TOPIC:
Literacy Behaviour:
A Study Among Trainee-teachers in Teacher-training Colleges in
Malaysia
Traditionally, when print discourses were
dominant, literacy studies focused on reading and writing. Today,
print exists alongside a plethora of other media. We need to
develop peoples' 'multiliteracies' so that all can be successful
and powerful participants in society (New London Group, 1996).
Teachers should understand the critical role they play in the
education of young people. Informing students with multiple literacies
is ultimately the responsibility of teachers. In order to do
that, teachers themselves should keep informed. Teachers' literacy
behaviour (which includes the teachers engagement in print, especially
materials related to their professional development and other
forms of communication like internet and multimedia) will influence
their students' literacy behaviour. This literacy behaviour (being
informed) will contribute to their ability in producing educated
and informed citizens. In order to understand the literacy behaviour,
we decided to carry out a study (May 2000) among a group of Malaysian
trainee teachers. The study was on trainee teachers rather than
practicing teachers because literacy behaviour in teacher training
colleges will influence their behaviour as practitioners upon
graduation. Furthermore, the findings of the study can also provide
suggestions to teacher training colleges on the type of literacies
that can be stressed for the would-be teachers of the 21st century.
Brief Biography
Dr. Ambigapathy Pandian is an Associate
Professor and head of the literacy project at the school of Humanities,
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang. Dr. Pandian has researched
and published widely on English and literacy in Malaysia. Currently
he's working on a research project with researchers from RMIT
Australia. He is a serving member of the Penang Education Consultative
Council.
