Action Research "Literacy across Curriculum"

Literacy across curriculum Zikirina S.S., Ibraimova A.M., Mckenna F.M. NIS Petropavlovsk

Methodology of the first stage

Outcomes of the first stage

The main question

How can we improve the literacy skills of our school through a whole school approach to the teaching of literary genres?

• Observation / survey
• Identifying the problem
• Planning of the first stage
• Developing writing skills of 11 grade students
• Analysis and reflection of the work in the 1 st stage
• Planning of the 2 nd stage

Objectives:

• Developing a multi-literacy approach to instruction in which language teachers and subject teachers alike are engaged in learning academic writing skills
• Creating explicit instructional material on the schematic and syntactic features identified in the school curriculum for all subject teachers

Procedure

Stage 3

Stage 1

Stage 2

Map of written tasks for English in 7-12 grades

Purposes of the research

Long –term purpose : (for teachers)

• Developing a multi-literacy approach to instruction in which language teachers and subject teachers alike are engaged in learning academic writing skills
• Creating explicit instructional material on the schematic and syntactic features identified in the school curriculum for all subject teachers

Short-term purpose: ( for students )

• Teaching students common strategies on how to write a sentence, a paragraph, an essay
• Developing a whole school guide to the teaching and writing of genres for English, Kazakh and Russian languages

First stage :

Collecting and analyzing data: What academic writing genres are needed in English subject area?

Determining common terms for essay structures

Application of these genres and terms in instruction during English lessons

• Second stage: Mapping of written tasks that students come across in the school curriculum, clarifying the need to take a wider approach to literacy in our school. Teachers professional development seminars to become highly effective in the practices of literacy education
• Second stage:
• Mapping of written tasks that students come across in the school curriculum, clarifying the need to take a wider approach to literacy in our school.
• Teachers professional development seminars to become highly effective in the practices of literacy education

• Third stage : Publishing of the materials on the website for teachers, students and parents (all participants of learning process)
• Third stage :
• Publishing of the materials on the website for teachers, students and parents (all participants of learning process)

Results of the first stage

• We determined what the specific genres learners would encounter throughout the curriculum in years 7-12 in the area of English language (mapping)
• Teachers of English department focused on approaches to developing the academic writing skills of students. Two seminars were held to improve their knowledge in teaching writing at a sentence, a paragraph and an essay level.
• Agreement on common terms for use between the teachers of the English department.
• Students improved their writing abilities .
• We suggest that students be grouped according to English language level in order to allow for advanced instruction in academic writing across the school curriculum.
• Bearing the results of this year in mind, we have formulated an action plan for next school.

Student’s work

Expected outcomes

• Teachers compile key technical terms and associated vocabulary that students must learn to access the key concepts and content.
• Students will be taught critical skills for academic writing
• Teachers will collaboratively develop explicit instructional material for all teachers in the schematic and syntactic features of the genres identified in the school curriculum. All subject teachers will receive a whole school guide to the teaching and writing of genres that were applicable to their subject area
• The materials will be published on a website and be accessible to teachers, students and parents.

Literature review

• Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority ( ACARA). ( 2013) General Capabilities: Literacy. Available from www.australiancurriculum .edu.au/General Capabilities/Literacy 
• Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority ( ACARA ( 2015)
• The Australian curriculum: Geography. Available from www.australian curriculumedu.au/Geography/Curriculum/F-10 
• Barton, G.M ( 2015) Literacy in the middle years visual arts classroom: A ‘functional’ approach. Literacy Learning: the Middle Years, 23 (2) 40-52 
• Cope, B., & Kalantzsis , M. (2009) ‘ Multiliteracies’: New Literacies, New Learning. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 4(3), 164-195 
• Cope, B & Kalantzsis, M ( Eds.) The things you do to know: An introduction to pedagogy of multiliteracies in Cope, B and Kalantzsis M ( Eds.) A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. Learning by Design. Pelgrave Macmillan 2015
• DEETYA ( 1998) Literacy for all: The Challenge for Australian schools. Canberra, ACT: Department of Employment, Education, Training & Youth Affairs,
• Available at, www.dest.gov/archive/schools/literacy& numeracy/publications/litall