Preservice teacher understandings of adolescent literacy development: Naive wonder to dawning realization to intellectual rigor

Abstract

The authors document three stages of development their students progress through in the two integrated preservice courses they teach. In the first stage of “naive wonder,” the students exhibit enthusiasm for adolescent literacy development but provide only superficial, simplistic, and clichéd responses. At the stage of “dawning realization,” students begin to recognize the challenges involved and shift their focus from themselves as teachers to their students as learners. By the end of the two integrated courses, the students were in the third stage and approaching their responsibility for literacy development with intellectual rigor.

Reference

Freedman, L. & Carver, C. (2007). Preservice teacher understandings of adolescent literacy development: Naive wonder to dawning realization to intellectual rigor. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 50(8), 654-665.

Journal

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

yes

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

Action Research

Geographic Setting

not stated

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Secondary

Programatic Focus

English
History
Literacy Education
Mathematics
Physics
Science

Research Location Context

Content area literacy course
General Methods Course

Preservice Participants

undergraduate preservice teachers

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

2 summer semesters

Data Sources

written reflections/class papers

Data Analysis Tools

grounded theory
narrative analysis (Labov)

Researcher Positionality

inside (staying their own students)

Research Questions

What are students’ general understandings of teaching, students, and learning?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

How do our students’ understand literacy processes?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

How do our students under- stand their role in supporting secondary students’ literacy development?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

How do candidates come to understand their role as teachers of literacy?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes