DESIGN-BASED RESEARCH OF EMERGENT LITERACY: ENHANCING

Design-based research is an emerging research paradigm that acknowledges the complexity of interactions, teaching and learning in classrooms. These studies involve systematic design and the study of teaching strategies and learning resources. A continuous cycle occurs where theory and practice are intertwined and involve design, enactment, analysis, reflection and redesign. This research methodology was employed as the researcher worked with two teachers in a preschool in North Queensland with the aim of enhancing emergent literacy learning opportunities for young children. The study commenced with professional development sessions for participating teachers where current research findings in early literacy, socio-cultural and emergent literacy theories and related pedagogies were shared. Participating teachers then worked collaboratively with the researcher to embed literacy-related activities into their play-based preschool programs as they continued to negotiate aspects of the planning with the children. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and results showed young children’s emergent literacy understandings improved significantly on a number of measures over a period of five months and teachers’ perceptions of emergent literacy pedagogy in preschool changed due to the experience