engaging preservice teachers in disciplinary literacy learning through writing

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 55(6)March 2012doi:10.1002/JAAL.00062© 2012 International Reading Association(pp. 527–538)

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Kristine E. Pytash

In the last decade, several investigations have identified educational practices successful in improving the literacy abilities of young adults (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004; Graham & Hebert, 2010; Graham & Perin, 2007). Although it is often assumed that young adults have mastered basic reading skills by secondary school, educators note that this does not automatically mean they will be strategic readers and writers of complex content area texts (Fang & Schleppegrell, 2010; Moje, 2008; Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008).

To meet the literacy needs of young adults, secondary teachers must be prepared to teach specialized literacy practices unique to their discipline. This challenges teacher educators to conceptualize a curriculum in which secondary preservice teachers learn to teach the demands of their content area in addition to particular aspects of their discipline that involve literacy (Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008).

Historically, this type of teacher preparation has been conducted through courses such as Reading in the Content Areas; yet, this type of course tends to provide generic literacy instruction and has been met with resistance from preservice teachers (Bean & Zulich, 1991; Christiansen, 1986; Nourie & Lenski, 1998; O’Brien & Stewart, 1990; Stewart, 1990; Stewart & O’Brien, 1989).

Often the course is devoted to teaching strategies, such as K-W-L (Ogle, 1986), Double Entry Journals (Pauk, 1962), and Reciprocal Teaching (Palincsar & Brown, 1984), with the hope that preservice teachers will use these techniques in their future classrooms to foster young adults’ growth and development as readers and writers in their subject area.

This one-size-fits-all practice fails to recognize literacy practices unique to particular disciplines. The field of content area literacy instruction is shifting from a general understanding of literacy toward disciplinary literacy, a more sophisticated and discipline-specific examination of language and literacy (Fang & Schleppegrell, 2010; Moje, 2008; Olson & Truxaw, 2009; Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008).

Preservice teachers need to

know how to teach writing

in their discipline. The unit

of study is a framework that

helps preservice teachers

study writing unique to their

discipline.

Engaging Preservice Teachers in Disciplinary Literacy Learning Through Writing

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Moje (2008) suggested that, “it may be most productive to build disciplinary literacy instructional programs, rather than to merely encourage content teachers to employ literacy teaching practices and strategies” (p. 96). This means literacy educators must help preservice teachers recognize literacy practices unique to their content area. Teacher educators are currently rethinking literacy courses to include instructional

approaches stemming from a disciplinary literacy perspective (Fang & Schleppegrell, 2010; Lesley & Matthews, 2009; Shanahan & Shanahan, 2008).

According to Moje (2008), there are three instructional tenets of disciplinary literacy: (1) discourses and practices in disciplinary learning and literacy, (2) identities and identifications in disciplinary learning and literacy, and (3) knowledge in disciplinary learning and literacy. Within Moje’s first tenet are two points: young adults must learn both the practices of the experts in their field and the discourse used during those practices.

Examining the practices and discourse of experts helps students learn the way that knowledge is created and shared in each particular discipline. For example, after examining the types of texts that disciplinary experts were reading, Shanahan and Shanahan (2008) found that the experts’ reading processes differ. They reported that historians read text as interpretation and were aware of author bias, while chemists read texts and presumed the results could be reproduced under similar conditions.

In a high school classroom with a disciplinary literacy instructional approach, young adults would learn the practices and language unique to the f ield, and would, therefore, gain insight into how knowledge is produced in their discipline. Moje’s (2008) second tenet stresses students should have opportunities to enact the identity of the disciplinary expert. Students can live the practices and discourses of the discipline by demonstrating their knowledge.

And finally, a disciplinary literacy approach requires domain knowledge specific to the content area. If students are going to truly understand the discourse, practices, and norms of a particular discipline and enact that knowledge, then specific content knowledge is imperative. These three tenets of disciplinary literacy move teaching and learning “from accessing or generating texts only to obtain or produce information, toward an understanding of how texts represent both the knowledge and the ways of knowing, doing, and believing in different discourse communities” (Moje, 2008, p. 103).

While researchers are beginning to “map the different practices of different disciplines” (Moje, 2008, p. 64), much of this work emphasizes reading. For example, Shanahan and Shanahan (2008) explored how expert readers of different disciplines approach specific texts relevant to their field.

Damico, Baildon, Exter, and Shiau-Jing (2009) investigated how a ninth-grade social studies class read two Web texts in a manner similar to historians. Students focused on context and author intentionality, and acknowledged the cultural biases that inf luenced their reading.

In their critique of Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools (Graham & Perin, 2007), Coker and Lewis (2008) noted the large amount of research focused on reading instruction for young adults, while the field of writing has been left neglected. They argue that literacy courses for preservice teachers usually focus on reading instruction rather than on writing instruction. As a result, preservice teachers are not learning the most current instructional approaches for the teaching of writing and are, therefore, not prepared to teach writing when they enter the classroom.

This argument applies to all teachers, because Coker and Lewis (2008) considered writing a “tool for learning” (p. 246) in all content area classrooms. Writing improves reading comprehension and can enhance learning in the content areas (Biancarosa and Snow, 2004; Coker & Lewis, 2008, Graham & Hebert, 2010). With this in mind, I set out to investigate writing instruction with a disciplinary literacy approach.

Literacy courses for

preservice teachers

usually focus on

reading instruction

rather than on

writing instruction.


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and discourse particular to the genre. By reading and deconstructing quality pieces, students learn to question and notice how writing is constructed.

This provides students with a “vision” for their writing, meaning students have specific knowledge for how their piece should be written (Ray, 2006). Students begin to notice the particular features that make a piece of writing excellent; they use this knowledge to make intentional decisions about how and why they craft their writing. This knowledge assists students as they write an original piece.

Literacy educators argue that all secondary students need high-quality writing instruction that provides authentic purposes for writing in a variety of forms (Coker & Lewis, 2008; Graham & Perin, 2007); however, preservice teachers also need to be engaged in writing to apply this knowledge in their future classrooms. If teacher educators want preservice teachers to eventually teach with a disciplinary literacy instruction perspective, then teacher educators need to provide opportunities in which they live disciplinary literacy through their own reading and writing assignments.

The Study

The participants in this study were 41 preservice teachers in a required secondary content area literacy course. Of the 41 students, 27 preservice teachers were undergraduate students and 14 were enrolled in a Masters in the Art of Teaching (MAT) program. These preservice teachers majored in a variety of subject areas: art (9), business (1), dance (2), health (2), music (3), physical education (2), science (11), and social studies (12).

To address the concerns previously raised about content area literacy courses, I tried to create an assignment to help preservice teachers recognize literacy practices unique to their discipline. I believe the unit of study approach to writing instruction supports a disciplinary approach to literacy instruction and fulfills Moje’s (2008) three aspects of disciplinary literacy.

A goal of the semester was to have preservice teachers experience a unit of study by studying a genre and writing an original piece relevant to their discipline. At the beginning of the semester, preservice

Writing Instruction

A recent report funded by the Carnegie Foundation, Writing Next (Graham & Perin, 2007), a meta-analysis of empirical research, identified methods of writing instruction effective in helping young adults gain writing proficiency. The report identified 11 elements of current instruction proven beneficial to students.

One element identified was the study of models “which provides students with opportunities to read, analyze, and emulate models of good writing” (Graham & Perin, 2007, p. 5). Graham and Perin (2007) reviewed six studies using a study of model approach: three unpublished dissertations, two published scholarly journal articles, and a study completed by the Bay Area Writing Project. After examining these studies, they found that using a study of model instructional approach had a positive effect on students’ writing.

In one of the studies, Knudson (1989) tested four types of writing instruction for 138 fourth-grade and sixth-grade students. Students were instructed in informational writing through one of the following:

1. Model pieces focused on the product

2. Presentation of criteria focused on the process of writing

3. A combined approach involving a product and process pieces

4. Free writing

The model approach was considered most effective for writing instruction because students were able to transfer what they saw in the model to their own writing.

Ray (2006) developed an instructional framework, the unit of study, in which students study model text to learn about writing. This instructional framework is an inquiry-based approach in which writing is not only a tool for learning and communicating content, but also for learning about writing.

This approach emphasizes using models of writing for students to study. Writers are immersed in close readings of a selected genre. With teacher guidance, students begin to recognize the structure


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which each task built upon the next to help preservice teachers become expert writers of a particular genre.

For example, first, the preservice teachers focused on a particular genre and selected six anchor texts as a model for their genre. The anchor texts were defined for preservice teachers as high-quality texts representative of the genre, which they would select to study (Lattimer, 2003; Ray, 2006).

Second, preservice teachers engaged in a close study in which they analyzed the purpose, audience, form, content, language, and mechanics of their anchor texts. Third, they created a list of what they noticed as necessary for their genre. This close study of writing and listing of what they noticed enabled preservice teachers to develop implicit and explicit knowledge about the writing practices relevant to their discipline and about a particular chosen genre.

Fourth, preservice teachers used this knowledge as a reference when writing their individual pieces. Fifth, preservice teachers wrote a ref lection about their experience as readers and writers, and they analyzed the implications for their future classroom practices. Finally, the preservice teachers were interviewed in focus groups according to content area about their experiences conducting a unit of study.

In this article, I describe how this approach to writing instruction encompasses Moje’s (2008) three aspects of disciplinary literacy. Data were collected through the following means:

1. An open-ended questionnaire focused on the preservice teachers’ intentions for writing instruction, the genres prevalent in their dis-cipline, and their school and personal experi-ences as writers

2. Correspondence with professionals in the preservice teachers’ disciplines

3. Completed unit of study projects

4. Written ref lections about the unit of study

5. Focus group interviews

Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis (Merriam, 1998). I read and reread documents, interview transcripts, and memos, allowing for themes to emerge.

teachers were asked to complete a questionnaire focused on the following:

■ Intentions for teaching writing in their future classrooms

■ Genres prevalent in their discipline

■ School and personal experiences as writers

Teacher modeling is a well-documented and integral part to the teaching of writing (Atwell, 1998; Murray, 2007; Romano, 2007). As a teacher, I wanted to model the process of studying a piece of writing and how my studying the genre helped me to write an original piece.

I spent 2 three-hour class periods demonstrating my thinking about political commentaries. I selected three political commentaries for the preservice teachers to read. I modeled how to conduct a close analysis and how to create lists of “noticings.” For example, I highlighted that political commentaries have an opinion; are usually focused on current events; tend to contain persuasive language and first-person narrative voice; and often include references to popular culture.

Outside of class I wrote an original political commentary and shared with preservice teachers my thought process and writing decisions.

In order for preservice teachers to prepare for their units of study, I wanted them to learn about genres relevant to their disciplines. To engage preservice teachers in this conversation, I instructed them to contact at least one professional in their discipline to ask what types of writing they do and why. This correspondence provided preservice teachers with knowledge about writing in their discipline, as well as a brainstorming tool for helping them to decide what genre to select for their unit of study.

In discipline groups, preservice teachers compiled their findings to create a list of subject area relevant genres. They then discussed these particular genres and ref lected upon why they were prevalent in their discipline. These were to serve as genre possibilities for their units of study.

Throughout the semester, preservice teachers were engaged in a step-by-step process to prepare them to write an original piece in a genre important in their discipline. This was a layered assignment in


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laboratory report format. This understanding allows students to recognize the types of practices specific to chemistry and the reading and writing necessary to the chemist’s scientific practices.

Students recognize literacy practices and demands unique to their discipline, such as what types of reading and writing are important in the field, why these acts of reading and writing are conducted, and how people in the discipline use reading and writing. In this study, the preservice teachers learned about the types of literacy demands of their field through interactions with disciplinary experts.

Preservice teachers contacted professionals, such as nutritionists, collegiate coaches, artists, photographers, chemists, engineers, professors, and historians, to ask about the types of genres they write and why these genres are employed.

For example, Tara e-mailed a physics professor. The physics professor related that he thought the following genres were valuable to the field of science: academic papers, grants and research funding, and editorial essays.

Jake e-mailed two history professors. The history professors related they thought the following genres were valuable to the field of anthropology and history: historical fiction, biographies, scholarly journal articles, and books for mass audiences, which contain little jargon and are considered reader friendly.

The preservice teachers formed small groups based on their content area and shared the knowledge gained from contacting their professionals in their respective fields. The preservice teachers used this information and their background knowledge to create a list of genres valued in their discipline. After sharing responses with fellow preservice teachers, they developed a list of genres relevant to their field (see Figure 1).

The purpose of these two exercises was not to create an exclusive list of genres, but to help preservice teachers ascertain the diverse forms of writing acknowledged within their discipline. This was a broad view encompassing numerous genres, not merely limited to academic writing.

Tara decided to focus on feature articles from Popular Science Magazine. Jake selected folk music as an important genre in social studies education. Although

Coded data were arranged and rearranged to create categories in order to compare the data within and between categories (Maxwell, 1996). Initial codes such as “learning about the discipline” and “close analysis of language” emerged. Additional focused coding led to clearly defined categories, such as, “learning about practices,” “learning about discipline-specific discourse,” “expert identity in the discipline,” and “content knowledge.”

The unit of study approach to writing instruction may offer literacy educators a way to engage preservice teachers in writing specific to their discipline. I believe the unit of study approach may enhance preservice teachers’ knowledge of their discipline and writing instruction. To highlight Moje’s (2008) three aspects of disciplinary literacy, Tara, a science undergraduate preservice teacher, and Jake, a social studies undergraduate preservice teacher, will be the focus of the article (pseudonyms are used for all names in this article).

Tara and Jake were considered “good” students in terms of grade-point average and attendance. At the beginning of the semester, Tara freely admitted to disliking writing, and she struggled to conceptualize the role of writing in her future science classroom. Jake did not dislike writing but at the beginning of the semester, he was unable to communicate his intentions for teaching writing in his future social studies classroom.

Results

Discourses and Practices in Disciplinary Learning and Literacy

According to Moje (2008), learning in the subject areas requires (a) understanding the practices specific to a discipline and (b) understanding the discourses specific to a discipline. While these points are combined under one tenet, discourses and practices, they can be considered two points.

Learning about the practices and discourse of the discipline includes understanding the norms of the discipline and how knowledge is communicated in the discipline; for example, recognizing that a chemist might conduct an experimental study and write the results, with attention to specialized language, in a


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scientif ic research and analysis” to create “relatively brief news-like articles for the public.” Tara thought the shorter format exposed the reader to what the author considered the “most interesting information,” while keeping the reader’s interest.

Jake explored folk music from artists like Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, Woody Guthrie, and Pete McDonald. He found that authors of folk music write about topics they and others have experienced. He wrote, “through the story of a few, the reality for many is shared.” Jake also noticed that language

is essential in giving the audience the feeling that the artist wants them to experience. They use the hyphen and slang. This accomplishes two purposes; first the proper rhythm of the song and secondly it gives the audience the viewpoint of the actions.... The words sound like a conversation spoken in despair and longing for the compassion of their loved ones.

In his close analysis, Jake wrote that the lyrics from Jerry Garcia’s “Two Soldiers” (1991) “tells more than a story of a soldier asking the other to write his mother with compassion if he is killed; it humanizes the soldiers and foreshadows the possibility of death.” Jake also noticed writers want to tell a story “through creative, thought-provoking writing that engages the audience to think critically about the story. On the opposite end, the music can be seen as relaxing and taking away the worries of day to day life.”

Through close analysis of the text, Tara and Jake focused not only on content, but on the discourse of their genre. Tara and Jake examined not only what the authors were saying, but how the authors were using language, such as accessible vocabulary and slang, to convey meaning. This focus allowed the preservice teachers to recognize how the language was an avenue for the writers’ content. Close analysis of the text engaged the preservice teachers in the discourse of their community.

Identities and Identifications in Disciplinary Learning and LiteracyThe unit of study assignment engaged preservice teachers in literacy activities, making explicit the kinds of parameters unique to each discourse community. These literacy activities were used to cement identity as a member of the discipline, because preservice

historians may not write folk music, music is a cultural discourse ref lecting the nuances of a society or historical period.

Jake’s rationale for folk music was that “it strongly ref lects what was happening in our history” and it gives students “the knowledge that their actions and words can help change the world.” He believed folk music helps foster the “goal of developing students who understand the world around them and their role civically in a democracy.”

Preservice teachers learned not only about the types of writing relevant to their field, but the language and discourses relevant to their discipline. This occurred through close analysis and their ref lection on the authors’ writing processes. Tara found that some science writing, such as feature articles in Popular Science Magazine, uses accessible language. She said,

The authors address current scientific events, discoveries and technologies. Articles are written to inform the public of the newest scientific happenings in a more user-friendly, nonscientific community exclusive print source. Writers discuss how these topics are being developed and how they will impact our lives and others,’ and our planet.

Tara also noted the particular format used in the magazine appealed to a mass audience. She explained that the authors condensed “complex

Science

1. Scholarly journal articles2. Technical reports 3. Patents4. Textbooks5. Laboratory manuals6. Opinion articles7. Feature articles8. Literature reviews

Social Studies

1. Research papers2. Editorials3. Historical narratives4. Newspaper feature articles5. Magazine feature articles 6. Internet writing (blogs)7. Political commentaries

Figure 1 Science and Social Studies Preservice Teachers’ Genres


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teachers enacted the identity of an expert writer of

relevant text.

Preservice teachers had to be fully involved to

write their original piece. They did this by immersing

themselves in the reading and using the anchor texts

to help make intentional decisions concerning their

original writing piece.

Figure 2 Tara’s Anchor Texts

Bright, A.M. (2006). Worm whisperer. Popular Science, 269(4), 60.

Carey, B. (2006). A floating Chernobyl? Popular Science, 269(5), 37–39.

Carey, B. (2007). NASCAR gets a catcher’s mitt. Popular Science, 270(1), 32–33.

Di Justo, P. (2006). A smart shooter? Popular Science, 268(1), 39.

Handelman, S. (2007). Spin me up, Scotty. Popular Science, 270(1), 40.

Tompkins, J. (2006). The flying luxury hotel. Popular Science, 268(2), 64.

Figure 3 Tara’s Original Writing Piece

For example, Tara wrote a feature article as if she were a writer for Popular Science Magazine. (See Figure 2 for a list of articles Tara used as anchor texts.) Her article, “Vacation in Space,” explored the possibility of a luxury hotel and resort in space. (See Figure 3 for Tara’s original writing piece.) When comparing her list of “noticings” compiled from her reading of the anchor texts and close analysis to her original piece, Tara made 14 intention decisions based on her list.

For example, from her reading she noticed, “Topics tend to be conceptual projects of new technologies or applications of science that have not yet been constructed.” Her article focused on space travel and a luxury resort space station. Tara used quotations throughout her piece, and she ref lected that her language was “casual, conversational, and


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yet still informative.” For example, Tara used terms like “artificial gravity” and “solar mounted panels.” Tara noted this was similar to the language in the magazine.

Jake studied folk music and wrote an original folk song. (See Figure 4 for a list of songs Jake used as anchor texts.) When comparing his close analysis and noticings list, Jake made 10 intentional decisions. For example, Jake noted folk songs usually, “contain opinions ref lecting society and carry a message for change.”

Jake’s original song focused on societies’ reliance on technology and the “artificial” quality of life. (See Figure 5 for Jake’s original writing piece.) For example, Jake wrote, “As life becomes artificially enhanced, the human spirit is declining way too fast.” He also noted that folk songs had a poetic quality

Figure 4 Josh’s Anchor Texts

Dylan, B. (1964). Chimes of freedom. On Another side of Bob Dylan. Santa Monica, CA:

Columbia.

Garcia, J. (1991). Two soldiers [Recorded by J. Garcia and D. Grisman]. On Jerry

Garcia/David Grisman. Acoustic Disc.

Guthrie, W. (1960). Dust storm disaster (also known as The Great Storm). New York:

TRO-Ludlow Music. Retrieved from

www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Dust_Storm_Disaster.htm

Guthrie, W. (1962). Dear Mrs. Roosevelt. New York: TRO-Ludlow Music. Retrieved

from www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Dear_Mrs_Roosevelt.htm

Guthrie, W. (2001). Revolutionary mind. Los Angeles: Woody Guthrie

Publications. Retrieved from

www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Revolutionary_Mind.htm

McDonald, P. (2004). Down and out. Cleveland, OH: Pete McDonald. Retrieved from

www.petemcdonaldmusic.com/music-34.html

As I sit here dwelling, wasting awayMy thoughts wonder to what may beOr what has become of the old wayHow a people can decline so steady

As life becomes artificially enhancedThe human spirit is declining way too fastOnce it was right to help a wanderer in needToday you ain’t able to do anything by concede

As unity seems to be fleeting awayWe are all consumed by the societal wayA personal touch is in need of a returnWhen will the people reclaim their proper throneIn control of body, mind, and soul

Will we stand strong and play the role Or will advancement throw the last shovel on the hole

Figure 5 Josh’s Original Writing Piece

with attention to song structure and meter. Jake’s song used a rhyme to keep the “beat” and meter of the music.

By reading and studying the anchor texts, Tara and Jake had models to help them make intentional decisions about their writing. The anchor texts became a reference for their original writing pieces. This knowledge helped them to develop an original written piece. Through this process, they became experts of the content they shared in their writing. In this sense, they constructed the identity of the disciplinary expert.

Knowledge in Disciplinary Learning and LiteracyTo read and write in each discipline, core knowledge cannot be neglected. Without core knowledge, such as vocabulary and activated prior knowledge, students will not understand what they are reading and writing.

Background knowledge allows students to construct new knowledge. Rather than having teachers lecture or “tell” students the knowledge they need to know, students need to be fully engaged as learners. In this study, the preservice teachers constructed background knowledge about their content through reading the anchor texts and writing their original pieces. This inquiry-based approach allowed the preservice teachers to learn about their specific topic and then become creators of new knowledge.


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During the reading of their anchor texts, preservice teachers’ engagement with text allowed them to build specific knowledge of the discipline. For example, Tara noted by reading Popular Science Magazine that she learned about current trends and happenings in the science community. She explained that reading articles from this magazine would be a useful teaching tool because students would learn “actual practices in the scientific community.”

She thought that students would learn content, and also recognize how the content is connected “to their lives; this not only builds an understanding of how their world functions through science, but also grows students’ interests in the sciences.” Jake also noted that he learned about the different periods in which folk songs were written. Noting that folk music can be considered a “primary source,” Jake said, “folk music examines societal trends and ideas along with the observation of history through another’s eyes. It can be a ref lection of societal needs.”

The reading of the anchor pieces allowed preservice teachers to gain content knowledge in their discipline. The preservice teachers learned about topics within their content area and about a specific genre important in their content area. This allowed them to develop a knowledge base about content and about writing.

Discussion and Implications

A Structure for Teaching Writing

Preservice secondary teachers require opportunities to study the types of writing conducted within their discipline to help them recognize the significance of writing in their discipline and to guide them in developing beneficial instructional approaches for future students. Being engaged in the unit of study as preservice teachers gave them the opportunity to ref lect on their writing experiences and the writing experiences that they may provide for their future students.

The preservice teachers’ perceptions of how they would teach writing changed after experiencing the unit of study. This change may be attributed to having

the preservice teachers experience the method from a student’s perspective.

At the beginning of the semester, when asked how she intended to teach writing, Tara said,

I never thought about teaching writing in a science classroom. I would assume there would be simple writing assignments and short answers on tests (as with standardized tests), but I don’t think I would necessarily ‘“teach” writing, just assign it.

At the end of the semester, however, Tara said that she would “definitely use this approach” in her classroom. When asked why, Tara explained that from her perspective as a student, studying quality pieces assisted her in writing. She said, “I had never gone through a piece of text and deconstructed it. I think it definitely helped me. It was definitely easier for me to model and to follow the structure.”

Jake also had a shift in his thoughts about the teaching of writing. At the beginning of the semester, when asked how he intended to teach writing, Jake knew specific genres he wanted to teach such as, “historical background, thesis statements, summarizing skills, effective conclusions, and note taking skills,” but he didn’t have a method for teaching writing.

At the end of the semester, Jake also noted he would “use this type of instruction in the classroom.” Similar to Tara, Jake explained from a student’s perspective studying other pieces facilitated his writing process. Jake explained how the reading of anchor texts and creating a “noticings” list was helpful to his writing. He said,

You’re pulling the similarities between all six; in that sense you’re looking at all of them in a broad view but also in a very detailed view. You’re trying to find those little things that transcend between each one. It became apparent to me that this unit has taken me deeper into writing than I have ever been in the past.

The opportunity to study one genre in-depth provided them with an understanding of the function of the genre within their discipline and how the genre was crafted. This helped the preservice teachers to be successful in writing their original piece.


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New GenresDewey (1938) argued that studies, “whether arithmetic, history, geography, or one of the natural sciences, must be derived from materials which at the outset fall within the scope of ordinary life-experiences” (p. 73). While reading Popular Science Magazine or analyzing the writing and historical context of folk music may not be considered “ordinary experiences” for all people, they are certainly relevant genres to experts of particular disciplines.

The unit of study approach allows preservice teachers to become familiar with the types of writing “ordinary” or relevant in their discipline. This helped the preservice teachers think about the genres they

can incorporate in their teaching. For example, Tara said,

I would definitely use this genre (Popular Science Magazine feature articles) in my classroom. All of the articles are brief enough to keep students’ attention but packed full of information at the same time. They are written at a level very appropriate for high school students.

Jake noted that folk music could be used in a social studies high school classroom. He said, “I gain knowledge of how powerful the lyrics of these songs can be. I could easily incorporate this genre into a social studies class.”

This also combats the notion that secondary content area classrooms should rely solely on textbooks. Educators have criticized the use of a single textbook as the sole authority of knowledge in secondary classrooms (Hynd, 1999; Lester & Cheek, 1997). Hynd (1999) argued that, rather than a single textbook, multiple texts should be used to provide various perspectives and more detailed understandings of topics.

By fostering critical thinking through the use of multiple texts, student engagement may increase. Similarly, Moje, Overby, Tysvaer, and Morris (2008) asserted that there is a disconnect between content area school texts and literacy practices relevant in young adults’ lives. For example, although students may not read Popular Science Magazine, they may have experience reading feature articles. Using genres authentic to specific disciplines may help bridge this gap.

Final Reflections

Preservice teachers must engage in the discourse of their content area to learn and to ref lect on how experts in their discipline communicate with each other and how knowledge is produced and created in their field. Engaging preservice teachers in literacy practices that highlight the particular ways disciplinary experts read and write increases their knowledge of their discipline.

Through the unit of study, preservice teachers learned discourse knowledge, content knowledge, and literacy knowledge. This experience encompassed

Take Action!1. Brainstorm a list of genres relevant in the disci-pline. For example, students in social studies could study political commentaries, feature articles, or historical narrative.

2. Select one genre that students will study in-depth.

3. Find at least 6 anchor texts, which are high-quality texts representative of the genre.

4. Model how to annotate and closely study a piece of writing. The text should be analyzed for the structure, purpose, audience, form, content, language, and mechanics.

5. After reading the anchor texts, students will select a text to study in more detail and will com-plete a close analysis.

6. Students will begin creating a list of what they noticed as necessary for their genre.

7. Using this knowledge as a reference, students will make intentional decisions while writing an original piece.

8. Students can write a ref lection about their experience as readers and writers. Students can also mark and discuss the intentional decisions they made while writing.


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Moje’s (2008) three instructional tenets of disciplinary literacy.

The unit of study brought the preservice teachers into the communities of disciplinary experts by teaching them how to think, read, and write like an expert of a particular genre, thus further fostering their identities as secondary content area teachers.

It becomes more difficult to create literacy assignments that are not generic in content area reading classrooms where preservice teachers from each content area are enrolled; however, the unit of study approach is individualized for each student, fostering a disciplinary literacy approach. If we want content area teachers to teach from a disciplinary literacy viewpoint, teacher educators must provide them with opportunities to have these similar experiences.

Teacher educators’ rationale and teaching of disciplinary literacy must be transparent so that preservice teachers can recognize how they can use this approach in their future classrooms. Immersing preservice teachers in the unit of study teaches them, through their own experiences, a method of teaching writing in the content area that truly encompasses the stance of disciplinary literacy.

References

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Coker, D., & Lewis, W.E. (2008). Beyond writing next: A discussion of writing research and instructional uncertainty. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 231–251.

Damico, J., Baildon, M., Exter, M., & Shiau-Jing, G. (2009). Where we read from matters: Disciplinary literacy in a ninth-grade social studies classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(4), 325–335. doi:10.1598/JAAL.53.4.6

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Fang, Z., & Schleppegrell, M.J. (2010). Disciplinary literacies across content areas: Supporting secondary reading through functional language analysis. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(7), 587–597. doi:10.1598/JAAL.53.7.6

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Lesley, M., & Matthews, M. (2009). Place-based essay writing and content area literacy instruction for preservice secondary teachers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(6), 523–533. doi:10.1598/JAAL.52.6.6

Lester, J.H., & Cheek, E.H., Jr. (1997/1998). The “real” experts address textbook issues. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 41(4), 282–291.

Maxwell, J.A. (1996). Qualitative research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Moje, E.B. (2008). Foregrounding the disciplines in secondary literacy teaching and learning: A call for change. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(2), 96–107. doi:10.1598/JAAL.52.2.1

Moje, E.B., Overby, M., Tysvaer, N., & Morris, K. (2008). The complex world of adolescent literacy: Myths, motivations and mysteries. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 107–154.

Murray, D. (2007). Teach writing your way. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy: Turning promise into practice (pp. 179–187). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Nourie, B., & Lenski, S. (1998). The (in)effectiveness of content area literacy instruction for secondary preservice teachers. Clearing House, 71(6), 372–374. doi:10.1080/00098659809599595

O’Brien, D., & Stewart, R. (1990). Preservice teachers’ perspectives on why every teacher is not a teacher of reading: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Reading Behavior, 22(2), 101–129.

Ogle, D. (1986). The K-W-L: A teaching model that develops active reading of expository text. The Reading Teacher, 39(6), 564–570. doi:10.1598/RT.39.6.11

Olson, M.R., & Truxaw, M.P. (2009). Invisibility of text and preservice science and mathematics teachers: The development of discursive metaknowledge. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(5), 422–431. doi:10.1598/JAAL.52.5.6

Palincsar, A.S., & Brown, A.L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension fostering and comprehension-monitoring


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Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking content-area literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40–59.

Stewart, R. (1990). Factors inf luencing preservice teachers’ resistance to content area reading instruction. Reading Research and Instruction, 29(4), 55–63.

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Pytash is an assistant professor in Literacy Education at Kent State University, Ohio, USA; e-mail [email protected].

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