The purpose of this qualitative comparative case study is to explore the impact of teaching developmental writing through the lens of the ideological model of literacy (Street, 2003) with a new literacies stance (Bailey, 2012). The research compared the engagement levels of students who were given writing instructions through the lens of the autonomous model of literacy (Street, 2003) with those that were taught through the ideological model. Based on interviews, surveys, and classroom observations, this study examined how students engaged with writing and each other in two college writing classrooms. Additionally, one of the study's purposes was to determine whether the teaching practices and pedagogies of adjunct instructors could be enhanced and/or informed using theories in new literacies, specifically multimodality, new literacies, and new literacy studies (NLS). Lastly, the research sought to answer the question of whether or not characteristics of these theories and the ideological model of literacy can be used to address inequities within writing classrooms. Various themes emerged in this study which showed that theories in new literacies influence student engagement and instructor teaching practices in developmental writing. This research sought to fill the gap that currently exists for writing instruction in first-year college developmental writing courses. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]