Academic literacy in a geography course: an ethnographic perspective

Abstract:

This article presents results of a study about academic literacy in the context of a geography undergraduate course. The research aimed to understand literacy practices in the classroom and how they are constructed by the subjects involved in it. The research is based on the view of literacy as a social practice, marked by power relations that vary according to the contexts of usage of the written language. The results indicate that the use of the blackboard in teaching played a central role. Also, map reading proved to be a peripheral activity during the course since the maps presented were only mentioned by the professor as an illustrative resource of the content, and not as contents themselves to be taught.

Keywords:
academic literacy; geography teaching; ethnography