Fostering Critical Literacies in Order to Support Students’ Reading of the World

High school English classrooms are in need of critical literacy. This study examines the current research related to English classroom pedagogy and applies some pedagogical techniques along with critical literacy tools recommended in order to improve students’ critical literacy. I am a practicing high school English teacher. I used Improvement Science to develop and refine an instructional routine that would facilitate my students’ critical analysis of texts. Over the course of one unit, I conducted three cycles of study and improvement of the routine. Primary data included the classroom talk, assignments, literary analysis essays, and journal entries of eight students, as well as my own teacher journals, lesson plans, and Plan, Do, Study, Act forms to analyze how to best support students in their growth. I found that students could develop critical literacies when given the time, space, and scaffolding necessary, however, the growth in studied students was uneven. I also found that student compliance and point-based assessment could be a barrier to fostering critical literacies