Examining the development of disciplinary literacy practices within a junior high exploratory professional learning project

Disciplinary Literacy, the ability to read, write, and think in ways characteristic of different academic disciplines, is a critical skill for students. Content area teachers, such as those in science, social studies, and math, often struggle with teaching these literacy skills, as their expertise lies in their specific subject area. The study examined how members of a Disciplinary Literacy Professional Learning Community, comprised of a literacy specialist and a social studies teacher, supported Disciplinary Literacy skill and strategy instruction, the specific factors that influenced their success, and the experiences and perceptions of the learning community members. Data included semi-structured interviews, Professional Learning Community meetings, and classroom observations that were gathered over the course of the 2022-2024 school years by the building principal who served as the analyst of the data. Findings revealed three themes: factors influencing the success of the Disciplinary Literacy Professional Learning Community; use of discipline-specific literacy strategy and skill instruction; and experiences and perceptions of learning community members. This research contributes to the understanding of how literacy specialists can effectively collaborate with content area teachers in a Professional Learning Community to enhance Disciplinary Literacy instruction. The findings have implications for improving teaching practices, enhancing student learning outcomes, and informing the design of professional development programs in literacy education.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Zaniewski, Melissa

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cope, William
• Kalantzis, Mary
• Dhillon, Pradheep
• Zhu, Xinran

• Disciplinary Literacy
• Education
• Professional Learning Communities
• Literacy Educaction

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Melissa Zaniewski

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132646

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132646