Penny Oldfather

Toward a Social Constructivist Reconceptualization of Intrinsic Motivation for Literacy Learning

This conceptual essay critiques current understandings of childrens motivation for literacy learning, and argues for a reconceptualization of motivation that centers on the learner as agent in the social construction of meaning. The essay is illustrated with vignettes and examples drawn from two ethnographic studies conducted in whole-language classrooms. Both studies investigated childrens perspectives of their own literacy learning processes and their constructs of themselves as readers and writers.

Qualitative Research as Jazz

A metaphor of qualitative research as jazz is developed to illuminate qualities embedded in processes of qualitative inquiry. The jazz metaphor creates a pathway for making explicit the tacit understandings that enable us to make our way as researchers without fully orchestrated scores. As jazz is guided by a deep structure of chord progressions and themes, qualitative inquiry is guided by epistemological principles, socially constructed values, inquiry focuses, and findings emerging through analytic methodologies such as constant comparison.

LEARNING FROM STUDENTS ABOUT OVERCOMING MOTIVATION PROBLEMS IN LITERACY LEARNING: A CROSS-STUDY ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS

Presented here are five themes constructed through a cross-case analysis and synthesis of research and theory based on six articles collected for this mini-themed issue on learning from students about overcoming motivation problems in literacy learning.

INTRODUCTION: OVERCOMING MOTIVATION PROBLEMS IN LITERACY LEARNING: PART 1 OF 2

A dominant educational issue among those concerned with students’ literacy learning is how to help students overcome struggles with motivation (Cross, 1990; O’Flahaven et al., 1992). There is growing recognition that a critical element in doing so is to understand experiences in schooling through the eyes of students (Johnston and Nicholls, 1999; Lincoln, 1995; Oldfather, West, White, & Wilmarth, 1999; Thorkildsen & Jordan, 1995). In Part I (Volume 18, Issue 3) and Part 2 (Volume 18, Issue 4) of this theme, we present a series of articles that offer unique contributions, both individually and collectively, to motivation and literacy research. Additionally, in Part 2, we analyze and synthesize ways in which these articles expand on understandings of classroom practice and contribute toward more robust theory. Although the theoretical frameworks vary somewhat, all the authors:

Editorial: JLR Anniversary Issue

OF GEORGIA TEMPORAL MILESTONES such as anniversaries serve much the same function as physical milestones. They mark the progress of those who are on a journey, providing landmarks for judging progress that has been made as well as providing an opportunity to reflect upon what is to come. Milestones, then, are important opportunities for reflection. That is the main reason we decided to devote this entire issue to an important milestone: This issue marks the 30th anniversary of the first issue of the Journal of Literacy Research (JLR) published by the National Reading Conference (NRC) under its previous title Journal of Reading Behavior (JRB).

Critical Issues: Bringing Scholarly Dialogue to the Surface: A View of the JLR Review Process in Progress:

In many respects, the production of a scholarly journal such as JLR is the proverbial iceberg. Above the waterline is the clearly visible, final published product which typically arrives in the mail, is read wholly or in part, and then is archived for future reference. Below the waterline is a much less visible but remarkably extensive and intensive range of activities that support the visible product and that are an integral part of it. In fact, to extend the metaphor, this less visible activity in the production of a journal, particularly the review process (and particularly for new scholars), represents all the mystery and navigational hazards that icebergs do to inexperienced sailors traveling in uncharted waters.