A Phenomenological Investigation of Transactional Reading Experiences of 12th Grade Digital Natives in Rural Northeast Georgia: Print and Digital Texts

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study is to describe the print and digital transactional reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives at Mountain High School in rural, northeast Georgia. The research questions include: What are the reading experiences of 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with print texts? How do 12th grade digital natives in a rural high school in northeast Georgia describe their transactional experiences with digital texts? Participants included a purposeful sample of 10 high school seniors who were 18 years of age at the time of the study, have had experience reading print and digital texts in fiction and non-fiction genres, and who admit an affinity for reading and willingness to participate in the study. Data was collected using qualitative surveys, journaling, and interviews. Data analysis utilized the theme-based framework approach including data management (indexing), descriptive accounts (categorizing dimensions and typologies), and explanatory accounts (charting) as outlined by Ritchie and Lewis (2003). The themes identified during data analysis included external features of print and digital texts, classroom dimensions of reading, reading as a sensory experience, reading as a social activity, emotional relationship with reading, and first generation digital natives. Each theme is discussed in detail in the results section of chapter four