1. ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
PRESERVICE TEACHERS AS WRITERS: FINDING A WRITING IDENTITY THROUGH VISUAL IMAGERY, DISCOURSE, AND REFLECTIVE JOURNALING
ANN HODGINS
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
METHODOLOGY (cont.)
ABSTRACT
METHODOLOGY (cont.)
RESULTS
MEASURES
Teacher/Writer Identity Survey (Pre/Post)
18 items, 6-point Likert scale ranging from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree
Constructs measured:
view of self as a writer
perceptions of writing
confidence in teaching writing
Qualitative data were collected concurrently, analyzed using grounded theory including:
Student discourse audiotapes
Reflective journals
The pre-survey had two open-ended items that asked students to describe a positive experience from their past related to writing and a negative experience from their past related to writing.
Students wrote in journals throughout the study, reflecting on their identities as writers and what changes they experienced as a result of participating in the full circling process.
The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice teachers’ identities as teachers, writers, and teachers of writing using an adaptation of full circling (Long, 2008). Full circling is a literacy strategy that begins and ends with a strong visual image meant to engage students on an emotional level as they observe, analyze, and explore content while building their own knowledge.
Quantitative data were collected through a pre- and post Teacher/Writer Identity Survey; qualitative data were collected through classroom discourse transcripts, student reflective journals, and field notes. Data analysis included a t-test comparison of pre- and post survey results and open and axial coding of qualitative data to establish major themes from emerging codes.
The following conclusions were derived from the data: a) past experiences in writing affected the writing identities of the preservice teachers; b) the full circling process provided a platform for the preservice teachers to build knowledge on the traits and skills of effective teachers, writers, and teachers of writing; and, c) through full circling the preservice teachers demonstrated shifts in their identities as teachers, writers, and teachers of writing.
Cycle I
Guiding questions for discourse in the first cycle:
How do you feel about this teacher?
Why did this teacher have a profound effect on you?
Place yourself in the image. What do you see, hear, feel?
What are the qualities of an effective teacher?
Instruction on building identity as a teacher.
Students provided a picture of a teacher who had a profound effect upon them, positive or negative, with a paragraph describing the qualities of the teacher and the impact the teacher had on them.
Paired sharing was followed by whole-class discourse and reflective journaling. Journaling included how the teachers taught, the positive and negative impact on their experiences as a student, and how those experiences impacted their role as a teacher.
Cycle II
Guiding questions for the second cycle:
How do you feel about this writer?
Why did this writer have such a profound effect on you?
Place yourself in the image. What do you see, feel, hear?
What are the qualities of an effective writer?
What will you do to become an effective writer?
Instruction on building identity as a writer.
Students provided a picture of a writer who had a profound effect upon them, positive or negative, with a paragraph describing the qualities of the writer and the impact the writer had on them.
Paired sharing was followed by whole-class discourse and reflective journaling. Journaling included a reflection on their feelings about becoming an effective writer and what they were actively doing to become an effective writer.
Cycle III
Guiding questions in the third cycle were:
Do you see yourself as a writer? Why or why not?
Do others see you as a writer? Why or why not?
How do you feel about this?
How confident are you in being an effective teacher of
writing?
Instruction on building identity as a teacher and writer.
Students provided a visual of themselves writing or teaching writing including a paragraph on why they chose that image and what the image captured.
Paired sharing was followed by whole-class discourse and reflective journaling. Journaling included a self-reflection on how the full circling process of visual imagery, discourse, and reflective journaling changed their identity as a teacher and writer.
TEACHER/WRITER SURVEY
Agreement to strong agreement that participants felt their views of themselves as writers, perceptions of writing, and confidence in teaching writing were altered through the full circling process.
DISCOURSE/REFLECTIVE JOURNALING
Theme: Influence of Past Experiences
Theme Related Components:
1. Positive past experiences in writing enhanced positive
writing identity in participants
2. Negative past experiences in writing had long term effects
on writing identity in participants
Theme: Knowledge Building
Theme Related Components: Participants were able to discern, through visual imagery, discourse, and reflective journaling, the traits and skills of
1. Effective teachers
2. Effective writers
3. Effective teachers of writing
Theme: Shifts in Identity
1. Full circling provided opportunities for participants to
explore their shifting identities as teachers, writers, and
teachers of writing
2. Full circling provided opportunities for participants to
chronicle shifts in their identities as teachers, writers, and
teachers of writing.
METHODOLOGY
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Large urban university in the southwestern United States
Fourteen preservice teachers in their first semester of an Elementary Education program
Twelve participants were female and two were male.
Culturally diverse students ranging in age from early 20’s to late 40’s
INNOVATION
Three cycle full circling process (an adaptation of Long, 2008) used in this study incorporated strong visual images, discourse, and reflection.
Cycle I: Identity as a Teacher
Cycle II: Identity as a Writer
Cycle III: Identity as a Teacher of Writing
Each cycle consisted of instruction on identity, student led discourse, and reflective journaling.
CONCLUSIONS
When pre-service teachers experienced the full circling process, they became more confident in their ability to teach writing
Past experiences in writing affected the writing identity of participants
The full circling process provided a means to help students build knowledge on the traits and skills of effective teachers, writers, and teachers of writing.
Through full circling participants demonstrated shifts in their writing identities although some parts were more accepted and useful than others.