Developing a story of theory and practice: multigenre writing in English teacher education.
Abstract
This article presents a study exploring preservice teachers' experiences with multigenre writing in a secondary English methods course. In multigenre writing (
Romano, 2000), students write about their research in a variety of genres as an alternative to the traditional research paper, presenting exposition in narrative forms. Preservice teachers in this study were assigned to write multigenre reflections that connected theory and practice from course readings. Their writing was supported through classroom workshops and discussion. Data collection included samples of preservice teachers' writing, transcripts of focus group interviews, and notes taken from class discussions about multigenre writing. Analysis of these data indicate that the participants in this study worked through their initial anxiety related to the unique expectations of multigenre writing; their written products demonstrate their willingness to push the boundaries of their own and instructor expectations and to craft increasingly sophisticated connections between theory and practice related to teaching English/language arts. Suggestions for incorporation of multigenre writing in teacher education courses are provided.
Reference
Rush, L. S. (2009). Developing a story of theory and practice: multigenre writing in English teacher education. The Teacher Educator, 44(3), 204–216. http://doi.org/10.1080/08878730902960735
Journal
The Teacher Educator
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
-8
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Classroom Discussion
- Document Analysis
- Interviews
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
- Content analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
What are preservice teachers' experiences, anxieties and plans to use multigenre writing in their own classroom?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No
What are the links between theory and practice made evident in preservice teachers' multigenre writing?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No
How do the links between theory and practice from the multigenre writing compare with the links students make during class discussion?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No