WHAT IS EFFECTIVE LITERATURE

INSTRUCTION?
A STUDY OF EXPERIENCED HIGH
SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHERS
IN DIFFERING GRADE - AND
ABILITY-LEVEL CLASSES
Jane Agee
THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY, SUNY
Identify gap of knowledge in the topics
Researchers bias on student-centered and
response-based literature instruction
influenced the interpretation of these data.

The contexts of schools and participants were

also factors that affected the findings.

Few studies of experienced high school

English teacher that solicit perspectives on
what effective literature instruction is and what
kind of approaches is effective with students.
 Problem statement
In terms of teaching literature at the
high school level, this position raises
questions about what kinds of literature
instruction are effective for a wide
range of students.
 Research questions
a) How did these teachers define
effective literature instruction?
b) What kinds of evidence did they look
for to gauge their effectiveness?
c) How did their perceptions of effective
literature instruction inform their
decisions about texts and ways of
reading them with students in different
grade and ability-level classes
Defines area of study and topics

Effective literacy instruction

teaching approach
 Specifies the kinds of data
to be collected
What constituted effective literature
instruction

*** they believed was effective about

their own practices and how they
gauged effectiveness.
Describes methods to be used

Videotapes
Of Classes
Audiotaped
Classroom Interviews
observation With
Teachers

Methods
Provides the researchers rationale for
undertaking the study
Few studies of experienced high school
English teachers
- that solicit their perspectives on what
effective literature instruction
- determine what kinds of approaches
are effective with students.
 Identifies the studys
potential contribution
To help teachers to develop effective
models for literature instruction is through
pre service and graduate programs as
well as through substantive in-service
development
A second way of helping teachers
become more effective with literature
instruction would require addressing the
various constraints they encounter in their
schools
Identify setting or context of study
Setting: Highschool in US
Context: Teaching literature
THANK YOU