Learning to teach, learning to act: becoming a critical literacy teacher.

Abstract

Critical literacy requires an exploration of privilege and social justice. This includes an exploration of power and action in one’s “inner” and “outer” lives. This qualitative case study illustrates the ways in which Jonah, a preservice teacher, navigates social practices and actions in his roles as a student, activist, and literacy teacher. Through critical discourse analysis, we conceptualize social action in relation to critical literacy teaching, using a framework of discourses of, discourses as, and discourses in action to construct a nuanced understanding of social action in relation to critical literacy. Given the demands of a standardized curriculum on teachers’ autonomy, this is an important illustration of how social action can be enacted and embodied through the act of teaching.

Reference

Rogers, R., Mosley Wetzel, M., & O’Daniels, K. (2016). Learning to teach, learning to act: becoming a critical literacy teacher. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 11(4), 292-310.

Journal

Pedagogies: An International Journal

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

Case study
Qualitiative

Geographic Setting

Midwestern University

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Elementary

Programatic Focus

Literacy Education

Research Location Context

Elementary school
Literacy methods course

Preservice Participants

Graduate Students

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

1 year

Data Sources

artifacts
fieldnotes
pre- and post-interviews
Video

Data Analysis Tools

Critical Discourse Analysis
Gee's (2011) tools of inquiry (e.g. figured worlds)

Researcher Positionality

A combination of their own students and students from other programs

Research Questions

When invited to practice critical literacy, how do preservice teachers respond?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No

How does a teacher conceptualize social action in relation to critical literacy?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No