Critical reading discourse of pre-service English teachers in Turkey
Abstract
This case study was conducted in order to observe and investigate the critical reading discourse (CRD) of 27 freshman pre-service teachers of English at the department of foreign language teaching at a state university in Turkey. In addition, the study attempts to answer the question of how the critical reading discourse of the students is shaped through feedback, instruction, and time. The written and audio-visual data were collected in the Advanced Reading and Writing I and II courses, which are offered to first-year students in the Foreign Language Education (FLE) department. The results of the data analysis indicate that the critical reading discourse of the freshman pre-service teachers of English involves interpretive, evaluative, and responsive discourse. Evaluative discourse was found to be limited in students’ written work and discussions when compared to interpretive and responsive discourse. The students also usually tended to evaluate the content of the texts rather than their form. It was also found that instruction about academic writing fosters critical thinking, but it was not sufficient to encourage critical reading.
Reference
Balikçi, G., & Daloglu, A. (2016). Critical reading discourse of pre-service English teachers in Turkey. TESL-EJ, 20(1), n1.
Journal
TESL-EJ (Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language)
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
- Reading and writing coursework
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
27
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- assignments
- Audio recordings
- Video Recordings of Seminar Discussions
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
"To what extent is the critical reading discourse reflected in students’ written work?" (p.6).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
"How is critical reading discourse (CRD) shaped and constructed through A. feedback, B. instruction, C. over one academic year in students’ written work?" (p.6)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
"What is the nature of the critical reading discourse students reflected in their written work?" (p.6).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
"To what extent is the CRD reflected in students’ whole class discussions?" (p.6).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes