“How Am I as an Individual Personally Processing This?”: Reflective Journaling for Critical Literacy Development

ABSTRACT

Contemporary critical literacy instruction primarily revolves around group discussion, yet the reflective nature of writing makes it an ideal strategy for supporting student sense-making about the world and how we operate within it. And semi-private reflective writing is especially necessary for instructional models that center text reading that feature characters who are learning to negotiate the power hierarchies that exist in their lives. Through cross-case generalized narratives, the author examines how college students participating in a critical literacy-informed book study relied on reflective journaling as an important tool for their understanding. Findings illustrate the utility of reflective journaling as a powerful tool for thinking about one’s privilege, power, and role in maintaining oppression when employed in conjunction with opportunities for collective sense-making and group dialogue.

KEYWORDS:

• Book study
• critical literacy
• reflective journaling
• young adult literature

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

There is no funding associated with this study.

Notes on contributors

Brittany Adams

Brittany Adams, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of literacy education at the University of Alabama. She holds a B.A. in Children’s Literature and an M.L.I.S. in Youth Literacy. She received her Ph.D. in Literacy Education at the University of Florida. She teaches undergraduate courses on reading methods to pre-service elementary teachers and graduate courses on young adult literature and socio-critical literacy theories to pre- and in-service teachers across educational contexts. Her research interests include critical literacy, children’s and young adult literature, and the preparation of culturally sustaining teachers. Her work has been published in Journal of Literacy Research; The Reading Teacher; Literacy Research and Instruction; and Literacy Research: Theory, Method, and Practice.