Two Year Action Research
Leading Literacy
for
School Improvement
Day 2: Understanding Project Elements
Developing a Global View
of
School Improvement
Developing a Global View of School Improvement
Appraising Your Research problem through:
Literacy and school improvement Pedagogy and school improvement Leadership and school improvement
Clarifications
To support individuals teachers working together school improvement
Findings may support colleagues school
Intellectual capital is yours Consultant Modality:
in the indicative and subjunctive mood not the imperative
Research Problem So Far
In School Groups Identify each individual’s research
problem(s) Name the research group’s (current)
overarching research problem How can the individual’s research problem
support the group’s research problem?
Context: SACS Literacy Strategy
…key will be an overarching and stronger awareness on the growing
diversity of our students and the complexities of the literacies’ demands professional development on
multi-literacies literacy as social practice critical literacy multi modal literacy and effective pedagogies
Context: The 4 ‘Approaches’ to Literacy
1. Requirements for literacy in the future SACE
2. Evaluation of each student’s literacy needs
3. Literacy in all subjects
4. Enhancing teaching and learning of literacy
Context: SACS Literacy Strategy
Literacy
is the flexible and sustainable mastery of a repertoire of practices with the texts of traditional and new communications technologies via spoken language, print and multimedia
Context: New SACE Literacy Definition
Literacy is defined as:
the ability to understand, analyse, critically respond to, and create
spoken, written and visual communications and use information communication
technologies
in different contexts.
Multiliteracies
A metalanguage that describes construction of meanings through discourse and language games (genres) as design elements:
Audio design Spatial design Gestural design Visual design Linguistic design (oral and written) Multimodal design
Multiliteracies
Discourse: constructs aspects of reality domain of human endeavour / knowledge represents particular positions or point of view represents particular interests language (design element) shapes and shaped by social
practice Can be named:
Preventative Health Market Economy AFL Football Action research Assessment
Subject to change and appropriation through relation to other discourses
Multiliteracies
Genres: language games
Identified, described and characterised by: purpose cultural and social context language choices relation to other texts (intertextual) known and evolving social practices
Multiliteracies
Genres: language games
Categories defined e.g. Church Liturgy subject to appropriation and change e.g. Church Liturgy
across time particular purposes
Use of language (design elements) and text construction can mix genres e.g.
Medical examination Counselling session Informal conversation
Multiliteracies
Discourses and genres:
...characterisations of texts in terms of genres and discourses are best regarded as provisional approximations, because they are cultural interpretations of texts that depend on the analysts fuzzy but operationally adequate feel for culture, as well as specialist knowledges … (Cope and Kalantzis)
Text
Working definition:
A text is a unit of communication (such as a single word, a
sentence, a play) constructed and presented in a particular medium
(print, oral, visual, performance, electronic, multi-modal)
in relation to other texts representing one or more ideas interpreted in context.
Text Practices
Encoder < -- > Text < -- > Decoder
Text consumer: reading practices The decoder is the audience member/members who view
or read the text with a preferred reading a negotiated reading an oppositional reading
Text composer: creative and analytical practices encoder fits purpose to beliefs influenced by decoder to suit their piece to the audience engages in deliberate choices
The research as a question of literacy
Guiding Question In what sense has my research problem engaged with the
SACCS and SACE literacy strategies and definitions?
Prompting Questions Which text practices has my research problem identified? Can I use one or more multiliteracies design elements in
my research design? How will you name and explain my research problem as a
single or set of discourses? In what ways is the research problem going to build into
my existing work on literacy?
Researching Literacy
Mixed groups: Jigsaw reading of either
Critical Literacy for School Improvement Action Research: a Vehicle for Inspiring
Multiliteracies
School groups Key questions
What I have I learnt about researching literacy from this article?
Which aspects could I / we use in our research design?
The research as a question of pedagogy
RiPIN Project Teachers working with students for
engagement with knowledge to produce learning
About educative relationships between students and teachers that support formation of knowledge and identity
Challenges
Learning experiences that are intellectually demanding along with appropriate pedagogy that supports student success
Connecting to and respecting student lifeworlds
To integrate lifeworld and subject discipline knowledges that don’t trivialise the other
Lifeworld knowledge for strong connectedness
Funds of knowledge Place Student literacy practices Popular culture Out of school learning sites
Subject discipline through challenging relevant learning tasks
Vocabulary Deep understanding Thinking Skills Understandings: knowledge Literacy practices
Influences on pedagogy
An ensemble of factors which constrain and provide possibilities Architectural forms Institutions, regulations, laws, administrative measures What is understood as the truth about teaching and
learning Ideas bout good pedagogy Technology Te logic of practice Teacher biography / identity Student identity
Logics of Practice
School organisation: How does school organisation support or constrain redesigning pedagogy? Timetable structure Teaching teams / faculties Architecture PD opportunities Rules for student support Assessment and reporting Resources for learning
Logics of Practice
School culture: How does the school culture constrain or support redesigning pedagogy? “That’s the way we do things around here” What is the truth about the students and their
communities? What is commonly understood as ‘good’
pedagogy? Politics of voice.
Logics of Practice
Pedagogy: How does pedagogy constrain or support learning? Having to cover specific content Keeping students engaged Lesson by lesson ; short / long tasks The logic of writing Literacy and learning Students as researchers Students as learners, in and out of school
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Performing learning through strong connectedness and challenging relevant learning tasks Planned pedagogical sequences Sequences that are linked Significant outcome / product produced Negotiation built in at various stages Emphasis on what is most important
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Strong Connectedness Generative themes from the concerns of the
students and their communities Classroom functions as a research centre Students are involved in producing their own
knowledge Authentic assessment for social action
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Diet / fast food Biography of older family member Youth culture eg goths / emo; identity
research Researching local community Peer tutoring to ofrm a band Science in local wetlands Exploring safety through maths Class newspaper
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Performing their learning Photostory Claymation Podcasts in science Powerpoints in Maths Model making in maths Exhibiton assessment / group individual
presentations
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Questions about Pedagogy How do I negotiate the curriculum? Which strategies do I use for building relationships with
students and connecting student lifeworlds to curriculum?
How do I support student reflection? How do I support students talk about themselves as learners?
What do we mean by explicit teaching and scaffolding? How do we give feedback on the quality of work? What do we give feedback on?
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Traditional Pedagogy : focus on teaching CAC Scripted curriculum Content syllabus
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Student Centred: focus on learning Negotiating the curriculum 1 Curriculum justice Learning process Do it yourself learning
Pedagogy and Connectedness
Effective Pedagogy: focus on teaching and learning Negotiating the curriculum 2 Accountability / outcomes Explicit teaching Scaffolding
Pedagogy and Connectedness
The Pedagogical Challenge How do I sustain high expectations for student
learning and positive relationships? How can I make my research into student life-
worlds pedagogically viable? How can I prepare my students to perform their
learning for an authentic audience? How can I scaffold student learning that enables
them to become independent learners? How do I negotiate the curriculum?
Processes for connected learning
Researching Designing Communicating Transforming Performing Reflecting
Researching
Students and teachers research
community funds of knowledge personal funds of knowledge negotiate rich learning tasks connected learning tasks
Designing
Planning and Negotiating
Students and teachers negotiate and collaborate to design learning activities assessment structures classroom operation
Communicating
Instructing and Teaching
Students and teacher communicate through a variety of modes to share understandings and offer explicit instruction
Transforming
Practising, exploring and investigating
Students actively interact with their worlds and transform knowledge gained through this
interaction into a variety of media
Performing
Testing
Students perform their learning and act upon their worlds in high stakes situations
for a variety of school and community audiences
Reflecting
Assessing and Evaluating
Students and teachers reflect on their learning, celebrating successes, ‘feeling the quality’, and identifying future challenges
Connectedness in the research
In school groups consider how might design your research to address: Learning experiences that are intellectually
demanding along with appropriate pedagogy that supports student success
Connecting to and respecting student lifeworlds To integrate lifeworld and subject discipline
knowledges that don’t trivialise the other.
The research as a question of leadership
Demonstrating leadership through my work My knowledge My experience How do I initiate improvement?
My work with colleagues and leaders How will my research engage with questions of
leadership?
Leadership in the research
Mixed Groups: Jigsaw The Leadership Challenge Section 1 and 4
or Distributed Leadership and School
Improvement
School Groups What have I learnt from these readings? Where can I use this information in my research
design?
Next Steps: Day 3
Using School Data: Naplan; Ways of using data to support project Sharing draft research design Determining norms / criteria for evaluation Evaluating another schools design
Next Steps: Readings
Data Transforming inquiry and action: Interweaving 27
flavors of action research: Chandler and Torbert
Evaluation Participatory action research and the public sphere,
Kemmis
Design: Community mapping as a research tool with youth ,
Amsden and Wynsberghe The development of apt citizenship education
through listening to young people’s voices, Warwick
Next Steps: School Visits
Day 1 Understanding school context and research problem
Day 2 Furthering the question Ethics documentation Possible observation of classroom practice / meetings
Day 3 Evaluating the question Manageability ‘Doability’ Drafting the proposal / research design for third central
PD day