Synergy in Literacy Research Methodology

Web-based text structure strategy instruction improves seventh graders’ content area reading comprehension.

“…Text structure-based reading comprehension has been recommended by experts (e.g., Mallette, Duke, Strachan, Waldron, & Watanabe, 2013; Pearson & Hiebert, 2015), implemented in National and state policies, and included in textbooks (e.g., Scott Foresman Reading Street) as well as components of recent interventions (Vaughn, 2015). Additionally, text structure-based reading comprehension skills are reflected in the new grade-level expectations for reading in the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI; Gewertz, 2011; e.g., Reading CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1 to RI.5.10) adopted by 42 states.…”

Improvisations: Methods and Methodologies in Lifespan Writing Research

“…Researchers interested in lifespan writing development employ different theoretical frameworks for research designs that use a variety of methods. In many ways, this mirrors the broader literacy research field (Mallette & Duke, 2021), as literacy researchers, like writing researchers, make up a diverse discipline. In two recent studies, Parsons et al (2016Parsons et al ( , 2020 conducted a series of content analyses across literacy research journals to determine the types of topics being studied and the theoretical perspectives and methods employed by literacy researchers.…”

“…So, readers might be asking, why spend time bothering ourselves with quantitative methods? Mallette and Duke (2021) The charge set forth by the Lifespan Writing Development Group echoes these core ideas when we shift the focus from literacy research more broadly to lifespan writing development. As researchers, we need to bring our methodological expertise to the collaboration to foster new approaches and understandings.…”

Chapter 1. Temporal Discourse Analysis as an Analytic for Lifespan Writing Research

“…In their subsequent analysis of 4,305 articles published in 15 journals, Parsons et al (2020) found similar differences with an additional factor being that approaches differed between research and practitioner journals. Important to our discussion, they highlight the need to diversify methods used in research articles, as diversity in approaches will enhance the knowledge base of the literacy research field (see Mallette & Duke, 2021).…”

“…Bazerman's final point about the need to use quantitative approaches in conjunction with qualitative ones is extremely important to not only this complex area of research but also to leveraging the expertise we have across disciplines. The point echoes the broader landscape of literacy research methodologies (Mallette & Duke, 2021). We need both quantitative and qualitative researchers in the conversations around what writing skills should be valued and understood from a lifespan framework.…”