WP1: Management of the project
WP2: Mapping of students’ literacy practices
This phase of the project aims to analyze students’ needs from pre-school, primary and high school. Specifically, we will map the students’ literacy practices in order to determine the popular culture texts that compose their cultural capital, which will constitute the textual corpus of the learning material to be developed. Educational approaches which draw upon popular culture point out the problems that might arise with students belonging to minority ethnic and/or cultural groups (e.g. immigrants’ children form a a large part of today’s Greek school population) and do not probably share the same experiences with students of the majority culture.
The research milestones of this phase are: conduct of qualitative research; conduct of quantitative research; comparison and synthesis of the results derived from both methodology types.
WP3: Determination of the status of popular culture in the existing learning materials in the Greek school context
This phase of the project aims to determine the requirements. Specifically, we will attempt to directly link the project’s research object to the Greek school reality by determining the status of popular culture in the existing learning materials of pre-school, primary and high school. This will be made through semi-structured interviews with teachers as well as via the analysis of school textbooks and other learning material being available and employed at school regarding the references made to popular culture.
The research milestones of this phase are: conduct of interviews with teachers; analysis of school textbooks and other learning material.
WP4: Selection and analysis of popular culture textual material
This phase of the project is part of the design process of the learning material. Specifically, we will select, analyze and classify popular culture texts which will constitute the textual corpus supporting the learning material to be developed subsequently for pre-school, primary and high school. The selection of texts will be made in terms of the students’ preferences as they will have been determined in the previous phase, as well as regarding the texts exploited by teachers in the existing learning materials. A special emphasis will be given on different genres according to students’ level of education and the specialization of each research subgroup. In pre-school children, a stress will be given to children’s books. In primary school children, there will be a focus on oral narratives found in TV series and films. In high school students, an emphasis will be given on texts of youth culture (e.g. youth magazines and TV programs, music, new technologies) and on advertising targeted to youth.
By adopting the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, we see the mediation of linguistic variation as a case of “heteroglossia” (Bakhtin 1981), namely we acknowledge the ideological underpinnings involved in the representation of speech style in popular culture texts. Thus, the wealth of linguistic varieties found in postmodern popular culture texts does not necessarily promote a language ideology of pluralism. In contrast, these texts tend to perpetuate the hegemonic ideologies of standardness and monolingualism. Consequently, textual analysis will lead us to find cases ―and design learning activities accordingly― in which depictions of heteroglossia may perpetuate, or in contrast challenge the dominant language ideologies.
The research milestones of this phase are: determination and analysis of mass culture texts; classification of texts according to different criteria (e.g. genre, the relationship between mediation and sociolinguistic reality, language ideology built).
WP5: Students’ reception of popular culture texts
This phase of the project complements the design process of the learning material. Specifically, we will examine the way pre-school, primary and high school students themselves receive popular culture texts and the depictions of heteroglossia builit in them. The aim of this procedure is to juxtapose the researcher’s (Etic category) with the audience’s interpretation (Emic category) in order to incorporate participants’ perspective in the research.
The research milestones of this phase are: discussion of popular culture texts with students; comparison and synthesis of the results derived from the researchers’ and the students’ interpretation of the texts; revision of the analysis and classification of the textual material compiled during the previous phase.
WP6: Development of learning material
In this phase activities sustaining the learning material and aiming to raise students’ critical language awareness will be developed. Specifically, learning material will take the form of an activities booklet which will contain worksheets with proposed activities. It will be accompanied by the textual material in digital form, which will sustain the activities, as well as a guide for the filling in of worksheets.
The research milestones of this phase are: development of learning activities adjusted to the different educational level of students; development of learning activities adjusted to the different socio-cultural background of students; development of learning activities adjusted to different types of pedagogic communication; feedback received from teachers; revision of the learning material.
WP7: Implementation and assessment of the learning material developed
This phase refers to the trial process of the learning material. It consists of two stages: implementation and assessment. Specifically, learning activities will be implemented on different sampling strata of students of all levels of education. The surveys will be conducted with students prior to and after the implementation of learning activities. Finally, the assessment will be completed by the feedback received by teachers.
The research milestones of this phase are: implementation of the learning material; assessment of the material by students; assessment of the material by teachers.
WP8: Preparation of guidelines for the design and development of learning material
This phase concerns the dissemination of the results from the research project. This will take the form of the preparation of guidelines for the design and development of a learning material targeted to raise students’ critical language awareness through mass culture. These guidelines are considered important for the continuation of the intervention after the completion of the project as well as the undertaking of similar initiatives in the future.
The research milestones of this phase are: reflection on the research object of the project; preparation of guidelines for the development of learning material.
WP9: Organization of conference
As part of the dissemination process, we intend to organize a conference targeted to the stakeholders involved (teacher and student community, the media). The presentations of the conference will be included in a proceedings volume.
The research milestones of this phase are: organization of the conference; editing and publication of the conference proceedings.
WP10: External evaluation of the research project
WP2: Mapping of students’ literacy practices
This phase of the project aims to analyze students’ needs from pre-school, primary and high school. Specifically, we will map the students’ literacy practices in order to determine the popular culture texts that compose their cultural capital, which will constitute the textual corpus of the learning material to be developed. Educational approaches which draw upon popular culture point out the problems that might arise with students belonging to minority ethnic and/or cultural groups (e.g. immigrants’ children form a a large part of today’s Greek school population) and do not probably share the same experiences with students of the majority culture.
The research milestones of this phase are: conduct of qualitative research; conduct of quantitative research; comparison and synthesis of the results derived from both methodology types.
WP3: Determination of the status of popular culture in the existing learning materials in the Greek school context
This phase of the project aims to determine the requirements. Specifically, we will attempt to directly link the project’s research object to the Greek school reality by determining the status of popular culture in the existing learning materials of pre-school, primary and high school. This will be made through semi-structured interviews with teachers as well as via the analysis of school textbooks and other learning material being available and employed at school regarding the references made to popular culture.
The research milestones of this phase are: conduct of interviews with teachers; analysis of school textbooks and other learning material.
WP4: Selection and analysis of popular culture textual material
This phase of the project is part of the design process of the learning material. Specifically, we will select, analyze and classify popular culture texts which will constitute the textual corpus supporting the learning material to be developed subsequently for pre-school, primary and high school. The selection of texts will be made in terms of the students’ preferences as they will have been determined in the previous phase, as well as regarding the texts exploited by teachers in the existing learning materials. A special emphasis will be given on different genres according to students’ level of education and the specialization of each research subgroup. In pre-school children, a stress will be given to children’s books. In primary school children, there will be a focus on oral narratives found in TV series and films. In high school students, an emphasis will be given on texts of youth culture (e.g. youth magazines and TV programs, music, new technologies) and on advertising targeted to youth.
By adopting the theoretical framework of critical discourse analysis, we see the mediation of linguistic variation as a case of “heteroglossia” (Bakhtin 1981), namely we acknowledge the ideological underpinnings involved in the representation of speech style in popular culture texts. Thus, the wealth of linguistic varieties found in postmodern popular culture texts does not necessarily promote a language ideology of pluralism. In contrast, these texts tend to perpetuate the hegemonic ideologies of standardness and monolingualism. Consequently, textual analysis will lead us to find cases ―and design learning activities accordingly― in which depictions of heteroglossia may perpetuate, or in contrast challenge the dominant language ideologies.
The research milestones of this phase are: determination and analysis of mass culture texts; classification of texts according to different criteria (e.g. genre, the relationship between mediation and sociolinguistic reality, language ideology built).
WP5: Students’ reception of popular culture texts
This phase of the project complements the design process of the learning material. Specifically, we will examine the way pre-school, primary and high school students themselves receive popular culture texts and the depictions of heteroglossia builit in them. The aim of this procedure is to juxtapose the researcher’s (Etic category) with the audience’s interpretation (Emic category) in order to incorporate participants’ perspective in the research.
The research milestones of this phase are: discussion of popular culture texts with students; comparison and synthesis of the results derived from the researchers’ and the students’ interpretation of the texts; revision of the analysis and classification of the textual material compiled during the previous phase.
WP6: Development of learning material
In this phase activities sustaining the learning material and aiming to raise students’ critical language awareness will be developed. Specifically, learning material will take the form of an activities booklet which will contain worksheets with proposed activities. It will be accompanied by the textual material in digital form, which will sustain the activities, as well as a guide for the filling in of worksheets.
The research milestones of this phase are: development of learning activities adjusted to the different educational level of students; development of learning activities adjusted to the different socio-cultural background of students; development of learning activities adjusted to different types of pedagogic communication; feedback received from teachers; revision of the learning material.
WP7: Implementation and assessment of the learning material developed
This phase refers to the trial process of the learning material. It consists of two stages: implementation and assessment. Specifically, learning activities will be implemented on different sampling strata of students of all levels of education. The surveys will be conducted with students prior to and after the implementation of learning activities. Finally, the assessment will be completed by the feedback received by teachers.
The research milestones of this phase are: implementation of the learning material; assessment of the material by students; assessment of the material by teachers.
WP8: Preparation of guidelines for the design and development of learning material
This phase concerns the dissemination of the results from the research project. This will take the form of the preparation of guidelines for the design and development of a learning material targeted to raise students’ critical language awareness through mass culture. These guidelines are considered important for the continuation of the intervention after the completion of the project as well as the undertaking of similar initiatives in the future.
The research milestones of this phase are: reflection on the research object of the project; preparation of guidelines for the development of learning material.
WP9: Organization of conference
As part of the dissemination process, we intend to organize a conference targeted to the stakeholders involved (teacher and student community, the media). The presentations of the conference will be included in a proceedings volume.
The research milestones of this phase are: organization of the conference; editing and publication of the conference proceedings.
WP10: External evaluation of the research project