At a moment when educators, librarians, researchers and policymakers are very interested in the effects of recreational reading on children, it is reasonable to question whether pre-service teachers and other literature mediators are keen readers themselves. Research in Australia, Chile, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, UK and USA has shown that pre-service and in-service teachers are not regular readers, and they are not often focussed on the joy of reading when teaching reading skills. But if they read for pleasure, share their reading tastes and literary experiences and value the aesthetic reader profile, they are more able to inspire children to read and to create reading communities (Chambers 1993, Cremin 2020, Granado 2014, Merga 2016, Muñoz et al. 2022, Skaar, Elvebakk & Nilssen 2018): “Teachers who model recreational reading can foster a love of reading in their students” (Tichenor et al. 2021, p. 1).
As a consequence, it is worth reflecting on how programmes on children’s literature at university level can develop positive attitudes towards reading so students keep and share this intrinsic motivation throughout their life. This is why we hope that the 3rd Fostering Dialogue Conference will create new spaces for discussion and collaboration on teaching children’s literature and the pleasure for reading in university settings. This is an opportunity for sharing approaches, tools and solutions to addressing these challenges.


Participation


We are inviting papers related to encouraging the joy of reading books in future teachers and other reading mediators for young people and adults. Possible areas to this topic can include, but are not restricted to:

  1. Reading habits of pre-service teachers, in-service teachers and other literature mediators.

  2. Students’ experiences of reading books for young people and adults.

  3. Recreational reading in programmes on children’s literature.

  4. Teaching methods, practices and tools to promote reading for fun in children’s literature courses.
  5. Strategies for students’ active engagement in children’s literature classes.
  6. Designing reading lists, syllabi and assignments.

  7. Assessment in children’s literature courses.

  8. Teaching and including children’s literature in other disciplines (e.g. education, library sciences,
    literature, humanities, history, sociology, design, visual arts, dramatic art, sciences).

  9. Institutional possibilities and limitations in encouraging the knowledge on children’s literature, reading
    for pleasure and reading communities.

  10. Recreational reading and children’s literature teaching in local, national or global frameworks, guidelines and standards.


Students’ voices


We would like to open the conference to students’ voices and experiences regarding pedagogies of children’s literature and reading for fun. Therefore, we intend to provide room in the programme for student sessions or panels. We would appreciate it if you could disseminate this call for papers among your students and contact us for further details if they would like to share and contribute.


References

  • Chambers, A. (1993). Tell me. Thimble Press.
  • Cremin, T. (2020). Reading for Pleasure: challenges and opportunities. In J. Davison & C. Daly (Eds.), Debates in English Teaching (92–102). Routledge.
  • Granado, C. (2014). Teachers as readers: A study of the reading habits of future teachers/El docente como lector: Estudio de los hábitos lectores de futuros docentes. Cultura y Educación 26 (1), 44–70.
  • Merga, M. K. (2016). “I don’t know if she likes reading”: Are teachers perceived to be keen readers, and how is this determined? English in Education, 50 (3), 255–269.
  • Muñoz, C., Arriaza, V., Acuña Luongo, N. & Valenzuela, J. (2022). Chilean preservice teachers and reading: a first look of a complex relationship. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 45 (2), 265–280.
  • Skaar, H., Elvebakk, L. & Nilssen, J. H. (2018). Literature in decline? Differences in pre-service and in-service primary school teachers’ reading experiences. Teaching and Teacher Education 69, 312–323.
  • Tichenor, M., Piechura, K. & Heins, E. (2021). Motivating Preservice Teachers to Read for Fun. Srate Journal 30 (1), 1–5.


Submission


Please send an abstract of 300 words maximum and a short biography of 100 words as a single Word document to Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein. E-mails should have the subject line: Abstract
Abstracts should include the following information:

  1. Author(s)

  2. Affiliation as you would like to appear in the programme

  3. E-mail address

  4. Title of proposal in English (in English and Spanish for papers delivered in Spanish)
  5. Text of proposal (including research question, methodology, research context)

  6. Selected bibliography with academic sources (3-5 references)

  7. Areas of interest referring to the topics listed above (1-10)

  8. Five keywords

  9. Language used to deliver the paper: English/Spanish


Deadline for abstract submission: 15th May 2024 Notification of acceptance: 15th June 2024
All submissions are reviewed by the members of the Organising and Scientific Committee. All abstracts must be written and copy-edited in English. Papers can be presented at the conference in English or Spanish. The language for the conference main sessions will be English. Papers will be 15 minutes maximum followed by a discussion between the different session speakers and the public.


Conference fee


Early bird rate: €50 (registration before 30 September 2024)
Regular Fee: €75 (registration before 13 November 2024)
Student presenters: no fee (registration before 30 September 2024)
Student assistants: €25 (registration before 13 November 2024)
Once the registration payment is completed, REFUNDS ARE NOT possible. Participant registration fee includes access to all live-streaming presentations and special events; digital conference kit; online social events.


Organisation and scientific committee


Lead convenor: Maria Pujol Valls (UIC Barcelona) Carme Balaguer Fàbregas (UIC Barcelona) Suzanne van der Beek (Tilburg University)
Marnie Campagnaro (University of Padova)
Lea Ferrari (University of Padova)
Nina Goga (Western Norway University of Applied Science) Mariona Graell Martín (UIC Barcelona)
Joan Portell Rifà (UIC Barcelona)
Elin Stengrundet (Western Norway University of Applied Science) Gro Ulland (Western Norway University of Applied Science)


Information


Conference website uic.es/fosteringdialogue
UIC Barcelona (Universitat Internacional de Catalunya) 
Faculty of Education Sciences 
Josep Trueta s/n, Sant Cugat del Vallès, 08195. Catalonia, Spain Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein.

[Quelle: Pressemitteilung]