“Relocating the Personal” to engender critically reflective practice in pre-service literacy teachers

Abstract

This case study mapped candidates' responses to a pre-service literacy course designed to relocate teacher candidates' literacy histories and beliefs from a personal to political frame with the intent of promoting critical reflection and complex understandings of literacy, teaching, and learning. As part of a broader qualitative case study including 71 participants over 8 months, this paper focuses on data gathered from 7 candidates. Through a modified constant comparative method, the analysis confirmed the effectiveness of certain conditions created in the course while pointing to a need for further attention to issues of power and the unconscious in learning to teach literacy.

Reference

Heydon, R., & Hibbert, K. (2010). “Relocating the Personal” to engender critically reflective practice in pre-service literacy teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(4), 796–804. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2009.10.016

Journal

Teaching and Teacher Education

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

Canada

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Elementary

Programatic Focus

Elementary

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

Post bachs (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

Data Sources

Interviews
life history interview
online discussions
Survey
written reflections/class papers

Data Analysis Tools

coding "according to predictive themes and pattern matched"

Researcher Positionality

inside (staying their own students)
Inside (studying their own programs)

Research Questions

"how did candidates respond to the pedagogical approaches selected in a literacy education course that were designed to relocate their literacy histories and beliefs from a personal to a political frame with the intent of promoting critical reflection and complex understandings of literacy, teaching, and learning?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

"Furthermore, what experiences did candidates bring with them to the course and in what ways was the course challenged by these experiences and these experiences challenged by the course?"
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown