Browsing by Author "Pyrhönen, Susanna"

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract According to research, teachers' own reading hobbies influence their literature teaching. Reading has been found to have many benefits and therefore educating and encouraging reading in schools is important. The aim of this study is to investigate the reading of future class teachers in their free time, this study does not include the course literature included in their studies. This study also unfolds what class teacher students think about teaching and reading literature in school and what kind of methods or practices of teaching literature class teacher students are going to use as teachers. The data of this study consisted of the responses of 38 class teacher students at the University of Helsinki. Responses were collected by using an e-form. Of the respondents, 30 were women and eight were men. Half of the respondents were fifth year students. The study is a qualitative study, and the data was analyzed using content analysis methods. Student responses were categorized, and the results were written open. As a conclusion a large proportion of class teacher students had an active reading hobby and they enjoyed reading. Reading had been important to many in childhood as well. Class teacher students described receiving the same type of benefits from reading and literature as studies describe the benefits of reading and literature. The meanings of reading were similar in childhood and today. The class teacher students also told the reasons why they don’t read as much as they would like. The answers to the reasons for not reading were mostly about technology and then about the lack of time and having a lot of reading in their studies. Almost all class teacher students considered the teaching of literature important and were able to name methods of teaching literature that they themselves intend to use in school. However, many had not felt that they had received enough of their studies to teach literature. Thus, the reading hobby of class teacher students and their attitude towards the teaching of literature seems to be mainly such, that it can have a positive effect on their future teaching and students.