Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Professional Development: Disciplinary Literacy Instruction

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Teaching College-Level Disciplinary Literacy

  • 330 Accesses

Abstract

Despite the longstanding consensus among college faculty that academic literacy and critical thinking are essential to student success, the development of students’ disciplinary literacy has not been established across the curriculum. Very often, content area instructors consider literacy instruction as relevant only in English courses, and they perceive that student success in STEM and professional studies depends highly on quantitative reasoning and other professional skills. As a result, many of them tend to prioritize delivering content knowledge and skills over cultivating students’ capacity to think, read, and communicate in ways that are consistent with those practiced in the disciplines. Therefore, the initial focus of professional development in the Reading Effectively Across the Disciplines (READ) program is on redirecting content faculty’s teaching conceptions to afford a pedagogical space for teaching disciplinary literacy. In addition to the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of professional development in a disciplinary literacy context, this chapter covers practical issues that include identifying courses in the disciplines that require instructional interventions, faculty recruitment, the training cycle, general and specific strategies, the design of professional development activities, and assessment of their effectiveness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, T. H., & Ambruster, B. B. (1984). Studying. In P. D. Person (Ed.), Handbook of reading research. New York: Longma.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, W. A., Banerjee, U., Drennan, C. L., & Elgin, S. C. R. (2011). Changing the culture of science education at research universities. Science, 331, 152–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armbruster, B. B., & Anderson, T. H. (1985). Producing ‘considerate’ expository text: Or easy reading is damned hard writing. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 17(3), 247–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong, S. L., & Stahl, N. A. (2017). Communication across the silos and borders: The culture of reading in a community college. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 47(2), 99–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barr, R. B., & Tagg, J. (1995). From teaching to learning—A new paradigm for undergraduate education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 27(6), 12–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benek-Rivera, J., & Mathews, V. E. (2004). Active learning with jeopardy: Students ask the questions———. Journal of Management Education, 28(1), 104–118.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, M. R., Southerland, S. A., Osborne, J. W., Sampson, V. D., Annetta, L. A., & Granger, E. M. (2010). Is inquiry possible in light of accountability?: A quantitative comparison of the relative effectiveness of guided inquiry and verification laboratory instruction. Science Education, 94(4), 577–616.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bonwell, C. C., & Eison, J. A. (1991). Active learning: Creating excitement in the classroom. 1991 ASHE-ERIC higher education reports. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, The George Washington University, One Dupont Circle, Suite 630, Washington, DC 20036-1183.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, C. A., & Smith, D. (2011). Vision and change in undergraduate biology education: A call to action. Washington, DC: American Association for the Advancement of Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brownell, S. E., & Tanner, K. D. (2012). Barriers to faculty pedagogical change: Lack of training, time, incentives, and… tensions with professional identity? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 11(4), 339–346.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caulfield, B., & Leahy, J. (2011). Learning to cycle again: Examining the benefits of providing tax-free loans to purchase new bicycles. Research in Transportation Business & Management, 2, 42–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombo, L., & Prior, M. (2016). How do faculty conceptions on reading, writing and their role in the teaching of academic literacies influence their inclusive attitude. Ilha do Desterro, 69(3), 115–124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cook, L. K., & Mayer, R. E. (1988). Teaching readers about the structure of scientific text. Journal of Educational Psychology, 80(4), 448.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Derting, T. L., & Ebert-May, D. (2010). Learner-centered inquiry in undergraduate biology: Positive relationships with long-term student achievement. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 9(4), 462–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donche, V., & Van Petegem, P. (2011). Teacher educators’ conceptions of learning to teach and related teaching strategies. Research Papers in Education, 26(2), 207–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eley, M. G. (2006). Teachers’ conceptions of teaching, and the making of specific decisions in planning to teach. Higher Education, 51(2), 191–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, Z. (2012). Language correlates of disciplinary literacy. Topics in Language Disorders, 32(1), 19–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, Z., & Pace, B. G. (2013). Teaching with challenging texts in the disciplines: Text complexity and close reading. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(2), 104–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, Z., & Schleppegrell, M. J. (2010). Disciplinary literacies across content areas: Supporting secondary reading through functional language analysis. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 53(7), 587–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felder, R. M., & Brent, R. (1996). Navigating the bumpy road to student-centered instruction. College Teaching, 44(2), 43–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flavell, J. H. (1971). First discussant’s comments: What is memory development the development of? Human Development, 14, 272–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gosser, D. K., & Gosser, D. K. (2001). Peer-led team learning: A guidebook. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunersel, A. B., & Etienne, M. (2014). The impact of a faculty training program on teaching conceptions and strategies. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 26(3), 404–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guskey, T. R. (2002). Does it make a difference? Evaluating professional development. Educational Leadership, 59(6), 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, P. (2005). Interprofessional teamwork: Professional cultures as barriers. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19(sup1), 188–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, C., Beach, A., & Finkelstein, N. (2011). Facilitating change in undergraduate STEM instructional practices: An analytic review of the literature. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48, 952–984.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, C., Finkelstein, N., & Beach, A. (2010). Beyond dissemination in college science teaching: An introduction to four core change strategies. Journal of College Science Teaching, 39, 18–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch Jr., E. D. (2005). Reading comprehension requires knowledge—Of words and the world. In Z. Fang (Ed.), Literacy teaching and learning: Current issues and trends (pp. 121–130). Columbus, OH: Merrill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, B. R., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development. National College for School Leadership. Danvers. MA: ASCD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kember, D., & Kwan, K. P. (2000). Lecturers’ approaches to teaching and their relationship to conceptions of good teaching. Instructional Science, 28(5), 469–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kurt, S. (2017, August 29). ADDIE model: Instructional design. In Educational Technology [Online]. Retrieved from educationaltechnology.net: https://educationaltechnology.net/the-addie-model-instructional-design/

  • Lee, C. D., & Smagorinsky, P. (Eds.). (2000). Vygotskian perspectives on literacy research: Constructing meaning through collaborative inquiry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Linder, A., Airey, J., Mayaba, N., & Webb, P. (2014). Fostering disciplinary literacy? South African physics lecturers’ educational responses to their students’ lack of representational competence. African Journal of Research in Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(3), 242–252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lotter, C., Harwood, W. S., & Bonner, J. J. (2007). The influence of core teaching conceptions on teachers’ use of inquiry teaching practices. Journal of research inscience teaching, 44(9), 1318–1347.

    Google Scholar 

  • McConachie, S. M., & Petrosky, A. R. (2010). Engaging content teachers in literacy development. In Content matters: A disciplinary literacy approach to improving students learning (pp. 1–14). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKenna, M. C., & Robinson, R. D. (2002). Teaching through text: Reading and writing in the content areas. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melanie, M. (2008). Improving the flow of materials in a Cataloging Department: Using ADDIE for a project in the Ohio State University Libraries. Library Resources and Technical Services, 52(2), 54–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Middendorf, J., & Pace, D. (2004). Decoding the disciplines: A model for helping students learn disciplinary ways of thinking. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2004(98), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moje, E. B. (2007). Chapter 1 developing socially just subject-matter instruction: A review of the literature on disciplinary literacy teaching. Review of Research in Education, 31(1), 1–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (NRC). (1999). Transforming undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (NRC). (2003). BIO2010: Transforming undergraduate education for future research biologists. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Science Foundation. (1996). Shaping the future: New expectations for undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology. Washington, DC: NSF Division of Undergraduate Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newman, D., Griffin, P., & Cole, M. (1989). The construction zone: Working for cognitive change in school. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton, L., Richardson, T. E., Hartley, J., Newstead, S., & Mayes, J. (2005). Teachers’ beliefs and intentions concerning teaching in higher education. Higher Education, 50(4), 537–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson, S., & Riordan, D. G. (2012). Engage to excel: Producing one million additional college graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Report to the President. Executive Office of the President.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozdileka, Z., & Robeckb, E. (2009). Operational priorities of instructional designers analyzed within the steps of the Addie instructional design model. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 2046–2050.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paris, S. G., Lipson, M. Y., & Wixon, K. K. (1994). Becoming a strategic reader. In R. B. Ruddell, M. R. Ruddell, & H. Singer (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Yamaguchi, R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2007). What makes professional development effective? Strategies that foster curriculum implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 44(4), 921–958.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrillo, J. (2016). On flipping first-semester calculus: a case study. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 47(4), 573–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prosser, M., & Trigwell, K. (1999). Understanding learning and teaching: The experience in higher education. Buckingham: The Society of Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. 

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. T. E. (2005). Instruments for obtaining student feedback: A review of the literature. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 30(4), 387–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarason, Y., & Banbury, C. (2004). Active learning facilitated by using a game-show format or who doesn’t want to be a millionaire? Journal of Management Education, 28(4), 509–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2008). Teaching disciplinary literacy to adolescents: Rethinking content-area literacy. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 40–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shanahan, T., & Shanahan, C. (2012). What is disciplinary literacy and why does it matter? Topics in Language Disorders, 32(1), 7–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stains, M., Harshman, J., Barker, M. K., Chasteen, S. V., Cole, R., DeChenne-Peters, S. E., et al. (2018). Anatomy of STEM teaching in North American universities. Science, 359(6383), 1468–1470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, R. A., & O’Brien, D. G. (1989). Resistance to content area reading: A focus on preservice teachers. Journal of Reading, 32(5), 396–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stokstad, E. (2001). Reintroducing the intro course. Science, 293, 1608–1610.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugie, S. (2012, June). Instructional design of the communicative blended learning for Chinese as a foreign language. Paper presented at The Second International Conference on Advanced Collaborative Networks, Systems and Applications COLLA 2012 June 24–29, 2012 - Venice, Italy. Retrieved from Hokkaido University Collection of Scholarly and Academic Papers HUSCAP. https://eprints.lib.hokudai.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2115/54553/1/BLforCFL%28sugie%2920120427resend.pdf

  • Tucker, B. (2012). The flipped classroom. Education Next, 12(1), 82–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vgotsky, L. S. (1987). The collected works of LS Vygotsky: Volume 1: Problems of general psychology. New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, R. (2005). Developing interactive e-learning activities. Performance Improvement, 44(5), 5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wineburg, S. (1991). On the reading of historical texts: Notes on the breach between school and academy. American Educational Research Journal, 28(3), 495–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, W. B. (2009). Innovations in teaching undergraduate biology and why we need them. Annual Review of Cell and Developmental, 25, 93–112.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Juanita C. But

Authors
  1. Juanita C. But
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juanita C. But .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. New York City College of Technology, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Juanita C. But

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

But, J.C. (2020). Professional Development: Disciplinary Literacy Instruction. In: But, J. (eds) Teaching College-Level Disciplinary Literacy. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39804-0_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39804-0_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-39803-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-39804-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation