Preservice teacher understandings of adolescent literacy development: Naive wonder to dawning realization to intellectual rigor
Abstract
The authors document three stages of development their students progress through in the two integrated preservice courses they teach. In the first stage of “naive wonder,” the students exhibit enthusiasm for adolescent literacy development but provide only superficial, simplistic, and clichéd responses. At the stage of “dawning realization,” students begin to recognize the challenges involved and shift their focus from themselves as teachers to their students as learners. By the end of the two integrated courses, the students were in the third stage and approaching their responsibility for literacy development with intellectual rigor.
Reference
Freedman, L. & Carver, C. (2007). Preservice teacher understandings of adolescent literacy development: Naive wonder to dawning realization to intellectual rigor. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 50(8), 654-665.
Journal
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
- English
- History
- Literacy Education
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Science
Research Location Context
- Content area literacy course
- General Methods Course
Preservice Participants
- undergraduate preservice teachers
Preservice Sample Size
32
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- written reflections/class papers
Data Analysis Tools
- grounded theory
- narrative analysis (Labov)
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
What are students’ general understandings of teaching, students, and learning?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do our students’ understand literacy processes?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do our students under- stand their role in supporting secondary students’ literacy development?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do candidates come to understand their role as teachers of literacy?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes