Potentially Problematic Issues with Teaching Disciplinary Literacy

When teachers embark on the teaching of disciplinary literacy to students in primary and secondary school settings, they must be cautious about their methods of teaching disciplinary literacy.  Disciplinary literacy manifests in a variety of different ways throughout the various disciplines.  However, each literacy is fundamentally different from the other, with completely different mindsets and ideological purposes.  As such, teachers need to exercise caution and tact when instructing students in disciplinary literacies.  Per example, in Mr. Franchi’s lesson, he encouraged the students to engage in historic empathy, an important part of the historical discipline wherein the historian identifies and understands the actions of past people. (Rainey, Maher, Coupland, Franchi and Moje, 2017) This tactic, while very important for historians, clashes ideologically with social studies scientist mindset, wherein one must take into account current situation rather than past actions. In the example given within the paper, the students are encouraged to identify with both the European settlers and the Native American inhabitants of America. (Rainey, Maher, Coupland, Franchi and Moje, 2017) While this is very important for historians, it presents some problems for a social studies scientist.  While historians must identify with the decision made, the social scientist must analyze the repercussions of the action in the modern day.  In the example provided within the text, a historian looks at why the settlers viewed the indigenous people as dangerous and came to the decision to remove them.  A social scientist, on the other hand, must look at the modern state of the people and empathize with the current situation of the native American population.  This literacy would rely more on analyzing current political and social ideals of right and wrong then looking to the past versions of those problems. 

This is not to say that each discipline is mutually exclusive in perspectives and insights.  However, it is to say that each disciplinary literacy requires increased focus on a particular mindset.   As such, metadiscursivity becomes very important.  Students who are preparing to become scholars must be made aware of the different discourses pertinent to each subject matter. (Moje, 2008) Teachers in the various fields must ensure students are actively switching between the mindsets and not confusing them together. When teachers embark on the teaching of disciplinary literacy to students in primary and secondary school settings, they must be cautious about their methods of teaching disciplinary literacy. 

Another note of potential concern appears in connection to the application of content area literacy.  In Mr. Coupland’s lesson, he exposed his students to the disciplinary literacy of mathematics. (Rainey, Maher, Coupland, Franchi and Moje, 2017) Rather than simply using question and response tactics, Coupland forces the students out of their mathematic comfort zone by using class discussion and explanation.  He also offers papers as possible acceptable answers.  In one way, this is very good.  It forces the students to explore alternate learning tactics and develop independent understandings of the subject and its disciplines.  However, from a content area standpoint, it presents some problems.  For myself and many others, the subject of math almost entirely consisted of calculations, written equations and question-answer interactions.  As such, presenting the deeper side of the disciplinary literacy of math may cause panic or confusion in students. 

The onus lies on the teacher to carefully introduce and guide the student through these fields.  As the authors say, the school-reliant students most need exposure to disciplinary literary.(Rainey, Maher, Coupland, Franchi, and Moje, 2017)  This is not something that should wait until college level education.  However, teachers should not simply throw their students into disciplinary literacy.  Rather, through the use of familiar content area literacy, teachers should slowly but surely make students view their subject through the lens of disciplinary literacy.  Mr. Coupland succeeded by drawing upon familiar school-setting tactics to engage his students.  By using tactics like the whiteboard discussion and group work, Coupland draws on familiar tactics and settings to ease school-reliant student into a more disciplinary literacy focused learning experience.  

Words cited:  

Moje, E.B. (2008) Foregrounding the Disciplines in Secondary Literacy Teaching and Learning: A Call for Change. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 52(4) 371-379.

Rainey, E. C., Maher, B. L., Coupland, D., Franchi, R., & Moje, E. B. (2018).  But what does it look like?  Illustrations of disciplinary literacy teaching in two content areas.  Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 61(4), 371-379.

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2 Comments

  1. Blogger, you make some interesting points in this analysis of the week’s readings. I want to point out your statement that reads, “However, it is to say that each disciplinary literacy requires increased focus on a particular mindset.” This sentence is important to keep in mind because by switching between mindsets, I think students have the ability to get the largest amount of understanding and knowledge from the content they are engaging with. If students are stuck in one mindset, they are likely to have weakened opinions on material or a lack of full understanding. With that being said, I struggle to remember that not every student is an aspiring scholar, so they may not gravitate toward this philosophy. It is important to encourage them, though. I pose a question for you. How do you see yourself incorporating Moje’s 4 E’s in your classroom? Maybe this is not something that you see yourself implementing, so it may be a rhetorical question or a reflecting point, but I saw myself wondering how Moje’s strategy could benefit my within the next few years when I have my own classroom.

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  2. Iwould agree with the first comment on this post and say that students get the most of of a lession when they participate and are engaged. Although every stuent is not ging to be a professor or a scholar, these kids need to understand that you should never stop leaning. Everything is abiut getting better and more experienced in that so called field. The 4 E’s idea can work but it is hard to do all 4 every single day, so improvise. Take 5 minutes to talk about something that happened the other day to you, then hopefully you can tie it into your lession. These lessions can help but just make it your classroom, make it custom to you. You are in charge now, let everyone know.

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