Poster #41 - Problematizing the Power of Literacy: A Multimodal Inquiry Into Teachers' and Students' Constructs of Reading

• In Event: 79.052 - MTCC Poster Session 19
  In Poster Session: 79.052-4 - Teaching Across Multiple Spaces

Abstract

Beliefs about literacy influence decisions that advance or suppress learners’ opportunities. When research is framed by unquestioned acceptance of a singular, print-based conceptualization of literacy, systemic inequalities can be exacerbated for learners whose abilities, experiences, and aspirations in the 21st century are at odds with this dominant traditional construct. Contending that research into reading achievement and pedagogy must account for the influence of multiple constructs of literacy within a given context, and should employ multimodal methodologies, I report on my image-based inquiry into learners’ and teachers’ beliefs about the nature and purpose of reading in one suburban-urban middle school. Juxtaposing these key stakeholders’ constructs of reading alongside trending 21st century global demands offers a new dimension to literacy education discourse.

Author

• Marilyn J. Narey, Narey Educational Consulting, LLC