Exploring Evolving Role(s) of Literacy in Secondary Preservice Teachers’ Work: A Comparative Case Study
Abstract
While literacy courses are common in preservice teacher education programs, many secondary teacher candidates struggle to the see the relevance of literacy to their professional work. By exploring literacy in relation to personal, professional, and disciplinary identities, teacher candidates may better be able to embrace literacy integration as an important part of their larger professional work. This study examines how two teachers, Emma (art) and Lisa (physical education/dance), evolve in their understanding and implementation of literacy during a one-semester secondary literacy course. Given opportunities to engage with literacy through reflection on their personal experiences and within discipline-rich professional contexts through lesson planning, these two teachers demonstrate subtle but important shifts in both literacy use and perspective toward the role of literacy in their future professional practice.
Reference
Hsieh, B. (2017). Exploring Evolving Role (s) of Literacy in Secondary Preservice Teachers’ Work: A Comparative Case Study. Literacy Research and Instruction, 56(4), 342-361.
Journal
Literacy Research and Instruction
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
Preservice Sample Size
2
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- assignments
- lesson plans
- reflective essay
Data Analysis Tools
- Coding (descriptive)
- Theoretical memos
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
"What is the relationship between various elements of TCs’ personal and professional identities and their use of literacy in their lesson planning?" (p. 346)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
"How do experiences with literacy impact their perspectives toward literacy as a tool in their professional lives?" (p. 346)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes