The Accessibility of Bloom's Taxonomy: Teaching English Canonical Literature to Havo 4

Abstract

Literature education is an important part of English language education. However, canonical texts remain challenging to teach due to their level of difficulty. This is also true for upper level havo students. This study has investigated whether Bloom's Taxonomy can offer accessibility and challenge to students of havo 4 with regards to teaching English canonical literature. Six lessons were created, based on Bloom's skills of Remembering, Understanding, Applying, Analysing, Evaluating and Creating, in which George Orwell's Animal Farm was processed. Two teachers with relevant experience evaluated the lessons on its content, accessibility, and the practicality of Bloom's Taxonomy for literature education. Results suggested that Bloom's Taxonomy is an appropriate model for teaching English canonical literature to havo 4 students as it offers accessibility and challenge. However, its practicality is equally dependent on the teacher's programme, the canonical novel and the proficiency level of each individual havo 4 class.