Teachers’ Academic literacy knowledge

• In this study, a total of 18 in-service teachers participated in one cycle of a learning study (Marton, 2015; Holmqvist, 2011) aiming to study development of academic literacy. The study was guided by variation theory (Marton 2015; Holmqvist, Gustavsson & Wernberg, 2008). The object of learning is academic literacy, a subject of importance for all teachers, as their professional work is supposed to be conducted on scientific based knowledge. The capability to read and understand scientific publications, and to judge the scientific value of different sources used by teachers, are crucial for the quality of teachers’ professional work. The study was designed following the steps of a learning study. This means collaborative discussions among the teachers, in this case the researchers who are the authors of this abstract, testing the participants’ knowledge before the teaching activity, by designing and implementing instruction offer the participants to discern the critical aspects of academic literacy to gain deeper knowledge, analysis of post-tests to describe the learning outcome, and to present the results. The lesson was focusing on the structure of, and differences between, scientific and popular scientific texts. Two texts were used presenting the same study and by the same author. By that, the in-service teachers were offered to see the same topics differently described based on the two different genre’s requirements. The results show how the participants in the pre-test focuses on the texts’ similarities, with an unawareness of genre differences. In the post-test, the differences in genre is described. A limitation of the study is that the two texts used in pre and post-tests are focusing slightly different topics, which is discerned and focused by the participants – an aspect not critical for developing academic literacy at a general level.ReferencesHolmqvist, M. (2011). Teachers’ learning in a learning study. Instructional science, 39(4), 497-511.Holmqvist, M., Gustavsson, L. & Wernberg, A. (2008) Variation Theory – An Organizing Principle to Guide Design Research in Education. In Kelly, A.E., Lesh, R., &. Baek J. (eds) Handbook of design research methods in education, p 111-130. New York: Routledge. Marton, F. (2015). Necessary conditions of learning. London: Routledge.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogiskt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogical Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Academic literacy

in-service education

learning study

variation theory

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)