Using Multicultural Literature as a Tool for Multicultural Education in Teacher Education Juli-Anna Aerila

Research points to the fact that pupils, and especially those with German as a Second Language or/and from families of a lower economic status, struggle in these contexts (see for PISA for example Stanat 2003). Though overall descriptions of the “language of schooling” (Schleppegrell 2004) or “Bildungssprache” as it is generally referred to in Germany already exist, there are, to date, no extensive descriptions, and what descriptions do exist neither include the distinction between oral and written language use in specific subjects (Morek/Heller 2012), nor do they examine subject-specific characteristics.

Due to this perspective and as part of a larger research project (Fachunterricht und Deutsch als Zweitsprache), the study to be presented examines how content is conveyed in language. Seven hours of videotaped 8th grade biology lessons on the subject of the circulation of blood are analyzed based on a concept-oriented approach (Stutterheim/Klein 1987) focusing on the encoding of motion events and the overall input pupils receive, herein distinguishing between oral and written input. The results show subject- and topic-specific forms of language use and give first indications of how didactic and pedagogic reduction in language use might be counterproductive to content learning. Furthermore the results contain clues on how to conduct language-sensitive instruction in subjects such as biology in a way that supports content learning as well as how L1-teaching might support this process.
Literature
Cummins, Jim (1984): Wanted: A theoretical framework for relating language proficiency to academic achievement among bilingual studentIn: Charlene Rivera (Hrsg.): Language proficiency and academic achievement. Clevedon, Avon, England: Multilingual Matters (Multilingual matters, 10), 2–19.

Morek, Miriam; Heller, Vivien (2012): Bildungssprache – Kommunikative, epistemische, soziale und interaktive Aspekte ihres GebrauchIn: Zeitschrift für angewandte Linguistik, 67–101.

Schleppegrell, Mary (2004): The language of schooling. A functional linguistics perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Stanat, Petra (2003): Schulleistungen von Jugendlichen mit Migrationshintergrund: Differenzierung deskriptiver Befunde aus PISA und PISA-E. In: Jürgen Baumert, Cordula Artelt, Eckhard Klieme, Michael Neubrand, Manfred Prenzel, Ulrich Schiefele et al. (Hrsg.): PISA 2000. Ein differenzierter Blick auf die Länder der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ; Zusammenfassung zentraler Befunde. Opladen: Leske und Budrich, 243–260.

Research question: What similarities and differences can be made visible in meaning-making from different modes and media when using analytical tools inspired by a multimodal theoretical framework?

Theoretical framework: From a socio-cultural perspective, multimodal theory formation is used to find suitable tools and concepts for developing teaching and learning. Meaning-making is seen as multimodal, non-hierarchical and ecological drawing on Kress and van Leeuwen (2001), Kress (2010), Jewitt (ed. 2014), McLuhan (1999). Analytical tools: the Learning Design Sequence developed by Selander (2008), the wheel of multimodality inspired by the New London Group (2000), and the pedagogy of multiliteracies developed by Kalantzis and Cope (2012).

Methodology: The study is a design study combined with an ethnographic inspired approach. In cooperation with the teacher the groups, tasks, instructions and timings were set in order to get data that will show meaning-making through different modes and media. In order to widen the base for explanation data was collected and documented through observations and audio and video recordings. Recordings were transcribed both verbally and multimodally and analyzed using the analytical tools mentioned above.

Data: Audio and video recordings from lessons over three days in in an upper secondary school in a class taking social sciences and media courses.

Results: The study shows that it is possible to use multimodal theory formation in order to describe and analyze the students’ meaning-making. Both similarities and differences are made visible. When discussions are described as multiliteracies processes and are looked upon as a learning sequence it is obvious that lack of clarity and lack of guidance are obstacles for learning. The tools make it possible to explain and to systemize the data which can be interpreted in a multimodal frame. The multimodal data collection gives a wide understanding of what is going on during the discussions.

Jewitt, C (ed.) (2014). The Routledge handbook of multimodal analysis. 2:nd ed. London: Routledge.

Kalantzis, M & Cope, B (2012). Literacies. Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press.

Kress, G & Van Leeuwen, T (2001). Multimodal discourse, the modes and media of contemporary communication. London: Arnold.

Kress, G (2010). Multimodality, A social semiotic approach to contemporary communication. London: Routledge.

New London Group (2000). A pedagogy of multiliteracies. In Cope, B & Kalantzis, M (ed.), Multiliteracies. Literacy learning and the design of social futures. London: Routledge.

McLuhan, M. (1994). Understanding media: the extensions of man. New ed. Cambridge Ma: MIT press.

Selander, S (2008). Tecken för lärande – tecken på lärande. Ett designteoretiskt perspektiv. In Rostvall, A-L & Selander, S (ed.), Design för lärande. Stockholm: Norstedts.

Bearing in mind that the lifecycle of textbooks is six years in Portugal, analysing the impact of the above-mentioned changes on these resources becomes of utmost importance. Thus, this paper aims at examining and discussing the changes that the Common Core State Standards for Portuguese (CCSSP), enacted in August 2012, produce in the adaptation of Primary School textbooks of Portuguese. Six Primary School textbooks of Portuguese, published by four different publishing houses, were analysed, according to the following criteria: (i) the overall structure of the textbook, its division into units and didactic sequences; (ii) operationalisation of the performance descriptors of the CCSSP in textbooks; (iii) texts within textbooks that are proposed as part of the domain of Literary Education (LE).

It is possible to observe that there are minor differences between textbooks that have been adapted to the CCSSP and those non-adapted in terms of the global structure, of the organisation of didactic units, of the structure of didactic sequences and of most aspects at a micro level. However, we can note that the CCSSP define the literary corpus to be explored and, given the central role played by the text in textbooks (in which the reading, writing, grammar and speaking tasks depend on the text), the lack of the prescribed texts is difficult to overcome. It is in this light that we will study the real impact of the changes in the curriculum guidelines on the production of didactic resources for mother tongue education and we will also reflect on what truly forms the basis of mother tongue textbooks.
Keywords: Common Core State Standards for Portuguese; Textbooks; Evaluation of educational resources; Teaching and learning of Portuguese.

Student-driven imitation in upper secondary school: Revealing traits of reflexive process and rhetorical agency in argumentative texts

Christina Matthiesen
Abstract: In classical as well as modern rhetorical education there is a strong tradition of imitation as a means to becoming a rhetor, a rhetorical active citizen. Especially Quintilian is praised for his notion of imitation. He highlights critical reading within a broad variety of genres, including poetry and historical accounts, along with attunement to the individual talent and temper of the rhetor in spe. The goal is not for the student to mirror the traits of the texts, but to learn from rhetorical strategies bound to context. Nevertheless, attunement to the individual tends to be downplayed in the practice of text-based imitation throughout history. Intrigued by this, I have developed the concept student-driven imitation, which impels Quintilian’s ideas into productive knowledge. Student-driven imitation is characterized by encouraging students to find texts themselves, that they are fascinated by as readers and willing to learn from as writers, as well as valuing process over mirroring, working across genres, and strengthening rhetorical agency. This does not only involve strengthening rhetorical skills, but also the ability to find or create rhetorical opportunities.

Until now, student-driven imitation has been examined in two settings; in higher education within the field of rhetoric and outside the educational system in a shelter for young homeless people. But what is the potential of student-driven imitation in the framework of the curriculum of Danish? This poster will reveal findings from comparative action-oriented case studies carried out in February 2015 in two classrooms in upper secondary school. The study will focus on argumentative texts, and the data will consist of class room observations, the students’ written assignments, including the students individual choice of text, and interviews with teachers. What kinds of argumentative texts will the students bring forth in terms of subject matter, rhetorical situation, media, genre, types of writers, and strategies of argumentation? With what reason? And in what ways can the reflexive process of working with student-driven imitation be traced in the students own production of a new argumentative text? The poster will show numeric data as well as examples and quotes.

The purpose of this study is to review a model of the out-of-school literacy practices of Korean primary school students focusing on the effects of parents, teachers, and students’ characteristics. It will be helpful to gain an understanding of children’s language development and practices as well as to determine the implications of the connections between in- and out-of-school literacy practices. This purpose has been pursued for two years throughout our three-year research project, funded by the National Research Foundation of Korea, which began two years ago and will end in 2015. The paper would cover an overview of the first-year results of the three years of research and the model which would be dealt with in our forthcoming paper including analysis of scripts of focus group and individual interviews with research participants.

The aim of the three-year research project is threefold. First, to survey cross-sectionally out-of-school literacy practices of Korean primary school students. Second, to gain an understanding of their language development and literacy practices. Finally, to investigate the implications of the connections between in- and out-of-school literacy practices.

Research questions in this study are as follows: First, what are the concrete aspects of parents, teachers, and students’ characteristics as influencing factors on primary school students’ out-of-school literacy practices? Second, how do the home factors be mediated by the students’ attitudes toward literacy practices? Third, how the teacher factor makes indirect effects on students' out-of-school literacy practices by way of students' attitudes? Last but not least, what are the implications of the research results in terms of supporting primary school students’ out-of-school literacy practices?
Main theoretical backgrounds

Literacy is a kind of socio-cultural practice in which people perform their identities and reflect their values and beliefs, not only the cognitive skills to read and write texts. We think that literacy is constantly changing, and is acquired through both formal and informal learning and through experiences of meaning-construction in various socio-cultural contexts. In this view, teachers need to ‘start where the child is’ and meet the child’s needs by fostering both in- and out-of-class literacy practices. Out-of-school literacy practices, the core concept of this research, can be defined as all kinds of practices in which students read, view, or write texts out of school, like at home, in the community, and among their peers. (Street, 1995; Lankshere, 1997; Barton & Hamilton, 1998; Moje, 2001, 2010; New London Group, 1996; O'Brien, 2006)

In the forthcoming paper (Sohn, et al., 2015), we are going to show that the home and students' factors have statistically significant positive effects on school happiness in either direct or indirect ways, while the teacher factor has only significant indirect effects on students' out-of-school literacy in terms of students' attitudes. Also, the mediating effects of students' attitudes toward literacy are relatively stronger than the direct effects between home or teacher factors and students' out-of-school literacy. Finally, the results reveal that the home, teacher and student factors can contribute to students' out-of-school literacy regardless of students' grade, or gender.
Methodology: participants, corpus, data gathering and analysis

In the first year of the study, we surveyed about 6,000 primary students, their parents, and their homeroom teachers in 13 schools which were selected considering the population. After that, we had some group focus or individual interviews with some students, their parents, and their homeroom teachers respectively. This paper would apply mainly qualitative methods to the scripts of the interviews while the full research methods used in the study include both quantitative and qualitative methods, that is, a mixed method. The qualitative approach would be implemented through content analysis by N-vivo program.

The results of the study would be as follows: First, family members’ and teachers’ literacy practices and interactions with the students would really make effects on the primary students’ out-of-school literacy practices. Second, the effects of the factors on the students’ out-of-school literacy practices would be mediated differently by the students’ attitude toward literacy practices? Third, teacher factor that teachers think might be different from one their student evaluate it? Last but not least, this research results would imply some directions to support primary school students’ out-of-school literacy practices?

Kymlicka, W. (1995). Multicultural citizenship. A liberal theory of minority rights: Oxford. Clarendon Press.

Republic of Botswana, (1994). The Revised National Policy on Education. Gaborone. Government Printers.

Republic of Botswana, (2013). The National Day Speech. Botswana Sports Youth and Culture: Gaborone.