Fostering Critical Literacy and Cosmopolitanism

Abstract

Literacy is embedded in the context of culture and society. In preparing preservice teachers for their future as agents in social change, understanding the power and potential of critical literacy is necessary. Critical literacy provides the opportunity for dialogue that confronts issues and conceptualizes ways to bring about social change. The value of learning how to utilize discussion strategies to encourage critical literacy is important in all classrooms. This research combines aspects of critical literacy based in social justice, reader response theory, and cosmopolitan ethical criticism in investigating the effects of discussion strategies on fostering critical literacy and cosmopolitanism in an undergraduate children's literature course for preservice teachers. Constant comparative analysis is used to interpret the data and to recommend changes in instructional strategies. The findings and recommendations of this chapter provide valuable insights in assisting literature instructors at all levels in fostering critical literacy.