Shakespeare and Literacy: A Case Study in a Primary Classroom, Essay Example

The article chosen for reviewing is G. Belliveau’s “Shakespeare and Literacy: A Case Study in a Primary Classroom”. The choice of this study was conditioned by several factors. First of all, it addresses the issue of the promotion of literacy development linked to reading and interpretation of literature. As the proposed action research focuses on the facilitation of teaching children critical thinking skills in relation to literature, the results obtained by the author may be of assistance. Moreover, the article was published in 2012, which shows the relevance of the results for the modern learning context. Finally, Belliveau’s study involved primary school students, which is another parallel between the reviewed study and the proposed action research, as the latter also focuses on young learners.

Type and Focus of the Study

The article in question is essentially a case study conducted with the aid of qualitative data collection and analysis methods. Belliveau relied on the belief that young children should be exposed to Shakespeare’s works early as young learners tend to be more curious and inclined to play with new language, whereas older learners become increasingly intimidated by the author’s reputation and personality. Therefore, young learners are able to understand and process complex ideas at an early age. The study, therefore, focuses on the strategies that facilitate the process of introducing Shakespeare and his literary works to children and outlines the most efficient ones. The same assumption can be made about teaching children critical thinking skills – young learners are able to process and interpret complex ideas and approach them critically, if these are presented to them with the aid of appropriate educational activities. The methods suggested in the present article may be utilized for the action research addressing the facilitation of teaching children basics of critical thinking with the necessary modifications. A closer look may help one see what kind of modifications can be made due to differences in the goals and settings of the two studies.

Sampling and Procedure

The study concentrates on the interaction of one teacher and her primary class covering the time span of three months. There were 22 children in the class aged six to nine, the study taking place in a Montessori primary classroom in a public school in Vancouver, Canada. The activities considered in the reviewed study were related to the discussion of Shakespeare’s play Much Ado about Nothing.

The children in the studied class had a range of activities associated with the adapted version of the comedy. Collectively, they managed to produce more than 600 pieces of creative and reflective writing and drawing within the period; their learning activities were connected with newspaper writing, response letters and leaves. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews with eight parents and the teacher. Focus groups were held with the children who participated during the project and two years later.

Data Collection and Analysis

The author emphasizes the qualitative nature of the research by indicating that pre- and post-study assessment of any positive developments achieved through the implementation of the chosen method was a secondary procedure and was not included into the focus of the study. The aspects of the process that the author concentrated on are not linked to measurement; they present a perspective allowing one to obtain a comprehensive view of the strategies that resulted in the measurable improvements in the children’s learning. However, using a quantitative element seems to be a possible way to substantiate the qualitative findings of the survey and make them more illustrative.

Using a variety of instruments ensured that the researcher had a full and rounded picture of how the strategies worked for every individual involved in the process and capable of assessing the efficiency of the strategy from a specific perspective. Objectivity was maintained, therefore, through the use of direct observation, interviewing, and collecting writing samples. Such a mode of data collection provided the researcher with four possible perspectives, both external and internal. The external perspectives were those of the researcher and the children’s parents, as they did not participate, whereas the internal perspectives were those of the teacher and the children. With emphasis on the evaluation element of an action research cycle, such a policy seems to provide maximum objectivity in the assessment of the results.

The phenomenological approach presupposed that the researcher described what was happening during the learning process. The data were collected through interviews, writing samples and focus groups. The analysis of the data allowed the researcher to identify the skills that each activity helped develop and outline the most efficient strategies. He also elaborated a scheme of how they correlate with various stages of the learning process. Within the framework of the action research aimed at the development of critical thinking skills, this approach would be inevitably modified, as the reflection stage presupposes assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the implemented strategy and changing the following cycle of the process accordingly.

Results Obtained

Belliveau identified five literacy strategies that were used by the teacher in class in order to facilitate the children’s interest in Shakespeare and “the oral and physical engagement” with his works (Belliveau, 2012, p. 171). These strategies are not unique, as they are often used in primary classrooms and are appropriate for the shifting and dynamic pattern of learning that young learners have. However, their implementation and the way they correlate in order to meet the educational goals make them an innovation.

The first strategy is word wall aimed at helping learners structure new vocabulary items in their memory and allowing them to start using them correctly. The students had a visual reminder of the spelling, basic morphological characteristics, explanation and synonyms of the words they had to remember. As a result, even struggling readers had no significant difficulties in vocabulary work. This strategy appears quite effective due to the fact it is extremely learner-friendly. Using a word wall presupposes that a child refers to it as frequently as he or she needs, at his or her own pace and without pressure. It provides learners with psychological comfort, which is essential for the success of learning. Since the proposed action research is aimed at the development of critical thinking skills, it does not concern vocabulary work directly, but this strategy may be used in the first cycle in order to see if it helps students express their opinion more precisely and if it enhances their understanding of the studied literary work. However, this strategy alone does not provide the researcher with any data, therefore, the data collection stage would require an additional testing instrument that would show how effective the method is.

The second strategy is journaling, which allowed the children to write or visually draw the impressions they obtained from reading the literary piece in class and its subsequent discussion. According to Belliveau, “most often it was a place to summarize the events, but they could also ask questions, fictionalize and extend the plotline” (2012, p. 172). The teacher could give the students prompts or the direction they could explore. Journaling served as both an educational method fostering students’ individual interpretation work and a data collection instrument. It appears a good way to guide children’s critical thinking activities and allows the teacher to see if the participants are enthusiastic about this strategy and if it manages to stimulate the development of the skill in young learners. It can also be regarded as a learner-friendly method as a student takes his or her time to formulate the thoughts he or she has, does not experience any pressure of other students’ or the teachers’ opinions and gives the teacher the opportunity to hear every student’s viewpoint. As a data collection instrument, journaling also gives the researcher a chance to assess the progress of the participating students in its dynamics. Consequently, it can be used in the proposed action research as a possible individual work avenue.

Character masks is the third strategy described by Belliveau. This type of activity can be both individual and collective and is quite effective in showing if students have managed to interpret personalities of fiction characters correctly. The strategy is multifunctional and fits the format of action research very well as in different cycles one may try individual assignments and group work and assess the efficiency of the implementation of each of the facets.

The next efficient strategy is reflection leaves, flowers and letters. This method is similar to journaling, but involves also the summarizing skill and the ability to identify key scenes, elements of the plot or details found in a literary work. This method also stresses individual interpretation efforts.

Creating a newspaper is the fifth efficient strategy outlined by Belliveau. This was essentially group work, as children were paired by the teacher and assigned the task of writing an article about a significant event described in the play. The children had to create headlines and use pictures to illustrate their articles. This stage helped students try the storytelling approach in order to show their understanding of the literary work and their interpretation of it. They also referred to the word wall for appropriate wording, which contributed to the enhancement of the students’ vocabulary work. At this stage, the students were asked to create their own texts showing the level of literacy that they achieved. In the proposed action research this strategy may be of great assistance, as it can show if students are capable of presenting their judgment in the form of a short text with the necessary argumentation.

Another finding that Belliveau indicated was the subdivision of the three-month project into three phases: literacy, drama, and theater. The phases overlapped and combined in the process of learning. However, in general each preceding stage served as the basis for the following one, implying the application of the skills developed at the previous level. What becomes apparent is that in Belliveau’s research individual work is the foundation for further group activities.

Implications of the Results for the Proposed Action Research

The findings obtained by Belliveau in his research agree with the assumption that both individual and group work are instrumental for the enhancement of critical thinking skills. The strategies outlined by the author appear quite relevant and possible to apply in the cycle mode of learning with the necessary modifications introduced before the start of the first cycle, during the planning stage, or before the second cycle of learning as a response to students’ feedback and assessed efficiency of the chosen strategy. Modifications can be introduced for several reasons. First, critical thinking skills are also associated with the perception and interpretation of complex ideas, but the depth of understanding needed for such interpretation may differ. Second, the format of some tasks presupposes the existence of several possible options in their practical application, for example, group or individual assignments. Since the difference in the effectiveness of these two modes is essentially the focus of the proposed action research, these variances appear relevant.

Belliveau’s findings show that building the learning process on the primary school students’ creative activities fosters their interest and stimulates participation. Since the proposed research also involves young learners, it is logical to assume that the strategies chosen by the researcher to facilitate teaching critical thinking skills should also operate a variety of children’s creative activities. Another important aspect is that Belliveau’s data collection instruments fulfilled several functions. They performed the educational function, as the participants had to use the acquired skills to complete the tasks. They also proved to be efficient in providing the researcher with timely feedback and several perspectives on the effect of learning activities, which increased the validity of the obtained results. Overall, the approach utilized by Belliveau may be partially used for the proposed action research.

References

Belliveau, G. (2012). Shakespeare and Literacy: A Case Study in a Primary Classroom. Journal of Social Sciences 8(2), 170-176.

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