Professional learning in a scaffolded 'multiliteracies book club' : transforming primary teacher participation

• Published in: Issues in educational research 2013-01, Vol.23 (3), p.357-374
• Main Authors: Gardiner, Veronica, Cumming-Potvin, Wendy, Hesterman, Sandra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 21st century; Attitude Change; Australia; Book clubs; Case Studies; Clubs; Collaboration; Communities of Practice; Cooperation; Critical thinking; Curricula; Education reform; Educational Environment; Elementary School Teachers; Faculty Development; Focus Groups; Foreign Countries; Government schools; Group discussion; Knowledge; Learning; Learning communities; Learning Processes; Learning strategies; Literacy; Literacy Education; Multiple Literacies; National Curriculum; Participation; Pedagogy; Postsecondary education; Primary school teachers; Professional development; Public schools; Qualitative Research; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Text Structure
• ISSN: 1837-6290; 0313-7155; 1837-6290

In response to rapidly changing communication practices in an increasingly technological world, evolving literacy concepts such as multimodality, are now acknowledged in the new Australian Curriculum. Ironically, primary school teacher professional development in Western Australia remains closely tied to a mono-modal, print focused paradigm. This study integrated the multiliteracies and communities of practice frameworks, aiming to generate participatory professional learning about new literacy concepts. The qualitative case study explored how one group of seven public primary schoolteachers from outer metropolitan WA, collaboratively transformed their literacy learning during a scaffolded 'multiliteracies book club'. Spanning six months and including five book club meetings and two focus groups, teachers collaborated with the researcher-facilitator (first author) in multimodal practices using diverse text formats and resources. This article presents early thematic analysis of book club discussions, finding evidence for teachers' shift towards multiliteracies' perspectives, within a community of practice. The study highlights how the participative features of a multiliteracies book club model can support literacy transformation. [Author abstract]