A multi-case study of primary school teachers’ digital literacies teaching

Taking an interpretivist approach this study investigates the digital literacy teaching practices of six primary school teachers in different locations in the UK. It explores narratives of their digital literacies teaching through a multi-case study drawing primarily from photo elicitation interviews, teachers’ own writing and analysis of planning. The study explores the teachers’ definitions, motivations for, and teaching of digital literacies. Data collection took place during the COVID19 pandemic which highlighted some of the changes to practice that occurred at this time. Recent literature was reviewed with particular emphasis on approaches to teaching literacy, definitions of digital literacies, the value of digital literacies and the implications for the curriculum. This study compared findings with Burnett et al.’s, (2014) suggestion for a Charter for 21st Century Literacy. Findings indicate that teachers’ use of digital literacies is integrated within their teaching, to do this they act as curriculum makers adapting and working within the set curriculum to meet the needs of their learners. They are motivated by their desire to engage children in their learning and to provide larger audiences for their work. Classroom pedagogy involved collaborative, creative work and an engagement with new technology and apps. During the pandemic children chose to produce films to show their narratives which reflected findings from a study in the US (Chamberlain, 2020).