This qualitative research maps multiliteracies onto the pedagogy of teachers of kindergarten through grade 12. It examines how teachers ready their students to become multiliterate beings, that is, how teachers approach literacy in a manner that is reflective of the diversity of students in order to prepare them for their futures in a competitive digital world.
Twenty teachers from Northwestern Ontario were selected using intensity sampling to participate in audio-taped interviews. The sample included three teachers from each of the elementary grades (kindergarten, primary, junior and intermediate) and eight teachers from the secondary panel (intermediate/senior). Teachers were nominated by school administrators and curriculum leaders based on a provided list of multiliteracies indicators. An interview guide was used to isolate elements of the content of multiliteracies (designing processes) and the form (situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing and transformed practice). One teacher from each of the four elementary grade divisions, as well as two teachers from the secondary level were observed and participated in follow-up interviews. Individual interviews were coded using a deductive frame as well as constant comparison. The observational field notes and follow-up interviews were used as triangulation to enrich the interview data. Excel and macros were used to organize the data.
Findings document teachers’ conscious inclusions of content reflective of student subjectivities as well as the need for teachers to continue to challenge the role of literacy as more than compensatory education. Teachers’ pedagogies were rooted in engaging students and demonstrated a focus on the affective needs of students that reached beyond multiliteracies theory. Both critical literacies and information technology were integrated into pedagogy, although teachers reported feelings of low confidence and the desire for additional professional development opportunities. Other findings that emerged emphasized a range in orientations to student risk in literacy learning and strong alignments with provincial protocol. This study advances the research field by describing connections between multiliteracies as a theoretical frame and teachers’ perceptions of their literacy practices across grades K-12 and highlights ways in which multiliteracies can extend literacy pedagogy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/27590 |
| Date | 09 June 2011 |
| Creators | Main, Kristin Lee |
| Contributors | Stagg Peterson, Shelley |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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