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Literary praxis : engaging with texts in classroom settings

journal contribution
posted on 2012-07-01, 00:00 authored by Brenton DoeckeBrenton Doecke, P H van de Ven
This article focuses on a small group of teachers as they reflect on the strategies they use to support their students in their efforts to interpret literary texts. We argue that the interpretation of literary texts within classroom settings is mediated in complex ways: by the social context of the classroom, the insti-tutional setting of the school (including its curriculum and organization), as well as mandated educa-tional policies. These dimensions shape the relationships between teachers and students as they engage in the ‘social exchange of meanings’ (Reid, 1984) that is prompted by the texts chosen for study. Stu-dents bring their own biographies to this exchange, drawing on their experiences outside school in order to make meanings from the texts they are required to read. Teachers, on the other hand, also bring their biographies with them into classrooms, including their beliefs about the value of a literary educa-tion. By exploring the reflections in which a small group of teachers of literature engage about their work, we ask questions about the value of a literary education, reaffirming its significance in the con-temporary world.

History

Journal

L1-Educational studies in language and literature

Volume

12

Pagination

85 - 105

Publisher

Springer Netherlands

Location

Amsterdam , The Netherlands

ISSN

1567-6617

eISSN

1573-1731

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal; C Journal article

Copyright notice

2012, Springer

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