Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia

27-30 September 1999

Across the threshold of home/community and school through the eyes of recent Australian research: What are we not seeing in our literacy pedagogy - issues of difference, equity, culture and identity

Christina Davidson

School of Education, University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Jan Connelly

School of Education, Southern Cross University, Lismore Australia

Abstract

In this paper two literacy educators will present a critique of three recent government funded research projects which examined and reported on the literacy practices of schools, families and their communities. The reports are :

(i) Everyday literacy practices in and out of schools in low socio-economic urban communities Freebody, P., Ludwig, C. & Gunn, S.1995 DEET Canberra

(ii) Community Literacy practices and schooling: Towards effective support for students Cairney, T. & Ruge, J. 1998 DEETYA, Canberra

(iii) 100 Children go to school: Connections and disconnections in literacy development in the year prior to school and the first year of school Hill, S., Comber, B., Louden, W., Rivalland, J. & Reid, J. 1998 DEETYA, Canberra

The critique will take the form of a re-enactment of a very personally challenging and penetracting dialogue between two literacy educators who bared all and held much of the accepted literacy discourse 'canon' up for question as each make sense of the findings of these research reports. Their reflections explore the opportunities and challenges the research implications offered them as they continue to navigate their roles of literacy teachers of undergraduate and post graduate students and and literacy researchers who are constantly questioning the kinds of teachers they want to be and the kind of teaching they want to promote for teachers and learners in bi-cultural and bilingual contexts.