Integrating grammar instruction at sentence and word level in Australian primary classrooms

Margaret McBride
Charles Sturt University, Australia, and Grammar Train, Australia

In recent decades there has been renewed interest in the teaching of grammar as part of primary pedagogical practice. It is now well over a decade since the Australian Curriculum: English was released incorporating a model of language requiring the explicit teaching and understanding of grammar from both a traditional and functional perspective. This article draws on data from the author's PhD study in four Australian primary schools which used critical participatory action research methodology (Carr & Kemmis, 1986; 2009) to explore current grammar teaching practices. Findings for my study were drawn from multiple data sources and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2013; 2019) and further interpreted through the theory of practice architectures (Kemmis & Grootenboer, 2008; Kemmis, Wilkinson et. al., 2014). The results show a high level of teacher commitment to integrating grammar instruction as part of classroom practice and indicate that many educators consider grammar learning crucial in terms of improved writing and more effective communication skills. However, findings also demonstrate a range of conditions at play influencing how primary educators are addressing the teaching of grammar. This study highlights the complexity of grammar knowledge required by the Australian Curriculum, drawing attention to implications for teacher preparedness and the need for ongoing support.
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Author: Dr Margaret McBride has over 30 years of experience teaching English and has lectured in grammar and pedagogy at higher education institutions. She is the head of grammar programs at Grammar Train (https://grammartrain.com.au/), a Canberra-based organisation providing professional learning in grammar for teachers. Her PhD research (McBride, 2024) explored primary teachers Please cite as: McBride, M. (2025). Integrating grammar instruction at sentence and word level in Australian primary classrooms. Issues in Educational Research, 35(2), 678-697. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/mcbride.pdf