Becoming Critical Researchers analyzes the findings of a two-year ethnographic study of the
apprenticeship of urban youth as critical researchers of popular culture. Drawing on new
literacy studies critical pedagogy and sociocultural learning theory this book documents the
changes in student participation within a critical research-focused community of practice.
These changes include the acquisition and development of academic and critical literacies and
the resulting translations of these literacies into increased academic performance greater
access to college and commitment to social action. This book inserts critical and postmodern
theory into the conception and evaluation of classroom practice and its findings suggest that
programs centering on the lived experiences of teens can indeed achieve the goals of critical
education while also promoting academic achievement in urban schools.
