The impact of a professional development experience in critical literacy practices on high school teachers' pedagogical approaches to critical reading : a case study in a Lebanese school

Abstract

This case study examined a professional development experience in critical literacy practices with two high school English language teachers in one Lebanese private school and investigated its effects on both the teachers’ views and pedagogical approaches to critical reading as well as on their students’ perceptions and engagement in critical literacy practices. A qualitative instrumental case study was employed. The data gathering methods included pre- and post-study teacher interviews, documentations of the PD experience, classroom observations, student questionnaire and focus group interviews. The study showed how the teachers’ use of critical questioning (problem-posing questions) through dialogue and discussions fostered student-student dialogic interactions and critical engagement, thus illuminating various aspects of the four dimensions of critical literacy. The teachers expressed that the PD experience built on their repertoires of critical pedagogical practices in the reading classroom, and that this approach increased their students’ active participation in the critical discussions and thus promoted critical thinking. Accordingly, the teachers were supportive of critical literacy and its sustenance in future practices. Student questionnaire and focus group interviews revealed students’ positive attitude towards critical discussions and their enhanced critical awareness of texts and of different perspectives. This study also identified certain challenges and significant possibilities. Implications and recommendations for future research on teacher professional development around integrating critical literacy in teacher education programs and curriculum reform in Lebanon are discussed.