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?
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
- Elementary school
- Literacy methods course
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
1
Duration of Data Collection
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