I know what literacy means: Student teacher accounts

Abstract

This paper explores beginning pre-service teaching students’ common perceptions of the meaning of the term literacy. The methodology used is described in terms of phenomenographic analyses and the outcome, an array presentation of concepts in diagrammatic form. It establishes that students’ conceptions of literacy are embedded predominantly in the reading and writing of written texts which is at variance with contemporary teaching practices of critical literacy. This paper proposes that this process and presentation is useful to pre-service teaching institutes in engaging in the debate highlighted in recent public reports, of the need to demonstrate competency in literacy as a condition of Queensland teacher registration.

Reference

Penn-Edwards, S. (2011). I know what literacy means: Student teacher accounts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 36(6). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2011v36n6.4

Journal

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

Analysis

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

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

Research Approach

Phenomenography

Geographic Setting

Queensland

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Primary (UK term)
Secondary

Programatic Focus

English

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

Post bachs (university based program)
Undergraduates (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

309

Duration of Data Collection

3 months or less

Data Sources

open ended questions
Survey

Data Analysis Tools

Phenomenographic analysis

Researcher Positionality

Inside (studying their own programs)

Research Questions

What are "beginning teaching students' conceptions of literacy" (p.16)?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination