Experiences working with high school literary magazines: a grounded theory study

• Main Author: Wicklund Whiteside, Lisa
• Other Authors: Honeyford, Michelle (Curriculum, Teaching and Learning)
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: literary; magazines; publication; writing
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/30392

This qualitative research study focuses on the experiences of, and effects on, students and staff who work with literary magazine projects at the high school level. The goal of the study was to better understand how literary magazines benefit students, and how the experiences of working on a lit mag project, contributing to a lit mag, reading a school’s lit mag might be beneficial to students and how it might be improved, both for those working with the lit mag and culture of writing in the school. Using a grounded theory research method, interviews were conducted with both staff and students who were involved in their school’s literary magazines. Semi-structured interviews were used as a way for participants to discuss what they perceived as strengths of their projects and areas for continued growth. Eight interviews were completed, which were then transcribed, fact checked, and analysed using a rigorous process of coding. Five major conclusions were arrived at and have been presented in this thesis as practical implications to help others start—or develop—a literary magazine at their school.