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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Writing their world : conceptions of literacy in a remedial behavioural classroom Stalker, Aileen Muriel
Abstract
The specific research question of this study was: What are the intermediate grade children's conceptions of literacy within their remedial behavioural classroom? Research into the literacy activities of children in the past has been dominated by an exploration of the development of "skills" needed to progress from a novice to an expert writer. Developmental frameworks have provided guidelines and resulted in expectations of a sequential progression in both cognitive and affective growth. Constructs such as "audience awareness" have been identified as skills that demonstrate the developmental process of writing. Children labelled by both educational and medical systems as "severely behaviourally disturbed" are frequently placed in remedial behavioural classrooms where they receive instruction on an individual and basic skills level. Their access to instructional techniques such as advanced writing strategies is hindered both by the reductionist teaching approach and by the use of behavioural modification techniques to alter. The present study responds to more recent research in literacy instruction by using a qualitative perspective and related methodologies to investigate the conceptions of literacy held by children placed in a remedial behavioural classroom. The study accepts as a basic premise a socio-cognitive view of literacy that recognizes writing as a communicative event representing interactions between the writer and their audience and also between the writer and their context. By using a qualitative perspective and a case study technique, categories were developed that represented the ways the children viewed the meaning and use of both writing and their writing and learning context. Shifts in personal verbal and written expression were enabled by use of scaffolded teaching strategies and by encouraging more freedom of oral expression. Two questionnaires were administered to collect data about the children's initial conceptions of themselves as writers and their ability to determine the needs of their reading audience. The use of stories written by the children and compiled for a booklet about their classroom and audiotapes of each writing session resulted in additional conceptions in the four major areas as follows: 1. the definition and meaning of good and bad behaviour within their classroom 2. the meaning of classroom rules and regulations and the effects of compliance or resistance 3. the potential and repercussions of honest communication with peers and adults 4. the potential for children becoming teachers for their peers and adults. By exploring these areas as viewed by the children, new insights into the issues of equity in education are discussed. As well, it was shown when provided with both active intervention and a more liberated context in which to write the children used writing both to construct and explore the meaning of their world and to resist and transform situations which place them at an educational and social disadvantage. Insights from this study were integrated into three major areas of relevance to the study of literacy instruction and equity in educational opportunities. These issues were highlighted in the areas of 1) the pathology deficit model, 2) the role of the remedial classroom and 3) conceptions of literacy within a remedial behavioural classroom. Suggestions for further research and implications for practice when working with children who are described as "severely behaviourally disturbed" are included.
Item Metadata
Title |
Writing their world : conceptions of literacy in a remedial behavioural classroom
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1992
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Description |
The specific research question of this study was:
What are the intermediate grade children's conceptions
of literacy within their remedial behavioural classroom?
Research into the literacy activities of children in the past has been dominated by an exploration
of the development of "skills" needed to progress from a novice to an expert writer. Developmental
frameworks have provided guidelines and resulted in expectations of a sequential progression in both
cognitive and affective growth. Constructs such as "audience awareness" have been identified as skills that
demonstrate the developmental process of writing.
Children labelled by both educational and medical systems as "severely behaviourally disturbed"
are frequently placed in remedial behavioural classrooms where they receive instruction on an individual
and basic skills level. Their access to instructional techniques such as advanced writing strategies is
hindered both by the reductionist teaching approach and by the use of behavioural modification techniques
to alter.
The present study responds to more recent research in literacy instruction by using a qualitative
perspective and related methodologies to investigate the conceptions of literacy held by children placed in
a remedial behavioural classroom. The study accepts as a basic premise a socio-cognitive view of literacy
that recognizes writing as a communicative event representing interactions between the writer and their
audience and also between the writer and their context. By using a qualitative perspective and a case study
technique, categories were developed that represented the ways the children viewed the meaning and use
of both writing and their writing and learning context. Shifts in personal verbal and written expression
were enabled by use of scaffolded teaching strategies and by encouraging more freedom of oral expression.
Two questionnaires were administered to collect data about the children's initial conceptions of
themselves as writers and their ability to determine the needs of their reading audience. The use of stories
written by the children and compiled for a booklet about their classroom and audiotapes of each writing
session resulted in additional conceptions in the four major areas as follows:
1. the definition and meaning of good and bad behaviour within their classroom
2. the meaning of classroom rules and regulations and the effects of compliance or
resistance
3. the potential and repercussions of honest communication with peers and adults
4. the potential for children becoming teachers for their peers and adults.
By exploring these areas as viewed by the children, new insights into the issues of equity in
education are discussed. As well, it was shown when provided with both active intervention and a more
liberated context in which to write the children used writing both to construct and explore the meaning
of their world and to resist and transform situations which place them at an educational and social
disadvantage.
Insights from this study were integrated into three major areas of relevance to the study of literacy
instruction and equity in educational opportunities. These issues were highlighted in the areas of 1) the
pathology deficit model, 2) the role of the remedial classroom and 3) conceptions of literacy within a
remedial behavioural classroom. Suggestions for further research and implications for practice when
working with children who are described as "severely behaviourally disturbed" are included.
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Extent |
8020891 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2008-12-18
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0098960
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
1992-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.