Connecting theoretical conceptions of reading to practice: A longitudinal study of elementary school teachers
Abstract
This study followed a group of 12 individuals over a three-year period as they first participated in a preservice teacher education program in the Pacific Northwest, leading to K–8 teacher certification and a Masters in Teaching, and for the first two years of their teaching careers. Using a case study approach and the use of a new methodology called “Teacher Storylines” (Beijaard, 1998), the researcher examined participants’ beliefs about and practice in reading/ language arts. Three case studies are presented, as well as summaries of the others, and cross-case analysis. The study found that teachers’ funds of knowledge (professional, practical, personal) interact in complex ways to affect their classroom practice. In particular, professional knowledge from a coherent and cohesive teacher education program is influential in the ways new teachers teach. By the end of the second year of teaching, participants’ professional knowledge and practical knowledge became intertwined, such that participants’ had difficulty in acknowledging their respective influences.
Reference
Grisham, D. L. (2000). Connecting theoretical conceptions of reading to practice: A longitudinal study of elementary school teachers. Reading Psychology, 21(2), 145-170.
Journal
Reading Psychology
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
- Case study
- Descriptive study
- exploratory case study
- longitudinal
- Qualitiative
Geographic Setting
- Pacific Northwest region of the United States
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Inservice teaching
- Literacy methods course
Preservice Participants
Preservice Sample Size
12
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Interviews
- Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) (DeFord, 1985)
- Video
Data Analysis Tools
- Case study analysis
- cross-case analysis
- Teacher Storylines (Beijaard, 1998)
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
- Inside (studying their own programs)
Research Questions
How do preservice teachers conceptualize reading instruction?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How does their belief system affect their teaching of reading?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
What factors affect preservice teachers' belief system?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
Can coursework and fieldwork change preservice teachers' belief system? If so, does this change their practice, and in what ways?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How do preservice teachers' theories about literacy learning and subsequent teaching practices evolve over time, and what factors are influential in this evolution?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes