Towards sustainable language and literacy practices for teacher learning in a secondary context: a focus on writing

Abstract

In response to the need for a sustainable language and literacy practice that ensure middle school students' success in writing, a co-educational, Roman Catholic college in South Australia engaged its teachers and students in a three-year project known as The Writing Project. The project aimed to develop student skills and competence in writing to ensure all students met the language and literacy demands of the curriculum. It also aimed to build the capacity of teachers across learning areas. This article focuses on the capacity-building aspect of the project. It examines the teachers' positive perceptions of their own development as teachers of writing and the extent to which the project has impacted on their practice. This article contributes to knowledge about sustainable teacher learning through a project approach and creates an understanding of what constitutes successful pedagogical practices in middle school writing classes.