Teacher Research in South Australia
The Teacher-Researcher Node in South Australia is made up of
teachers from primary to secondary schools.
Prof
Barbara Comber,
Centre
for Studies in Literacy, Policy and Learning Cultures at the University
of South Australia, Magill Campus, has encouraged teachers to
become researchers of their own work.
The Spencer
Foundation in Chicago USA, has supported the work of teacher
researchers in South Australia, through their Practitioner
Research Communication & Mentoring Grants Program. We
acknowledge their support in this project, Doing teacher research:
Documenting, disseminating and connecting. The aim of the project
was to assist teacher researchers in
sharing their learning with a wider audience.
South Australia is unique in having teacher-researchers from each
of its systems which includes the Public, Independent and Catholic
school sectors.
Teacher researchers explore three prominent themes in the field of
literacy education:
 |
teaching and assessing inclusive
literacies in diverse communities |
|
the explicit teaching of reading |
|
using systemic functional linguistics
in the classroom |
Teacher researchers are supported by mentors and strand managers as
they explore their own questions in their own ways with classroom
populations which are linguistically and culturally diverse. The
teachers have a strong commitment to a socially just education and to
improving literacy standards through their research. They are also
aware that much of their learning is through listening to and
observing their own students then reflecting on their own practices.
Exploring and developing new ways of presenting literacy learning
for today's world through making connections with their students and
incorporating new technologies into their teaching, forms a basis for
much of the teacher-research that is documented and presented in the
various fields.
South Australia is unique in having teacher-researchers from each
of its systems which includes the Public, Independent and Catholic
school sectors as members who meet and contribute to teacher-research
within the Research Node.
We hope the sharing of information through this Teacher Researcher
Literacy Clearinghouse web site will provide ideas and possibilities
for teachers to reflect on their own practices. Visitors to the site
are invited to comment and give their opinions around literacy
practices or issues mentioned in articles.
The
work reported in these articles was assisted (in part) by a grant from
the Spencer Foundation. The data presented, the statements made, and
the views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author. |
