“Where a Crystal Steams”: Examining the Theoretical and Methodological Connections Between Reader-Centered Literature Teaching and Bibliotherapy

Abstract

In my thesis, I examined how well reader-centered literature teaching and bibliotherapy align with each other through four research questions. My theoretical premise is that the methods and tools of bibliotherapy are largely already in use in literature education. What is missing is the awareness and purposeful application of these methods. By comparing the literature, I found that both reader-centered literature teaching and developmental bibliotherapy place the reader at the center of their activities. They focus on the changes that texts initiate in the “users.” Their goals, strategies, and methodological repertoire are almost identical. I also conducted a survey to determine whether teachers in Hungarian literature-teaching practices consciously apply a reader-centered model and, in parallel, use bibliotherapeutic methods. My respondents consciously apply the mentioned pedagogical model and consider emotional and moral education, as well as personality development, as their primary tasks. If they had more knowledge about bibliotherapy, they would take further steps to renew their pedagogical practice. The two disciplines are not overlapping, but I wanted to highlight the need to examine the interaction between the two fields. It is important to observe how literature classes can be put at the service of students’ personality development, shifting the focus from literary history to reader-centered activities.