Date of Award
2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
School of Education
First Advisor
Amy Heineke
Abstract
Young adolescents, particularly girls, often experience uncomfortable and negative relationships with their bodies, contributing to negative physical, mental, and emotional outcomes. Although educators have implemented interventions to address this issue, those grounded in positive embodiment remain underexplored. Specifically, the Developmental Theory of Embodiment (DTE), a prominent framework in eating disorder and body image research, has not been integrated into educational research or practice. This dissertation explores the integration of DTE into educational theory, practice, and pedagogy across three complementary articles and examines the teaching and learning of Be Body Positive (BBP), a positive embodiment intervention, with a fifth grade Girl Scout troop. The first article introduces DTE’s dimensions and domains as a framework for understanding student wellbeing. The second provides guidance for educators to promote positive embodiment through BBP’s curriculum and Core Competencies. The third empirically examines the teaching and learning of a BBP lesson, finding that pedagogical strategies such as visual inquiry, teacher self-disclosure, and depersonalization supported meaningful learning. This dissertation bridges body image and education research, demonstrating the potential of embodiment-informed pedagogy.
Recommended Citation
Buis, Elena, "Pedagogical Possibilities Toward Positive Embodiment: Applying the Developmental Theory of Embodiment to Educational Contexts" (2026). Dissertations. 4334.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4334
