Students making meaning through language : case studies of Tasmanian primary school teachers' knowledge of teaching grammar

This study investigates how three Tasmanian primary school teachers have developed their knowledge of teaching grammar and the types of strategies they use to deliver the learning outcomes of the language strand of the Australian Curriculum: English (AC:E). The renewed focus on the teaching of grammar in the AC:E poses challenges for teachers in terms of the linguistic and pedagogical knowledge required to best support all students to use language more effectively. Research over the past three decades demonstrates that an explicit teaching focus on making meaning through language enhances students' reading and writing abilities and improves low-achieving students' literacy attainment. In this study, case studies were used to provide in-depth analyses of how teachers developed their knowledge of grammar and how they go about teaching it. An customised analytical framework was created and applied to the data to identify the degree of scaffolding provided to assist students use grammar effectively while reading and writing. This study finds that teachers with strong linguistic knowledge, who use scaffolded approaches to teaching grammar, contribute to enhanced outcomes for students, including those struggling with literacy and those who are already capable readers and writers. The study suggests that highly effective teachers are essential in assisting colleagues to develop better strategies for teaching grammar and that teachers can ensure equitable literacy instruction for all students when they utilise scaffolding strategies during discussion and when sequencing instruction.