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Research topic/aim

Writing is a key competence in an increasingly digital society – and teachers and teacher education need knowledge of how students in the classroom are trained on written composition development. Using data from newly graduated teachers in years 4-6 and teachers at upper secondary school, I elucidate what of written composition development they bring with them from their teacher education to their own classroom teaching in Swedish.

Theoretical framework

Based on threshold concepts (Meyer & Land 2005), analyses of which knowledge in teaching writing is seen as central. Thus, the threshold concepts can name key concepts, elements, thoughts and experiences that the new teachers need to develop the students' writing. Meyer & Land (2005) understand threshold concepts like portals, which open up new understandings and perspectives. 

Methodology/research design

The data is created in spring 2020, in the first wave of Covid-19 in Sweden. The research is based on video-recorded semi-structured interviews with eight newly graded teachers three months after exam. Further analyses investigate relationships of written composition development to the curricula in the two teacher training programs. 

Expected findings

The preliminary findings indicate that teachers feel comfortable teaching with digital resources in writing, but they see many thresholds concerning didactic and pedagogical knowledge about how they can teach writing development. The teachers express the lack of tools to teach students to create texts, to develop texts to a higher quality and to support students who are in need of special support in writing. Indirectly, they have learned about writing when they themselves have written assignments, particularly the degree project has been a good resource for learning about writing and writing tutoring.

Relevance to Nordic educational research

This study can contribute with current pictures from newly graduated teachers teaching practices linked to recently completed teacher training in mother tongue education. It seems that digital resources is the new normal in classroom teaching but teaching and learning to learn is not yet linked to written composition development. Research on written composition is rare. Written composition is important for learning, meaning making and a potentially better future for studies, professional life and active participant in society.