The Theory
It's important to understand where certain teacher practices originate. Each of the transactors (reader, text, task and sociocultural context) in the aforementioned framework are influenced by a number of factors, all of which have a theoretical underpinning.
Listed below is a description of the major theories which influence practice, and examples of how they manifest in the classroom.
SCHEMA THEORIES can be linked to the reader. These emphasise the transaction between the reader's background knowledge and experience, and the text (Carrell, 1984). These theories put weight on the ability to relate material to one’s own background/experience in achieving efficient comprehension.
Supported in the classroom by activating and connecting to prior knowledge
COGNITIVE THEORIES stem from Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (1936). These theories emphasise the developmental stages of thinking and the reader's ability to cognitively coordinate multiple processes and representations.
These theories emphasise the importance of cognitive development, skill and flexibility, that enable the multiplicity, complexity, and simultaneity inherent in skilled reading, at the word level and higher levels of semantic processing ("Handbook of research on reading comprehension", 2009). Also consistent with cognitive theories is Bloom’s Taxonomy (1965) which distinguishes between lower and higher order levels of cognitive processing. Like Schema theories, cognitive development theories emanate from the reader with respect to the Four Roles Model (Freebody, 2007), or 'framework', outlined in this site. |
Supported in the classroom through questions targeting 'Blooms Taxonomy of Thinking', supporting metacognition, flexibility of thinking and self-monitoring behaviour
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In contrast, SOCIOCULTURAL THEORIES emanate from the role of context, and specifically propose that this context is a social and cultural one. These theories put focus on the social factors of the learning process. Unlike cognitive approaches which view learning as dependent on predetermined stages, from the viewpoint of sociocultural theories, reading is a social skill which requires active participation and interaction of the learners involved in it.
The role of teachers and peers in scaffolding students through the Zone of Proximal Development, introduced by Vygotsky (1978), is a central concept to sociocultural theory, and plays an important role in developing student comprehension (Ghafar & Dehqan, 2013).
The role of teachers and peers in scaffolding students through the Zone of Proximal Development, introduced by Vygotsky (1978), is a central concept to sociocultural theory, and plays an important role in developing student comprehension (Ghafar & Dehqan, 2013).
Supported in the classroom through sharing, paired and group activities, and modelled, guided and collaborative practice
LITERARY THEORIES are distinguished from sociocultural theories by the additional emphasis placed on writing and code. These thereby place emphasis on the text aspect of the transaction.
Supported in the classroom through appropriate text selection and explicitly teaching and modelling a language focus
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