Exploring a pedagogical model to support teaching new literacy skills in English education – an Irish study

Abstract

As burgeoning twenty-first century technologies have enabled new ways of reading, writing and communicating, conceptions of literacy have changed – and English curricula internationally have been modified to include new literacy skills. Second-level English teachers, however, report needing more guidance in incorporating the teaching of these skills into their practice, and they seek to understand how changes to their curriculum and teaching practice impact their students. This study, which took place within an educational laboratory in Ireland, sought to address these two issues. This paper first presents an exploration into the adaptation of a practical, innovative pedagogy for teaching new literacy skills in the English context. Secondly, this paper reports on the impact this approach had on students’ confidence and engagement in English. Results indicate largely positive changes in students’ attitudes towards the English subject and towards learning English with technology. The authors argue this practical approach can be valuable to educators in formal school settings and that it warrants further investigation in such contexts.

Keywords:

• New literacies
• English curriculum
• innovative pedagogy
• second-level education

Notes

1 A type of in-school gap year between the junior and senior cycles in Irish secondary schools.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sharon Kearney

Sharon Kearney is a Lecturer, educational researcher and teacher educator. She has a PhD in Education and Technology from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in Teaching and Gender/Cultural Studies. Her research interests include new literacies in English education, pedagogies for teaching and learning with technology, and critical literacy.

Brendan Tangney

Brendan Tangney is a Professor in Computer Science at Trinity College Dublin. He has a PhD in Educational Technology and an MSc in Computer Science. He co-directs the Trinity Centre for Research in IT and Education. He has published extensively in the area of technology-enhanced learning.