Improving the Quality of Teaching Literature in Danish Secondary Education: Towards an Inquiry-based Model for Interventions. Part I/II: Background, research design, and findings from the mapping of practice

Submitted by: Nikolaj Elf
Abstract: Context:
This study comprises two papers* that present findings from a large research and development project entitled “Improving the Quality of Danish and Math in Danish lower Secondary education” made possible by the Danish Ministry of Education (2016-2018).
Focusing on Danish as a subject, the aim is to develop an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of literature in Danish secondary education (grade 7-8) drawing on an initial theory of inquiry-based teaching indebted to the work of John Dewey and Louise Rosenblatt (Dewey 2005 [1934]; Rosenblatt 1938; see also Faust, 2011).
In the first of two presentation, we focus on the project’s pre-study reporting findings from the mapping of practice; part II establishes principles of an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of literature based on the pre-study and a systematic review.

Research question:
Through the pre-study’s systematic review and mapping of practice, we ask:
• What characteristizes an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of literature and to what extent is the teaching of literature in Denmark currently inquiry-based?
• How could such an approach inform interventions in practice in Danish secondary education and principles of inquiry-based course designs?

Design:
The project is designed as a multiple intervention research program (Edwards et al., 2004; Pawson & Tilley, 1997) and comprises: I) A pre-study including a mapping of contemporary practice and a review with the aim of revising an initial ‘program theory’. II) small-scale interventions; III) a pilot study, and IV) a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study.
The mapping of practice is based on triangulating analyses of interviews conducted 2016, systematic analyses of learning resources (Gissel & Skovmand 2016), and ethnographic field work (Christensen, 2014).

Results:
Data suggest that the teaching of literature is dominated by a non-inquiry-based approach amongst teachers. When prompted, teachers express uncertainty as to what an inquiry-based approach means in practice. Teachers emphasize a text-and-transmission oriented approach informed by new criticism and reader-response theory.

Discussion:
Findings imply that an intervention would have to take into consideration that teachers are not accustomed to an inquiry-based approach. Discussions, on a local school basis, of what inquiry based teaching implies should be integrated in the intervention as a ‘didactic framing’.

References:

Christensen, T. S., Elf, N. F., & Krogh, E. (2014). Skrivekulturer i folkeskolens niende klasse. [Writing Cultures in secondary education's grade 9]. Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag.

Dewey, J. (2005 [1934]). Art as Experience. London: Penguin.

Edwards, N., Mill, J. & Kothari, A.R. (2004). Multiple intervention research programs in community health. CJNR 36; 1: 40-54.

Faust, M. (2011). Reconstructing Familiar Metaphors: "John Dewey and Louise Rosenblatt on Literary Art as Experience". Research in the Teaching of English, 35(1), 9-34.

Gissel, S.T. & Skovmand, K. (2016). Kategorisering af digitale læremidler. En undersøgelse af det digitale læremiddellandskab. [Categorization of digital learning resources. A study of the digital landscape of learning resources.] Læremiddel.dk: AUUC Konsortiet. Retrieved from https://demoskolesky.au.dk/index.php/s/MSDespn94Eq1hvj 10 December 2016.

Pawson, Ray og Tilley, Nick (1997): Realistic Evaluation, SAGE Publications ltd.

Rosenblatt, L. M. (1938). Literature as exploration. New York: D. Appleton-Century Co.

*This presentation is related to a second presentation: Part II/II: Principles of an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of literature. Authors: Thomas Illum Hansen, Peter Kaspersen, Stig Toke Gissel, Nikolaj Elf, Tina Høegh