Biographical Note
Jasmin Peskoller, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher, and Sira Weber is a university assistant at the faculty of teacher education at the University of Innsbruck. Jasmin has also worked as a secondary school teacher (EFL, Mathematics). Their research interests include critical
(inter-)cultural education and diversity-sensitive approaches to (language) teaching/learning.
References
UNESCO (n.d.). Futures Literacy. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/en/futures-literacy.
Sippl, C., Brandhofer, G., & Rauscher, E. (Eds.) (2023). Futures Literacy. Zukunft lernen und lehren. Studienverlag. https://doi.org/10.53349/oa.2022.a2.170
Tomlinson, Brian (2012). Materials development for language learning and teaching.
Language Teaching 45/2, pp. 143–179.
Abstract (300 words)
The rather novel construct of Futures Literacy proposed by the UNESCO refers to the many competences that learners ought to acquire through formal education at a global day and age. It encompasses aspects such as the ability to envision and prepare for future scenarios, apply collaborative problem-solving, promote critical thinking, and to actively and engagingly participate in a diverse, future society (UNESCO, n.d.; Sippl, Brandhofer & Rauscher, 2023). Despite the attributed prevalence of language textbooks and their known influence on classroom practice, there is limited knowledge about their conception and development (Tomlinson, 2012, p. 144). This qualitative research project attempts to address this gap by exploring the concept of Futures Literacy and investigating its implementation in teaching materials. For this purpose, semi-guided interviews are conducted with textbook authors from some of the largest Austrian publishing houses (Helbling, Hölder-Pichler-Tempsky, Hueber, Veritas) focusing on foreign language teaching at upper secondary level in Austria (BMBWF, 2024). This study aims to elucidate the extent to which recent educational policy documents and didactic considerations on the construct of Futures Literacy are taken into account in the creation and/or revision of teaching materials for the foreign language classroom. These insights can be valuable for both educational policy and material development and have implications for (language) teacher education and professional development. In this presentation, we will provide preliminary insights into the interview study and discuss selected aspects from the data.
| Keywords | Futures Literacy, materials development, foreign language education |
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