A Narrative Study About Teacher Knowledge and How It is Reflected in Pedagogical Choices, Practices, and Views When teaching Emergent Writing

AbstractThis research investigated how teachers’ various forms of knowledge are reflected in their pedagogical views, practices, and choices when teaching emergent writing. Emergent writing is one of the most understudied areas of literacy with limited research regarding primary writing instruction. Prior to attending school, most young children demonstrate emergent writing skills that include marks, scribbles, drawings, letters and words. Development of emergent writing abilities contribute to student self-regulation, higher order thinking skills, and concept formation. Additionally, these skills are good predictors of later school success in reading and writing, as well as better opportunities in the workplace. This research embraced a wholistic perspective to honour teachers’ lived experiences and stories. A narrative approach was used. Data collection consisted of narrative interviews with four kindergarten teachers who taught in Ontario, Canada. Teachers were encouraged to share their stories and experiences when teaching emergent writing. Narratives were analyzed inductively to develop a better understanding about teacher knowledge and how it is reflected in daily practices when teaching emergent writing. In alignment with a social constructivism perspective, teacher narratives described a play-based classroom where daily peer interaction, rich multimodal and oral language opportunities were encouraged through a variety of learning centres that included an art table, a drama centre, a science touch table, as well as various other language activities. Teachers shared stories of drama centres that included pretend restaurants, a doctor’s office, and a post office, as well as props to re-enact classroom read-alouds. These meaningful activities supported independent student exploration and meaning making. Using a multi-layered view of language writing, and employing a deductive approach, I identified understandings and beliefs using Ivanič’s (2004) framework of six discourses of writing and learning to write. Findings of this second layer of analysis indicated that teachers viewed writing as multimodal. Their description of daily classroom contexts reflected beliefs and perspectives within five of the six discourses. The use of all six discourses was found in only one participant’s narrative. Teachers’ narratives often included elements of three or more discourses (that were sometimes conflicting) in the same writing event. A complex understanding of emergent writing was found in all narratives.

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