Coming closer to literature

Learning and instruction in a constructivist spirit

Abstract

The Israeli educational system is a centralist one—the Ministry of Education sets goals and objectives, establishes detailed curricula, and maintains a supervisory mechanism. One of the objectives set for teachers, beginning in 2007, was a transition to meaningful learning and teaching, using "thinking development teaching". To attain this objective, the supervisory body for the teaching of literature runs in-service programs for teachers, aimed at introducing the teachers to approaches to thinking development in the teaching of literature. Teaching that emphasizes the fostering of cognitive skills requires a change in the perception of the roles of teacher and student as well as a change in teaching and learning strate-gies, in learning environments and in methods of evaluation. The process of teaching and learning that fosters cognitive skills is based on constructivist principles of education This article presents a study conducted among 79 teachers of literature in junior high schools and high schools in Israel, who participated in in-service programs for teachers, in 2007-2008. The study was carried out using a mixed method, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings present a picture of teachers’ attitudes toward the goals of teaching literature and of the school teaching environment in general and of that of teaching/learning in literature classes. It also demonstrates that teachers hold constructivist attitudes toward teaching while exercising conservative teaching behavior.