“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?

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

Research Approach

critical
Ethnographic

Geographic Setting

East Coast

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Secondary

Programatic Focus

English

Research Location Context

Secondary school
student teaching placement schools

Preservice Participants

Undergraduates (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

Academic Semester

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