In addition to symposia at the ARLE Conferences, the SIG RoLE organizes a meeting every second year. This is the list of these events since 2016. 

KRAKOW 2027

CALL FOR PAPERS (ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 1, 2026)

SIG-ROLE Seminar

Wednesday 16 June 2027 - Friday 18 June 2027

Jagiellonian University, Kraków, https://en.uj.edu.pl/en

The Changing Role of Literature in Contemporary Schooling

The role of literature in school education is undergoing a profound transformation. Rapid civilisational change, shifting generational needs, and evolving reading competencies are all reshaping this landscape. A move away from the traditional literary canon, together with the mass production of low-quality young adult and new adult fiction – often generated by artificial intelligence – has prompted renewed reflection on literature itself. As a result, teachers face an increasing number of dilemmas when selecting texts to read and interpret in the classroom.

At the same time, a multimedia environment saturated with competing stimuli means that educators must seek new strategies to motivate young people to read. How can we identify students’ reading needs and difficulties? How can we awaken their appetite for reading and counteract indifference – or even aversion – to books?

Above all, the conference invites reflection on the contemporary purposes, functions, and requirements of shared reading and literary interpretation in schools. What role can literature play at a moment when many young people experience fear, instability, and a decline of social trust?

How might literature education need to be refined in response to new societal developments for literature to continue serving such important purposes as expanding experience by prompting reflection and emotional engagement (Martha Nussbaum) and functioning as a “moral laboratory” (Frank Hakemulder)? And to what extent must the aims of literary education be aligned with broader philosophical and educational goals?

We invite scholars, researchers and teachers to explore these questions and contribute to a multifaceted discussion on the value and future of school-based literary education.

Suggested Topics

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

1. Teaching the Pleasure of Reading Today Strategies for cultivating joy in reading; sources of inspiration for engaging young readers; factors that support effective motivation.

2. The Formative Function of Literature Literature’s potential for shaping attitudes, developing competencies, and helping students confront life challenges.

3. Preserving the Literary Canon Contemporary approaches to maintaining the presence and relevance of classical texts in school curricula. How can the canon be updated while still maintaining literary quality?

4. Selecting High-Quality Literature on Difficult Topics Challenges teachers face; recommended books; criteria and methods for responsible text selection.

5. Reading and Cognitive Development The extent to which reading influences and strengthens cognitive abilities.

6. Innovative Didactics of School Reading Proven classroom practices; new forms of literary engagement; didactic experiments worth sharing.

7. Encouraging Students to Read Poetry Opportunities that arise from grappling with the difficulties in interpreting poetry; viewing challenge as a developmental factor enhancing inter- and intrapersonal skills.

8. Training Teachers of Literature How to educate and support teachers so they can foster authentic encounters with books among young people.

Abstracts (250 words) should be submitted before October 1, 2026, through the symposium’s e-mail address: sigrole2027@uj.edu.pl. The seminar is organised in cooperation with The Special interest Group of Research on Literature Education (SIG ROLE) within the The International Association for Research in L1 Education (ARLE).

This event is organised by Katedra Polonistycznej Edukacji Nauczycielskiej, Centrum Badań Edukacyjnych i Kształcenia Ustawicznego, Wydział Polonistyki, Uniwersytet Jagielloński (Faculty of Polish Study, Jagiellonian University)

Organizing Committee

Prof. dr hab. Anna Janus-Sitarz (chair)
Prof. dr hab. Witold Bobiński
Dr hab. Krzysztof Biedrzycki, prof. UJ
Dr Agnieszka Kania
Dr Agnieszka Handzel
Dr Klaudia Mucha-Iwaniczko (secretary)

Emails regarding the event can be sent to sigrole2027@uj.edu.pl.