Word Consciousness: Changing a Teacher’s Approach to Vocabulary Instruction in One High School Classroom

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 1:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Mobius Strip: The Intersection of Reflective and Effective Teacher Research (Table 14)

Abstract

Research suggests that high-quality vocabulary instruction is multifaceted, including four components as described by Graves (2016): 1) providing rich and varied language experiences; 2) teaching individual words; 3) teaching word-learning strategies; and 4) fostering word consciousness. Given that very few studies explore how these components can be effectively integrated within the high school classroom, this self-study explored multifaceted vocabulary instruction in one 10th grade English classroom with an emphasis on implementation of the four components and the teacher’s instructional change process. Qualitative data, collected over 14 weeks, suggest that word consciousness played the most prominent role in instructional change. This paper focuses on word consciousness as a frame for word learning. Implications for teaching practice are discussed.

Authors

• Whitney Butler, St. Xavier High School

• Susan M. Watts-Taffe, University of Cincinnati