Author Date

2026-06-16

Degree Name

BA

Department

English

College

Humanities

Defense Date

2025-07-25

Publication Date

2026-06-16

First Faculty Advisor

Amber Jensen

First Faculty Reader

Tyler Gardner

Honors Coordinator

Aaron Eastley

Keywords

writing centers, secondary school writing centers, third space theory, banking model of education

Abstract

This thesis examines the ways that Homi Bhabha’s postcolonial Third Space theory aligns with writing centers, and more specifically writing centers in secondary schools. The thesis introduces Third Space theory in six characteristics and the ways that writing centers are Third Spaces. Next, through content analysis, 25 mission statements from secondary school writing centers are qualitatively coded to reveal what writing centers prioritize and understand about their center. The thesis finishes with a framework called Third Space thinking, providing examples of how writing centers as Third Spaces can help to develop a more just and equitable educational experience for students by giving students more autonomy and moving away from the banking model of education (Freire).

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