Scholarlink

<p>Primary classrooms are dilemmatic spaces where teachers must continually navigate complex decisions. This study explores how nine Australian primary school teachers include or exclude children’s literature for classroom use, revealing the nuanced criteria that underpin their choices. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the research identifies three key domains influencing teachers’ decisions: curriculum alignment, reader relevance, and literary characteristics. Teachers described balancing curriculum demands with students’ interests, cultural contexts, and the perceived appropriateness of texts. Notably, the same criteria were often used both to justify the inclusion and exclusion of literature. These findings highlight the ethical and pedagogical tensions teachers face when enacting curriculum and underscore the need for context-based professional autonomy, resources, and time in navigating these dilemmas. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how literature selection functions as a site of intense professional decision-making within broader educational, cultural, and institutional frameworks.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Primary teachers’ curriculum making dilemmas: including and excluding children’s literature

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月14日

查看全文
  • Kylie Zee Bradfield,
  • Beryl Exley

摘要

Primary classrooms are dilemmatic spaces where teachers must continually navigate complex decisions. This study explores how nine Australian primary school teachers include or exclude children’s literature for classroom use, revealing the nuanced criteria that underpin their choices. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the research identifies three key domains influencing teachers’ decisions: curriculum alignment, reader relevance, and literary characteristics. Teachers described balancing curriculum demands with students’ interests, cultural contexts, and the perceived appropriateness of texts. Notably, the same criteria were often used both to justify the inclusion and exclusion of literature. These findings highlight the ethical and pedagogical tensions teachers face when enacting curriculum and underscore the need for context-based professional autonomy, resources, and time in navigating these dilemmas. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how literature selection functions as a site of intense professional decision-making within broader educational, cultural, and institutional frameworks.