Effects of a 6-week co-taught literacy unit on preservice special educators’ literacy-education knowledge

Abstract

For special education preservice teachers to be prepared to assist studentswith disabilities to achieve their maximum potential in literacy, an innovative, co-taught literacy unit was implemented within existing methods courses. The intensive, 6-week unit was created to prepare all candidates in both mild interventions and severe interventions licensure programs tomeet the literacy needs of diverse learners. The curriculum was designed around the National Reading Panels Þve critical compo- nents of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, ßuency, vocabulary, comprehension) in addition to the topics of emergent literacy and writing. Pre- and posttests were administered, revealing a signif- icant growth in participant knowledge related to literacy assessment and instruction. Implications for future efforts to improve literacy outcomes for students with disabilities by improving teachers knowledge and skills related to literacy instruction are discussed.

Reference

Pufpaff, L. A., & Yssel, N. (2010). Effects of a 6-week co-taught literacy unit on preservice special educators' literacy-education knowledge. Psychology in the Schools, 47(5), p.493-500. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.20485.

Journal

Psychology in the Schools

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

Descriptive/Correlational

Geographic Setting

midwest

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

early childhood to 12th grade special education

Programatic Focus

Special Education

Research Location Context

Courses related to English language arts

Preservice Participants

Undergraduates (special education)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

2 academic semesters

Data Sources

pre-/post-assessment

Data Analysis Tools

Researcher Positionality

inside (staying their own students)

Research Questions

Can "preservice special education teacher candidates demonstrate gains in knowledge needed for effective literacy instruction across the 6-week unit?" (p.495).
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination