One of the biggest challenges for middle grades education majors is transitioning into the habits of mind of a teacher. This examination of assumptions is amplified for non-ELA content area majors as they engage with required literacy education courses.  Many of these students do not see themselves as strong readers or skilled writers; further, they do not appreciate literacy as a vital component of content area instruction.

To challenge students' assumptions, the presenters restructured Application of Content Area Literacy for Middle-Level Learners, a required course, to promote purposeful examination of literacy education by using a reading/writing format similar to that popular in local middle schools.  Student feedback indicated that this structure challenged both their understanding of literacy and their comfort as learners and as teachers, creating the disorienting dilemma needed to launch transformative learning.  Further, student responses from the first semester of implementation indicated that these students felt supported in the classroom holding space while negotiating their new roles as comprehensive content area instructors.

Session participants will be introduced to the Critical Incident Questionnaire (Brookfield, 1986), the measure used during this research. Attendees will explore the curricular framework used to launch the challenging of assumptions and subsequent transformative learning. 

There is a significant need for literacy education instruction.  In Missouri, teacher preparation programs require eight credit hours of introduction to literacy coursework, regardless of content area specialization.  Determining the most effective way to prepare teachers to serve middle-grade learners is a salient inquiry for research.

Students’ writing declines as they advance into secondary grades, attributed in part to writing transitions from an integrated part of content area curriculum to an isolated class.  Likewise, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, reading scores have stagnated, and these scores are particularly concerning for students with disabilities.  Because of these deficiencies, the Common Core State Standards include cross-disciplinary literacy standards in each content area in the middle grades to prepare students for participation in the workforce. This inclusion is “predicated on the idea that content area teachers will use their expertise to teach, guide, and engage students in the reading, writing, speaking, and language relevant to the respective discipline” (National Governors Association, 2010).  This is especially relevant in content areas with specific writing formats, such as science, as it can support student understanding of the identities, activities, and patterns of thinking within the field.  Likewise, writing in math “provides opportunities for students to demonstrate mathematical understanding and construct arguments.

 In the Introduction to Literacy Block II course, we have experimented with using a Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop format for presenting course content to our students.  The workshop is commonly used in elementary and middle grades as a way to individualize instruction, engage students in self-directed learning, and facilitate differentiation and formative assessment.   In addition to general use in the elementary classrooms, recent research has explored the use of the writing workshop model in science and math content areas, providing opportunities for additional instruction in content area, application of learning, and information about student understanding. However, as Wendt, notes, “the typical math or science teacher, for example, may lack the support and training necessary to fully implement the teaching of literacy.

Given the potential value of this teaching model, it is important to instruct preservice middle school teachers about the workshop model.  Experiential learning has been established as an “ideal framework for delivering middle grades curriculum” specifically notes, “preservice teachers need to write and to experience the instructional approaches they might use in their future classrooms” as many preservice teachers assume that their students will arrive with knowledge of content area writing which research has demonstrated they often lack.

In addition to the value of experiential learning, the workshop presentation employs a social constructivist model which is increasingly prized in classrooms as teachers seek to build collaboration and other real-world communication skills.

The final consideration in this research is supporting teacher candidates as they move from reflection-on-action to reflection-in-action.  This evolution in thinking can be supported by the use of structured reflection both on course content and on individual learning and application.  For this reason, the data collection instrument in this study is adapted from Brookfield’s Critical Incident Questionnaire.

Beck, C., & Kosnik, C. (2006). Innovations in teacher education: A social constructivist approach. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Brookfield, S. (1986). Understanding and facilitating adult learning: A comprehensive analysis of principles and effective practices. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA). (2010). Common core state standards for English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Kleine, K. & McBryar, L. (2009). Preservice teachers experience middle grades curriculum. Middle School Journal,40(3), 28-36.

Martin, C. L. (2015). Writing as a tool to demonstrate mathematical understanding. School Science & Mathematics, 115(6), 302-313. doi:10.1111/ssm.12131

National Center for Education Statistics. (2012). The nation's report card: Writing 2011. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2012470

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common core state standards initiative. Retrieved December 23, 2010 from http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards/english-language-arts-standards.

Pytash, K. (2013). Secondary preservice teachers’ development of teaching scientific writing. The Association for Science Teacher Education, 24, 793–810.

Teague, G., Anfara, V., Wilson, N., Gaines, C., & Beavers, J. (2012). Instructional practices in the middle grades: A mixed methods case study. NASSP Bulletin, 96(3), 203-227.

Wendt, J. (2013). Combating the crisis in adolescent literacy: Exploring literacy in the secondary classroom. American Secondary Education, 41(2), 38-48.

30-Minute Research Session

Launching Transformative Learning