The Implementation of An Adapted Model of Balanced and Critical Literacy in a Non-Bilingual Public School in Colombia

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of the implementation of an Adapted Model of a Balanced Critical Literacy Approach on students’ perceptions about reading and the development of criticality in a group of tenth graders from a non-bilingual public school in Colombia. The methodology combined the teaching of reading strategies with the awareness of the power that a written text can hold. To carry out this project, three lessons were planned, each one with a topic to enhance the critical part of the approach: discrimination, bullying and inequality. An action research design was used, which involved surveys, observations, teacher/researcher’s journal and document review. After the implementation of this research project, the main findings suggested that the Adapted Model helped most students to change their perceptions towards reading in English. The results also demonstrated that by learning reading strategies students felt that they improved their reading comprehension skills. In addition, it was found that students developed critical skills and they could share their opinions, relate the topic to their personal experiences, challenge social realities, judge and evaluate behaviors, propose solutions and express personal behavioral change. Finally, it was noticed that the perceptions towards the Adapted Model of Balanced Critical Literacy were mostly positive and also contributed to enhancing students’ confidence and reduced the level of frustration that some students felt towards reading in English.