Scaffolding literacies across the Bachelor of Education program: an argument for a course-wide approach

Published: 
May. 15, 2008

Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, Volume 36, Issue 2 May 2008 , pages 121 - 134

Contemporary teacher educators often find themselves teaching large numbers of students from increasingly diverse backgrounds an expanded curriculum in a university environment characterised by cost-cutting and a climate of “user pays”. Ensuring that students graduate with sufficiently well-developed literacy skills to equip them to prepare future generations for the complex literacy requirements of contemporary society can be challenging.

Informed by data from a longitudinal, qualitative study of 10 students' literacy development across the four years of a Bachelor of Education course, we propose a range of strategies that can be used to develop effective literacy practices. Through careful mapping of the assessment requirements over a four year degree, and by setting tasks which require students to engage with complex reading material and which offer a high degree of challenge coupled with adequate support, staff can assist students to develop the range of literacy practices required for success at university and in their future teaching careers.

Updated: Aug. 27, 2008
Print
Comment

Share: