Research topic/aim

The aim of the project is to study how teachers in varying early years literacy practices understand and talk about the knowledge they have gained of success factors in developing reading and writing skills to pre-empt, identify and remove obstacles for literacydevelopment. Our ambition is to initiate and stimulate discussion and exchange of information between teachers at the four schools.

 The project is expected to provide specialised knowledge regarding success factors in developing reading and writing skills as well as generating theoretical and methodological knowledge in the field. In addition, the project can offer opportunities for cooperation between different professions and for establishing practice-based research and learning environments.

 Theoretical framework

We use Critical Literacy (CL) as the theoretical framework to study and analyze teachers’ statements. Janks (2000, 2010) mentions four dimensions of written language: domination, access, diversity, and design. These four dimensions are interconnected, overlapping, and necessary for understanding the full extent of what a literacy practice entails. We will use Janks’ concepts to analyze the material in this study

 Methodology/research design

The research project involves teachers in four Swedish schools with different

literacy profiles. The project is divided into four parts. First, focus group discussions were carried out with the teachers at .each school. In the next part focus group exchanges between the participating teachers have been carried out at a mini conference at the researchers University. Revisits to the schools with feedback will be performed, and the project will be presented at conferences and articles.

 Expected conclusions/findings and relevance to Nordic educational research

As far, we can already see that teachers have developed theoretical and methodological knowledge regarding success factors in developing reading and writing skills. The material displays several examples of how teacher can work pre-emptively and remove obstacles in the learning process. This is realised through a multimodal and collaborative method adapted to students’ different potentials and needs.  The teachers’ descriptions make evident that they operate on different linguistic levels and switch between teaching form and function and connecting teaching content to the students’ world and various social issues.  

 The project is expected to provide specialised knowledge regarding success factors in developing reading and writing skills as well as generating theoretical and methodological knowledge in the field.   In addition, the project can offer opportunities for cooperation between different professions and for establishing practice-based research and learning environments.

 Preliminary findings 

-        How teachers work pre-emptively to remove obstacles in the learning process

-        Multimodal and collaborative method are adapted to students’ different potentials and needs

-        The teachers operate on different linguistic levels and switch between teaching form and function

-        The teachers are connecting teaching content to the students’ world and various  social issues

-        The teachers shows theoretical and methodological knowledge regarding success factors in developing reading and writing skills