Poetry and Pedagogy: Exploring the Opportunity for Epistemological and Affective Development within the Classroom

Abstract

This paper provides a review of the priority afforded to the development of pupils '

Teaching Poetry Reading in Secondary Education: Findings From a Systematic Literature Review

“…Researchers from Ireland , 2012, 2013Hennessy et al, 2010 discuss how increased high-stakes testing may influence poetry pedagogy negatively. The researchers also underline that teacher education needs to prepare pre-service teachers for challenges to curricular ideals of poetry pedagogy when tests seem to be governing everyday activities.…”

“…Research from Ireland (Hennessy, Hinchion, & Mannix McNamara, 2010 problematises current trends in poetry pedagogy when placing these in a wider context of an Irish educational system influenced by ideas of economic instrumentalism, educational efficiency, and neoliberal ideology. In several articles the researchers present results from a longitudinal mixed-methods research programme conducted between 2007 and 2010.…”

Packaging poetry? Pupils’ perspectives of their learning experience within the post‐primary poetry classroom

“…The promotion of creativity and innovation within initial teacher education courses may be a significant first step. Hennessy et al (2010) identify the existence of an aesthetic vision for poetry pedagogy amongst post-primary poetry teachers in Ireland. Yet, in practice there appears a reticence amongst teachers to engage creatively with poetry, with teachers favouring instead a more pragmatic approach to poetry pedagogy at Leaving Certificate level.…”

Plotting pedagogy in a rural South African English classroom: A Legitimation Code Theory analysis

“…In advanced classes with goals of high-level literary analysis, similar to those set in home-language courses, a cultivated knower code may apply, often utilising 'a powerful invisible pedagogy' (Christie & MackenHorarik, 2007: 157) with tacit criteria for success. Such knowers are likely fostered via immersion in established literary canons, internalisation of cultural heritage values of aesthetic refinement and sensibility, and analytic competence in close reading of literary texts (Hennessy et al, 2010;Lockett, 2010). Other possible forms of knower code in EAL literary studies will derive from how much emphasis is placed on aspects of the text itself, the author's context and intentions, the reader's personal experiences and responses to texts, and/or the reader's context.…”