Academic reading as a social practice in higher education

• Published in: Higher education 2023-06, Vol.85 (6), p.1337-1355
• Main Authors: Afdal, Hilde W., Spernes, Kari, Hoff-Jenssen, Reidun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Language; Cognitive development; Curriculum Development; Education; Educational Environment; Group activities; Higher Education; Learning environment; Literacy; Literacy programs; Methods; Professional Training; Reading; Reading Instruction; Reading Skills; Seminars; Social aspects; Social environment; Teacher centers; Teacher Education; Teacher Improvement; Teachers; Training; Undergraduate Study
• ISSN: 0018-1560; 1573-174X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10734-022-00893-x

In this study, an undergraduate teacher education course is used to explore whether and how academic reading seminars reflect the theoretical notion of academic literacies and provide a learning environment for developing academic and professional learning and engagement . The data analyzed in this article are transcribed recordings of small group activities where students discuss scientific articles based on a template. First, our empirical analysis shows that the use of the template facilitated dialogical discussions and the development of a cognitive skillset and disciplinary categories when used in a social setting .  Second, we found that the most challenging part of designing a reading practice related to the academic literacies tradition was fostering a dialogical environment for discussing the validity of findings across different contexts and provide for discussions encompassing complexity, nuances, and meaning making. We found traces of such discussions in all the transcripts; however, many examples were in a premature stage. The paper concludes with a discussion on, and some suggestions for, further development of the template used in the reading seminars.