Texts Most Frequently Taught in US Secondary Classrooms Remain Largely Unchanged

Strategic Insights -

The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) has released a comprehensive study on the use of literature in US secondary classrooms, revealing that the most frequently taught texts have remained largely unchanged since 1989. The survey of 4,000 English language arts (ELA) teachers found that despite efforts to introduce diverse texts, the list of most taught books is still dominated by white, male authors from the past. William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, and Arthur Miller's The Crucible are among the top 10 most taught texts, with The Crucible being one of the only four texts not on the 1989 list.

Key Takeaways:

  • The top 10 most frequently taught texts in US secondary classrooms are written by white authors, mostly men, and published more than 60 years ago.
  • Most teachers value teaching diverse texts, but censorship and curricular limits hinder their use; 35% of teachers use a scripted curriculum, and 20% have no choice in text selection.
  • The most commonly censored topics are content related to sex, LGBTQIA+ representation, and topics of race and/or racism, with parents, school boards, state legislators, and school districts often involved in the censorship process.
  • 90% of teachers agree that diverse literature is important and express interest in using it more, but only half of their curricula includes diverse texts; teachers are most interested in teaching literature about people of color and least interested in teaching literature about the LGBTQIA+ community.
  • The survey defines "diverse literature" as texts that reflect the experiences of LGBTQIA+, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.
  • The study reveals that teacher autonomy in text selection ranges greatly, with more than three-quarters of teachers reporting no choice in text selection and more than a quarter using a scripted curriculum.

Statistics:

  • 4,000 ELA teachers participated in the survey, representing teachers in every state, and collectively identified 5,108 unique titles being taught.
  • The most frequently taught texts are:

+ William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (16.3%)

+ F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (13.5%)

+ Arthur Miller's The Crucible (11.6%)

  • 35% of teachers reported using a scripted curriculum, and 20% have no choice in text selection.
  • 90% of teachers agree that diverse literature is important and express interest in using it more, but only half of their curricula includes diverse texts.

Sources:

  • The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
  • The State of Literature Use in US Secondary English Classrooms white paper
  • We Need Diverse Books definition of "diverse literature"
  • The Impacts of Censorship, Volume 1: Research on the Intersection of Censorship and Teaching English