Disciplinary Literacy From the Perspective of One Beginning Social Studies Teacher Candidate

Abstract

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have increased expectations for stakeholders (students, teachers, teacher educators) to gain knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to discipline-specific ways of reading and writing. Despite the increased rigor, implementation of disciplinary literacy practices varies widely by content, grade level, and individual context. In order to better address the disciplinary literacy challenge, teacher education programs must reconsider traditional preparation of middle and secondary teacher candidates. In part, this shift requires a de-emphasis on the teaching of generic application of literacy strategies across content areas. In tandem with, or in place of the general application approach, disciplinary literacy holds potential for meeting the demands of the CCSS. The purpose of this research was to examine developing understandings of disciplinary literacy from the perspective of one beginning teacher candidate enrolled in a secondary literacy course with an embedded field experience. An analysis of the narrative of “Nathaniel Crandall” provides implications for teacher educators teaching and learning with a focus on disciplinary literacy.