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Of Theory of Mind and Scaffolding: Using John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men to Develop Upper Secondary Students’ Theory of Mind

Moreira Hagvall, Ana Louise LU (2018) ÄENC51 20182
English Studies
Educational Sciences
Abstract
This research project presents an example of how students and teachers can work together to analyze Of Mice and Men. In this paper, critical theory is used as a form of scaffolding, in order to both develop students’ Theory of Mind (ToM) and make canonical literature more accessible. The research questions answered in this paper are concerned with asking how critical theory can be applied to the novella and develop students’ ToM, and in what way a developed ToM can make canonical literature more accessible. Despite the existence of a vast amount of research conducted on Of Mice and Men, ToM, critical theory, scaffolding, and the literary canon, as individual items of analysis, this paper addresses the lack of existing information about how... (More)
This research project presents an example of how students and teachers can work together to analyze Of Mice and Men. In this paper, critical theory is used as a form of scaffolding, in order to both develop students’ Theory of Mind (ToM) and make canonical literature more accessible. The research questions answered in this paper are concerned with asking how critical theory can be applied to the novella and develop students’ ToM, and in what way a developed ToM can make canonical literature more accessible. Despite the existence of a vast amount of research conducted on Of Mice and Men, ToM, critical theory, scaffolding, and the literary canon, as individual items of analysis, this paper addresses the lack of existing information about how to combine these items and implement them into an English upper secondary class in a Swedish school. This research project uses a qualitative content analysis and a close reading and analysis of two characters, Crooks and Curley’s wife, along with the impact that loneliness, as a result from societal injustices, has on these two characters, in order to demonstrate how to teach Of Mice and Men through scaffolding. In conclusion, this paper shows that adopting this method of teaching literature can allow the students to feel better acquainted with canonical literature, while simultaneously developing their Theory of Mind. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Moreira Hagvall, Ana Louise LU
supervisor
organization
course
ÄENC51 20182
year
type
L3 - Miscellaneous, Projetcs etc.
subject
keywords
Of Mice and Men, Theory of Mind, empathy, scaffolding, ZPD, critical theory, John Steinbeck, Crooks, Curley’s wife
language
English
id
8969883
date added to LUP
2019-02-14 16:35:26
date last changed
2019-02-14 16:35:26
@misc{8969883,
  abstract     = {{This research project presents an example of how students and teachers can work together to analyze Of Mice and Men. In this paper, critical theory is used as a form of scaffolding, in order to both develop students’ Theory of Mind (ToM) and make canonical literature more accessible. The research questions answered in this paper are concerned with asking how critical theory can be applied to the novella and develop students’ ToM, and in what way a developed ToM can make canonical literature more accessible. Despite the existence of a vast amount of research conducted on Of Mice and Men, ToM, critical theory, scaffolding, and the literary canon, as individual items of analysis, this paper addresses the lack of existing information about how to combine these items and implement them into an English upper secondary class in a Swedish school. This research project uses a qualitative content analysis and a close reading and analysis of two characters, Crooks and Curley’s wife, along with the impact that loneliness, as a result from societal injustices, has on these two characters, in order to demonstrate how to teach Of Mice and Men through scaffolding. In conclusion, this paper shows that adopting this method of teaching literature can allow the students to feel better acquainted with canonical literature, while simultaneously developing their Theory of Mind.}},
  author       = {{Moreira Hagvall, Ana Louise}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Of Theory of Mind and Scaffolding: Using John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men to Develop Upper Secondary Students’ Theory of Mind}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}