Critically Reading Texts: What Students Do and How Teachers Can Help.
Abstract
Two case studies examined how and why students do and do not use a critical literacy stance to interpret texts and how teachers can help. Findings suggested that students are likely to ascribe themselves to the position they believe they are assigned to and that even when they recognize that societal structures can be harmful, they may believe that the dominant structures in place cannot be changed. To model critical literacy practices for students, educators can select a thought-provoking book and read some or all of it aloud with students, have students discuss what is valued or ignored within a given text, and consider the language that they use and the language they help students develop as they read and discuss texts.
Reference
Hall, L. A., & Piazza, S. V. (2008). Critically reading texts: What students do and how teachers can help. Reading Teacher, 62(1), 32-41.
Journal
The Reading Teacher
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
58
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- assignments
- Audio recordings
- in class reflections
- Interview following the course
Data Analysis Tools
- Coding (descriptive)
- time-ordered matrix
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
how elementary pre- service teachers’ participation in a book club influ- enced how they thought about selecting and using texts to foster a critical literacy stance with students.
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination