A content analysis of JAAL (2012)

***Please post your comments on the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL) Facebook page***

We asked how does the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL) embody the changing landscape of literacy research? We conducted a content analysis of all featured articles (n=43) for 2012. In addition to coding for methodology and participant demographics, common themes were identified between the articles. The following questions are based on the findings:

1. How can teachers’ understanding of student identity support the development of literacy skills? 
2. Should JAAL publish more mixed-methods studies? Quantitative studies? What are the benefits and limitations of each methodological approach?

      3. Would a greater concentration of adult literacy articles expand the readership for JAAL?

      4. What would you like to see as common themes for 2013?

 Table 1: Core Themes

Theme	Total          (n=43)	Proportion
Motivation	3	7%
Reading	6	14%
Out-of-school literacies	5	11%
Assessment	1	2%
Multimodal literacy	3	7%
Identity	8	19%
Writing	6	14%
Cultural responsiveness	2	5%
Pre-service and in-service teacher preparation	4	9%
Disciplinary/Content literacy	2	5%
Inquiry-based instruction	3	7%

Table 2: Methodology

Methodology	Total (n=43)	Proportion
Qualitative	33	76%
Quantitative	2	5%
Mixed-methods	2	5%
Theoretical	6	14%

   

Table 3: Participants  

Population studied	Total (n=43)	Proportion
Middle school (6-8)	11	26%
High school (9-12)	12	28%
Middle school and High school (6-12)	2	5%
High school and post-secondary	1	2%
Adults (non-pre-service teachers)	3	7%
Pre-service teachers	7	16%
Youths (unspecified)	7	16%

Common Themes and Descriptions

Motivation – strategies and techniques to more actively engage students

Reading—comprehension, oral language, fluency, stances

Out-of-school literacies – reading and writing practices students make use of outside the academic setting

Assessment—the process of documenting knowledge and skills in a measurable way

Multimodal literacy—the use of semiotic sign systems, including works of art, photography, video, aural recordings, online pieces, remixed material of any sort

Identity— self-representation in texts, voices or stances utilized in writing

Writing—scaffolding, outlining, editing and revising, vocabulary, academic writing

Cultural responsiveness—pedagogy that considers the cultural knowledge, heritage, prior experiences and performance styles of diverse students

Pre-service and in-service teacher preparation—post-secondary teacher education coursework and in-service workshops, conferences, and forums for expanding skills

Disciplinary/Content literacy—both generalized and specialized literacy skills in the disciplines

Inquiry-based instruction—enhancing student problem-solving skills through collaboration with teacher facilitation

 

Middle school dating: a "cause" of concern?

“Correlation does not imply causation.” This maxim is repeated in high school science classrooms to ensure data is not misinterpreted and faulty causal inferences are not made. Of course, an article headline can often mislead readers to infer such connections. Science Daily recently reported a study, Dating in Middle School Leads to Higher Dropout, Drug-Use Rates, insinuating a causal link between adolescent dating and dropout/drug-use rates. 

According to the authors, “students who date in middle school have significantly worse study skills, are four times more likely to drop out of school and report twice as much alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use than their single classmates, according to new research from the University of Georgia.” In other words, dating in middle school will inevitably lead to maladaptive behaviors. 

I can almost visualize a parent reading this headline and then subsequently demand that their child break up with his or her partner to avoid an academic and behavioral catastrophe.

It is only embedded deep within the article that the authors of the study highlight that the below average educational performance of middle school daters is part of an “overall pattern of high-risk behaviors.”  I like to think of this quote as the chicken or the egg scenario - which came first?: Does teen dating lead to high-risk behaviors or does high-risk behaviors lead to teen dating? 

Stated differently, maybe middle school dating is a symptom of a problem-child (and/or parenting styles), not the cause.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130315151046.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

Could Seinfeld have existed in 2013?

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t connect some comment or situation I find myself in to a Seinfeld episode.  I probably annoy most of my friends when I yell out “she has man hands” when I open a drink or voice “ovaltine” while using my debit card. Seinfeld certainly marks a definitive event in my adolescence.

They say timing is everything. For Seinfeld, that couldn’t be more of a truism. While watching reruns on TBS, it is clear that many episodes could not exist in the 21st century. I have compiled a few of my favorite episodes that ALMOST could have never been… 

1. Who calls a “real” person to find out when movies are playing? In this episode, Kramer takes a call from George to find a movie time and theater. I guess Fandango or Google weren't around...

2. I have been using OpenTable recently to make online reservations. That way, I don’t get to a restaurant like Elaine, George, and Jerry and have to wait for hours... “Seinfeld, party of 4.”

3. Really, an answering machine? I think we all have left a message on someone’s phone that we regret. Of course, because we all have cell phones there is no tape to destroy. That is of course, unless you are Jerry and George.