“A Rainforest in Front of a Bulldozer”: The Literacy Practices of Teacher Candidates Committed to Social Justice
Abstract
This critical ethnographic study explores how two teacher candidates in English education used specific and varied literacy practices to enact their social justice priorities at a troubled high school in a high-need district. Data include interviews before and after the student teaching experience; observations of teaching, blogs, journals, and emails; and coursework required of candidates. Critical discourse analysis was used to analyze the data. The New Literacy Studies and teaching for social justice frameworks were foundational to this research. In addition, the theory of testimonial reading, as outlined by Felman (1992) and Boler (1999), was used to demonstrate how the two candidates worked within and against the system to resist deficit models of their students and ultimately bear witness to their students’ experiences.
Reference
Johnson, J. (2012). "A Rainforest in Front of a Bulldozer": The Literacy Practices of Teacher Candidates Committed to Social Justice. English Education, 44(2), 147-179.
Journal
English Education
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
- Secondary school
- student teaching placement schools
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
2
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Classroom Discussion
- email correspondence
- Interviews
- lesson plans
- Observations
- Reflective journals
Data Analysis Tools
- Critical Discourse Analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
What literacy practices do teacher candidates utilize as they attempt to enact their commitment to social justice in a high-need school during student teaching?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
What tensions are evident in their language?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
What do their experiences say about how this teacher education program prepares—or does not—candidates to work in high-need schools?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes