Literary Education in the Secondary School Classroom

Young Woman selecting books on a library shelf.

Versión en español.

Serie: 'El Reto del Profesor en Formación' (LXXXV)

In recent years, the concept of "literary education" has gained prominence over the mere introduction of literature in secondary school classrooms. According to the scholar Lomas (2024), pedagogues, linguists, and educators increasingly recognize that comprehensive and expressive skills are essential to achieving the communicative objectives of language education at the secondary level.

The ability to analyze texts and strong reading skills play a crucial role in the development of reading competence and the knowledge of literary works and authors, ultimately enhancing students' literary awareness. There are a wide variety of divergent opinions on how to teach literature in English and Spanish language classrooms in a way that is engaging and motivating for students.

Secondary school teachers navigate different approaches to literary education, which are reflected in the ways literary texts and their content are presented, the pedagogical methods employed, and, above all, the organization of learning activities.

Diversity of pedagogical methods

From the organization of content to the selection of the diachronic axis of canonical literary history, from the linguistic analysis of isolated excerpts to the study of complete works by various authors, and from the use of creative writing to the analysis of literary and essayistic genres through a wide range of strategies designed to engage students, numerous approaches have been implemented to foster a stronger relationship between students and literary texts.

The result is a diverse array of pedagogical methods, text selection criteria and didactic strategies that reflect teachers' efforts to connect with students through literature, even as students increasingly gravitate toward audiovisual resources (Gil Calvo, 2025).

While it is true that, at times, artifice may hinder students' enjoyment of certain texts, literary education must teach skills, knowledge, and positive attitudes toward literature—even by employing obscure texts that help students broaden their minds. As Reyes notes, such texts may initially seem closed to the reader’s understanding because, as Felipe Benítez Reyes:

"It is the merit and privilege of poetry not to adhere to a logical intellectual or emotional sequence: the unforeseen, the disconnected, the inextricable, or even the nonsensical can work in its favor through the avenue of strangeness, since the poem, obstinately, by one path or another, pursues its own goal: to become a unity of language, tone, and meaning, with the sole aim of moving the reader in some way" (Reyes, 2009).

There are diverse opinions among poets, readers, and scholars regarding the literary experience. These disagreements often mask not only aesthetic differences but also deeper ideological divergences concerning the social role of literature and its impact on both sociocultural and personal development.

Ultimately, however, literary education should foster meaningful communication between teachers and students, rejecting the notion that literature is something distant from students’ sensitivity or inaccessible to them. Instead, it should be seen as a means of connecting with the world and engaging with diverse experiences. It is important to remember that compulsory secondary education is, for many young people, the only opportunity to access literature and become acquainted with written texts. Literature provides models of language and ways of analyzing the world and the human condition. Therefore, it should not only be encouraged as a creative pursuit but also as a means of provoking internal dialogue—both with oneself and with others (Lomas, 2002).

References

Fernández, J. I. D. (2009). Felipe Benítez Reyes y la poética de la melancolía. Dicenda, 27, 43-58.

Alva, W. E. V., Layza, G. Y. P., & Romero, B. R. ¿ Enseñanza de la literatura o educación literaria? Análisis y perspectivas. Investigación en Educación.

Corbí-Santamaría, P., Gil-Calvo, M., Herrero-Molleda, A., García-López, J., Boullosa, D., & García-Tormo, J. V. (2025). The Impact of Advanced Footwear Technology on the Performance and Running Biomechanics of Mountain Runners. Applied Sciences, 15(2), 531.

Lomas, C. (2002). La educación literaria en la enseñanza obligatoria. Kikiriki. Cooperación educativa, 64, 43-50.

Editor: Universidad Isabel I

ISSN 2792-1859

Burgos, España