Excavating archaeology education: An insider perspective of introductory archaeology

This dissertation is an ethnographic study of how disciplinary knowledge was constructed between and among the members of an introductory archaeology course taught at the University of California-Santa Barbara. Although ethnographic methods were used to collect information, several different analytical techniques were used including discourse, domain, textual, and intertextual analyses. Through the discourse analysis, the researcher was able to identify the main archaeological concepts presented to students in the course. Using domain, textual, and intertextual analyses, the researcher was able to identify the ways in which students re-presented the archaeology presented to them in the course.;The researcher examined two sets of written texts---the midterm and final exams for the course. Through these two exams, students were able to demonstrate their ability to write archaeologically or to write the discipline. The ability to write the discipline played a key role in the success or failure of students in the course. The researcher contrasted three pairs of high-low exams for both the midterm and final exams to identify patterns that separated high-scoring exams from low-scoring exams. The analysis showed that students who scored high on the exam included not only specific archaeological terms and concepts; they also included an explanation of the theory and reasoning behind the use of the terms. Students who scored low on the exam omitted key archaeological terms and, generally, did not provide a rationale for using the terms.;This study was specifically about archaeology, but it has broader educational implications. If students are going to be tested on their ability to write archaeologically or to write specific disciplines, then it is imperative that they be taught to write the discipline in their classrooms. This study examined the opportunities afforded students in my introductory archaeology discussion sections to engage in authentic archaeological practices and to learn to write archaeologically.