Social justice, pedagogy and multiliteracies : developing communities of practice for teacher education

• Published in: The Australian journal of teacher education 2009-06, Vol.34 (3), p.82-99
• Main Author: Wendy Cumming-Potvin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Australia; Back to Basics; Case studies; Communities of Practice; Curriculum Council of Western Australia; Discourse analysis; Diversity (Student); Elementary School Teachers; English teacher education; Figurative Language; Focus groups; Foreign Countries; Higher education; Interviews; Learning communities; Literacy; Literacy education; Multiple literacies; Murdoch University. School of Education; New London Group; Parent child relationship; Picture books; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Primary education; Primary school students; Primary school teachers; Qualitative Research; Social Justice; Sociocultural theory; Student teacher attitudes; Student teachers; Teaching process; Vygotskyan theory; Wenger (E); Western Australia. Dept of Education and Training
• ISSN: 0313-5373; 1835-517X; 1835-517X
• DOI: 10.14221/ajte.2009v34n3.4

Celebrating and responding equitably to diversity have become increasingly essential for teachers' work in the new millennium, which is characterised by shifting local and global communities. Aiming to broaden conceptions of teacher education within a predominantly 'back to basics' literacy environment, this article draws on selected results from a qualitative study underpinned by the metaphor of communities of practice. Conducted in Western Australia, the project involved a small group of preservice teachers using a pedagogy of 'multiliteracies' in face-to-face and online settings to construct understandings about literacy learning and teaching. This article focuses on one pre-service teacher, who engaged with multiple discourses and communities of practice on the journey of becoming a professional teacher. Conclusions call for a re-conceptualisation of teaching communities and sustainable innovation across teaching education to encourage critical and socially just literacy learning. [Author abstract]