Introducing Critical Literacy through Popular Culture to a Cypriot third grade classroom: issues and dilemmas

This classroom based research project examines the introduction of critical literacy through popular culture texts in my third grade Cypriot classroom during the 2012–2013 academic year. My main aim was to illuminate the issues and dilemmas that arise when this is put into practice. It was based on an action research methodology and a qualitative research approach and lasted four months (January 2013 – April 2013). The research participants were my fifteen third grade primary students (8–9 years old), eight parents, the school headteacher, the school inspector and I (the classroom teacher). As research methods I used journal entries (by parents and me), interviews (with the headteacher, the inspector and the parents) and transcripts of classroom discussions. This project made me realise the great impact of popular culture on young people’s lives. My students were highly motivated and participated enthusiastically in the critical literacy lessons. By the end of the research projects their literacy competences were developed holistically. Parents also showed great enthusiasm as their children were working on issues they were very interested in and eagerly shared with their families. Parents also praised the fact that they were given the opportunity to see texts differently. However parents were concerned whether traditional literacy issues like spelling and grammar were neglected. I realised that even though I was the main decision maker, my students influenced my decisions. Besides being a teacher I was also a learner as my students were more knowledgeable on popular culture issues. The school managerial team praised the uniqueness and outcomes of my students’ learning experiences and the importance of critical literacy for the citizen of today. However they appeared to be sceptical about the introduction of popular culture within elementary education and the future of critical literacy in Cypriot schools.