Are They Just Lazy? Student Teachers’ Attitudes About Dyslexia
Abstract
It is highly likely that teachers’ abilities in dealing with different forms of learning difficulties will be affected by their knowledge about and attitudes towards those difficulties. Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) provides a useful framework within which to explore such attitudes and was used as the starting point for investigating trainee teachers’ attitudes towards aspects of dyslexia. It is assumed that new teachers will enter the profession with a set of intentions according to personal beliefs, normative views within the teaching profession and the sense of competence and power they feel in dealing with dyslexic difficulties. The purpose of this study was to probe student teachers’ attitudes at a prestigious School of Education in the Southwest of England. Four hundred and eight primary and secondary Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) students responded to a survey asking about their attitudes toward dyslexia. The student teachers expressed strongly positive attitudes toward the construct of dyslexia, with the majority expressing confidence in their ability to support dyslexic pupils. Females held significantly more positive attitudes toward dyslexia than males, but there were no significant differences according to PGCE course subject. Students who took the survey before and after teaching practice demonstrated some small but significant changes in attitude scores over that time. It is proposed that a new breed of teachers may be entering the teaching profession with positive beliefs about their ability to help dyslexic pupils, but who remain unclear as to how this can be accomplished. Some implications for action and suggestions for future research are provided.
Reference
Gwernan-Jones, R., & Burden, R.L. (2010). Are they just lazy? Student teachers’ attitudes about dyslexia. Dyslexia 16, 66-86. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/dys.393
Journal
Dyslexia
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
- Primary (UK term)
- Secondary
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Post Graduate Certification in Education (PGCE)
Preservice Sample Size
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
Research Questions
What are student teachers’ attitudes about dyslexia at a prestigious School of Education in the Southwest of England?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No