A trialectical approach to understanding ‘classroom readiness’ for teaching literacy

Initial teacher education is subject to substantial scrutiny and, fuelled by concerns about teacher ‘quality,’ its ‘effectiveness’ is frequently called into question, not least in relation to ideas about ‘classroom readiness.’ Mandated by policymakers, assessed by teacher educators, and struggled with by novice teachers, classroom readiness is experienced and understood in different ways. Our three-year qualitative research project on literacy teaching practice and preparing teachers for such ends in one Australian state confirmed that many novice teachers feel ill-equipped for the task despite best efforts among teacher educators. This article reports on those findings by taking a spatial approach to explore what it means to be ‘classroom-ready’ for teaching literacy. Building on Lefebvre’s [(1991). The Production of Space. Translated by D. Nicholson-Smith. Oxford: Blackwell] trialectical approach to perceived, conceived, and lived space, we consider the multiple perspectives simultaneously at play in shaping understandings and experiences of classroom readiness for teaching literacy. We argue the need to rethink ideas about classroom readiness not as an endpoint achieved on graduation but as a non-linear ongoing process of ‘becoming’ that could foster a generative new ‘thirdspace’ for teacher learning.