Can the Literacy Practices in an After-School Programme Be Practised in School? A Study of Literacies from a Spatial Perspective

This research examines whether non-school literacies can be used to teach school content. Debates around this question have hinged on two arguments: (1) that the structure of school literacy is not compatible with the structure of non-school literacies and (2) that literacies are so hybrid that their use across different domains is not an issue. Spatial theory offers a new perspective on the question. Lefebvre explains social life as structured practice and heterogeneous experience in relation to representations of knowledge. Using this framework, qualitative data were collected in an after-school programme and a seventh-grade science classroom. One focal student, his teachers and peers were observed in each place. Analysis involved spatial description and explanation of the two literacy spaces. Findings suggest that debates about bridging school and non-school literacies focus on practice, with little explanation of the forces of representation that impose particular orders to practice. (Contains 3 tables.)