Abstract
This study investigates the viability of disciplinary literacy by (1) examining whether English teachers can use disciplinary methods to read a disciplinary text and (2) identifying possible relationships between teacher training and the use of disciplinary approaches. In total, 21 English instructors thought-aloud as they read an unfamiliar poem, and two independent raters evaluated each transcribed response as either “Disciplinary” or “General” depending on the types of reading strategies demonstrated using a rubric generated from previous expert-novice studies in literary reading. This study found that ten (10) of the 21 participants used at least one disciplinary method to make sense of the text, while the remaining eleven (11) participants relied solely on general literacy strategies. This study also found a relationship between participants’ use of disciplinary methods and (1) master’s degrees in English and (2) experience as a scorer for the AP English Literature exam. These findings suggest that not all English instructors are prepared to teach within a disciplinary literacy framework that relies on the teachers’ proficiency in their discipline’s methods of reading and thinking. It also suggests areas for additional research including teacher education and professional development.
Recommended Citation
Cantrell, Matt
(2022)
"Disciplinary Literacy in Practice: Examining How English Teachers Read Literary Texts,"
Literacy Practice and Research: Vol. 47:
No.
3, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/lpr/vol47/iss3/2