Appearances and disappearances of literacy and research for teachers

• Published in: Research Mobilities in Primary Literacy Education Vol. 1; pp. 103 - 119
• Main Authors: Burnett, Cathy, Adams, Gill, Gillen, Julia, Thompson, Terrie Lynn, Cermakova, Anna, Shannon, David Ben, Shetty, Parinita
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United Kingdom Routledge 2025; Taylor & Francis Group
• Edition: 1
• ISBN: 9781032544106; 9781032550930; 1032544104; 1032550937
• DOI: 10.4324/9781003428985-7

This chapter analyses what teachers referred to when invited to describe their encounters with literacy research. It draws on analysis of 820 mentions of encounters with research or research-related sources to consider the range and diversity of actors involved in the mediation of research these teachers encountered, the kinds of materials and topics they engaged with as well as some striking absences. It considers the variety of forms and formats in which research appears to teachers, distinguishing between materials which represented direct research sources and those that were research-adjacent, research-infused and research-shaped. It examines some successful mobilisations of research, considers how research encountered aligned with and departed from government policy and identifies some notable absences in the range of literacy research references in teachers' accounts.