Belinda Louie

Advancing the Scholarship of Teaching Through Collaborative Self-Study

Self-study research is a mode of scholarly inquiry in which teachers examine their beliefs and actions as educators and explore pedagogical questions. A three-phase model of collaborative self-study research is offered as a framework for university faculty to engage in self-study for the purpose of improving teaching and creating new knowledge.

Merging Reflective Inquiry and Self-Study as a Framework for Enhancing the Scholarship of Teaching

This article provides a model for improving teaching practice and developing new knowledge about teaching. The reflective self-study approach to pedagogical inquiry is rooted in reflective inquiry and self-study as found in nursing and education literature, respectively. The model offers nurse educators a mechanism by which they can better understand themselves as teachers and how their teaching affects students. Essential features of the model include interdisciplinarity and collaboration. Using the framework outlined in this article will help establish reflective self-study research as an accepted model of inquiry and further the dialogue on teaching in higher education.

Children’s Literature in the People’s Republic of China: Its Purposes and Genres

The purpose of this chapter is to describe and analyze contemporary children’s literature in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Children’s literature in the PRC has grown rapidly during the last two decades. With increased quantity and improved quality in children’s books, literature for children is earning acceptance and respect from parents and teachers. Currently, publishers, authors, and illustrators share a strong and unified educational mission regarding children’s literature: to transfer cultural heritage, to establish moral values, to sharpen thinking skills, to expand the knowledge horizon, and to enhance language development. In this chapter we describe four major genres of children’s literature (traditional tales, realistic stories, informational books, and poetry) and examine how they fulfill their intended goals.

Empowerment through Young-Adult Literature

Michael, fifteen, held up the biography of the baseball star Roberto Clemente as he talked in my literature-discussion group. The assertive nod, the determined tone, and the slight pounding of the fist gave me glimpses of Michaels affective response to the book. Shifting from Clementes life to his own, Michael had been living through an empowering experience while reading the biography. The evidence suggests that Michael has become empowered through his literary experience. What does this mean? He has increased his belief in his

Washington Principals’ Perceptions of Their Professional Development Needs for the Spike of English Learners

ABSTRACT This article reports on a mixed-methods study of Washington state principal professional development (PD) needs focused on supporting English learner (EL) students. With a growing number of EL students, a heterogeneous group that represents a variety of language, cultures, and experiences, it is imperative to understand what principals need as they drive change and set the tone for teachers and their schools. Twenty-three principals were surveyed using the English Language Learner Program Survey. A subsample of seven principals was also interviewed to explore areas of need. Descriptive analysis of survey results revealed differentiated instruction, family and community involvement strategies, and culturally responsive teaching as the top three areas of PD needs. Thematic analysis of follow-up interview data illustrated the many challenges principals face, such as limited resources and the school climate, when serving EL students. These trends have informative implications for school site leadership regarding the need for professional learning opportunities focused on supporting EL students. However, replication is needed in a larger sample to truly determine the significance of these findings.

Chinese Children’s Literature in North America

In China, researchers and educators have found evidence to support that the shared-book reading approach improves Chinese children’s literacy and language skills. In order to support Chinese language teachers who want to use the shared-book approach in north America, this study is a systematic analysis of Chinese juvenile literature available in north America. In this project, we considered 1,034 titles of Chinese children’s literature books that were available to the north American community. These books were published in China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States. After removing the translated book portion of the collection, we analyzed five aspects of the books: genres, readability, aural accessibility, cultural content, and appeal to Chinese language learners. Overall, the books were written for Chinese-speaking children who have the oral language capacity to understand when the stories are read to them. In addition, some of the contemporary realistic fiction titles are laden with strong Chinese sentimentalism that may be foreign to students grew up overseas.