inanna. The 5 sources of data included direct field observation notes from classroom discussion, in-class writing journals, a focus group interview, feedback from the class coteacher, and feedback from an external reviewer. These multiple sources of data were analyzed and presented thematically according to the analytic approaches of Lederman (1990) and Vaughn, Schumm, and Sinagub (1996).; There were 3 overall results of this study. First, the curriculum was evaluated, with revisions recommended for future uses in schools. Second, this myth class was found to stimulate identity development effectively in the students in many ways, including oral and written self-reflection, perceiving one's similarities and differences with others, taking the perspective of another person or mythic character, transferring mythic themes to one's subjective experience, and exploring psychological developmental issues. The third overall finding was that myth is a well-suited vehicle for curricular interventions to stimulate adolescent identity development.; Limitations of the study were researcher bias, and that the curricular effects could vary according to the participating individuals.