Critical Literacy and Higher-Order Thinking:

1. Critical Literacy and Higher-Order Thinking: An Action Research Project Presentation

2. Presentation Objectives The following presentation . . . • describes critical literacy and critical media literacy • presents the purpose of the study and the research questions • describes the methods of the study • presents the quantitative results of the study through graphs and charts • presents qualitative results of the study through student work and anecdotal evidence • Discusses the implications of the study

3. Abstract The following study examines the relationship between critical literacy and higher-order thinking according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. The study was conducted in two 7th grade English classes in a suburban public middle school in Montgomery County, MD. Participants were evaluated through worksheet-style assessments and through classroom discussions. Students were assessed on their higher-order thinking skills both before and after the critical literacy intervention. The study shows tentatively that critical literacy does promote higher-order thinking in secondary students. The literature reviewed for this study supports the importance of incorporating critical literacy in the socially responsible classroom. The content being taught during the intervention centered on World War II and the 1940s, but the intervention could easily be adapted to other content areas in either the English or the social studies secondary classroom.

4. Introduction What is critical literacy and critical media literacy? Critical literacy is, “an awareness . . . of why writers or speakers choose to write about certain topics, what content they include and leave out, whose interests they serve, and who is empowered (or disempowered) by the language they choose” (Alvermann, Phelps, & Gillis, 2010, p. 20). Critical literacy and critical media literacy theories assert that we, as consumers of texts and media, must evaluate the roles of texts and media in society and whether the dominant readings of those items encourage “racism, sexism, homophobia, and other prejudices” (Gainer, 2010, p. 365).

5. Why teach critical literacy in secondary schools? Critical literacy and critical media literacy are true literacy in that they provide students with the tools to read and interpret not only the texts and media items they encounter, but also the sub-texts that accompany them. According to “Critical Media Literacy in Middle School: Exploring the Politics of Representation,” by Jesse S. Gainer, media play a major role in young people’s perceptions of the world. Educators have a responsibility to intervene in order to ensure that students actively question the media they encounter rather than passively absorbing and accepting it: “The importance of media texts such as television, movies, popular music, video games, wikis, blogs, and social networking websites in the lives of young people begs the questions of how they are interpreting the messages and what role, if any, schools should play in helping students navigate new literacy practices” (2010, p. 365). Gainer goes on to assert that teachers must work to encourage alternative readings of texts and media in order to empower students to take action against oppression and intolerance in society.

6. Critical Literacy and Bloom’s Taxonomy The literature reviewed for this study all confirm that teaching critical literacy is socially responsible. This study aims to answer the question of whether critical literacy, in addition to creating thoughtful and socially aware students, can positively affect students’ cognitive abilities. the study also aims to measure the effects of critical literacy on higher-order thinking skills in ethnic minority students, who are statistically at risk to perform at lower levels than their white peers (Sanders, 2009, p. xii). Furthermore, the study examines the effects of critical literacy on female students’ higher-order thinking skills. Female students are, “less assertive, and have slightly lower self-esteem than males of the same age” (Burden & Byrd, 2010, p. 92). Female students are, therefore, less likely to participate in class discussions leading to potential marginalization and, “ultimately . . . lower achievement” (p. 93).

7. Bloom’s Taxonomy In order to measure cognitive abilities this study employs Bloom’s Taxonomy. Bloom’s Taxonomy is a widely accepted psychological theory that categorizes different kinds of learning in ascending order from least to most complex. According to the Taxonomy, analyzing, evaluating, and creating are the most complex kinds of thought (Forehand, 2010). These three more complex kinds of thought are called higher-order thinking. Image from Overbaugh and Schultz, Old Dominion University: http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm

8. Research Questions: 1) How does critical literacy affect middle school students’ higher-order thinking skills? 2) How does critical literacy affect the higher-order thinking skills of minority students?

9. Context The study took place over the course of a quarter-long unit on persuasive writing and World War II in two 7th grade English classrooms, one on-level and one advanced. The on-level class had 25 participating students. Eleven of those students are ethnic minority students. The advanced class had 32 participating students. Eight of those students are ethnic minorities. The minority students were mostly either Hispanic or Asian, with a slightly larger percentage of Hispanic students represented in the on-level class.

10. Methods In order to assess whether critical literacy affects higher-order thinking, students were administered higher-order thinking questions both before and after the critical literacy intervention. The students’ answers were then scored according to the following criteria: • 1: a response that shows only a basic understanding of the text and the questions being asked • 2: a response that exhibits a thorough but concrete understanding of the text and questions • 3: a response that exhibits a thorough and highly abstract understanding of the text and questions The worksheets were scored as objectively as possible. Some responses were not usable in the analysis because they did not fall into any of these categories. For example, students may have submitted illegible responses, incomplete worksheets, or may have failed to turn in both worksheets needed for the data analysis.

11. Methods Cont. The following is a breakdown of how data were gathered and critical literacy introduced to the students. Lessons occurred over a period of roughly three weeks. Copies of all worksheets are included in your packet. • Students read “The Lottery,” and answered typical critical reading questions through “The Lottery: A Reading Guide.” A class discussion accompanied this lesson. Students had a hard copy of the text and were also read aloud to. Some parts of “The Lottery” were omitted during the read-aloud for brevity’s sake. • Students were given two higher-order thinking questions and answered them independently. • These were collected and scored according to the scoring guide • The students were later introduced to the New York Times Article, “Entire City Put on War Footing: Japanese Rounded up by FBI, Sent to Ellis Island—Vital Services Are Guarded,” from November 8, 1941. Like “The Lottery,” the article was read aloud and abridged for brevity. Students had access to a hard copy of the article and were informed that the article was abridged.

12. Methods Cont. • After being read the Times article, students completed the “Summary/Drawing Worksheet.” This was completed independently and collected in order to assess students’ understanding of and reaction to the article. • Critical literacy intervention: students were introduced to a Promethean Board flipchart that has lesson objectives, a definition of critical literacy, an Aesop fable called “The Man and the Lion,” critical literacy vocabulary terms, and links to the commercials that will be used for the lesson. • Students read the Aesop’s fable and were prompted to think about what groups of people the “man” and the “lion” might represent in society. • Students were given hard copies of the “Critical Literacy Vocabulary” worksheet. Students and the instructor worked together to define the vocabulary words. • At the vocabulary word “identity,” students were given an index card and told to write their identity on it. Different kinds of identity were modeled on the board for the students.

13. Methods Cont. • Students were given the “Critical Literacy Worksheet” for the Jell-O and the Dreft commercials. • The class watched the Jell-O commercial twice and the instructor modeled filling out the accompanying worksheet. Students were prompted to answer the questions but were also corrected if their answer was not consistent with critical literacy terminology. • Students watched the Dreft commercial and filled-out the worksheet independently. A class discussion followed. • Students were again introduced to the Times article. They were again given hard copies and read aloud to. Students then filled out the “Critical Literacy Worksheet” for the Times article. This was done independently, but a class discussion followed. • Finally, students were administered a worksheet with two more higher-order thinking questions. These were done independently, collected, and scored according to the same criteria. No class discussion followed.

14. Results The following graphs show the resulting scores on the higher-order thinking questions both before and after the intervention. The graphs are broken down according to class. The graphs are followed by two charts from t-tests of the data that determine whether the changes are significant

25. Student Work In addition to the qualitative evidence shown in the preceding graphs, qualitative evidence was collected via student work and classroom discussion. The following pages display student work that exhibits the variety of responses received throughout the study. Unfortunately the use of audio recording was not used during class discussion, so that data could not be taken down as definitive evidence for the study. Nonetheless, discussion served as an important anecdotal indicator of student engagement and understanding.

39. Class Discussions No hard evidence was collected through class discussion. However, student engagement seemed to increase during the discussion on critical literacy. In the on-level class, some typically disengaged students became active participants in the discussion. This was especially apparent with some minority students. A difference in engagement was noticeable in the advanced class. This is probably because the advanced students are already highly participatory.

40. Conclusions and Implications The graphs, t-test charts, student work, and anecdotal data from class discussions all show that critical literacy has a positive effect on the higher-order thinking skills of students. This study was conducted on a small scale, but I hope in the future to continue research and analysis of the effects of critical literacy on the cognitive development of students, as well as other important aspects of the classroom such as student discourse, confidence, and acceptance of alternate viewpoints and lifestyles.

41. Questions and Comments I now would like to welcome your questions about and comments on the presentation and its contents.

42. Refderences Aesop. “The man and the lion.” Retrieved from: University of Virginia e-library Alvermann, D. E., Phelps, S. F., & Gillis, V. R. (2010). Content area reading and literacy: Suceeding in today’s diverse classrooms. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Burden, P. R., & Byrd, D. M. (2010). Methods for effective teaching: Meeting the needs of all students. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Forehand, M. (2005). Bloom's taxonomy: Original and revised.. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved <insert date>, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/ Freire, P. (2001). from Pedagogy of the oppressed. In Schultz, F. (Ed.), Notable sources in education (3rd ed.), (pp. 87-94). Guilford, CT: McGraw-Hill. (Original work published 1970) Gainer, J. S. (2010). Critical media literacy in middle school: Exploring the politics of representation. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 53(5), 364-373. doi:10.1598/JAAL.53.5.2

43. Refderences Grassi, E. A., & Barker, H. B. (2010). Culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional students: Strategies for teaching and assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. Leeds, J. (2009). “Argument and advocacy: Rigorous talk about culturally relevant text in social studies.” In S. Plaut (Ed.), The right to literacy in secondary schools (pp. 96-108). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Meller, W. B., & Hatch, J. A. (2008). Introductory critical literacy practices for urban preservice teachers. The New Educator, 4, 330-348. doi: 10.1080/15476880802430312 Montgomery County Public Schools (2010). “North Bethesda MS at a Glance” (PDF). http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/03413.pdf Sanders, M. G. (2009). Schooling students placed at risk: Research, policy, and practice in the education of poor and minority adolescents. Taylor& Francis e-library. Retrieved via Google Books.