Examining the nature of expertise in reading instruction
Abstract
Teacher educators examined three aspects of expertise in reading instruction in 15 preservice, classroom, and intervention teachers at three distinctively different points in their professional development. In one sitting, participants responded to two video clips showing the same first-grade child reading familiar text in a Reading Recovery lesson to the same teacher at the beginning and again in the middle of the school year. Teachers responded to written prompts that invited them to use their current knowledge to interpret, infer, and recommend a tentative instructional course for the child. A qualitative content analysis was conducted to categorize responses and contrast perspectives among these groups. Preservice teachers' statements were tied to clearly observed behaviors and a limited view of the reading process. Classroom and intervention teachers understood behaviors as indicators of current processing strengths and changes that are likely as the child attempted to deal with more complex materials and literacy tasks. Differences that emerged provide insights into the nature of developing expertise through university course work and continued professional practice and professional development. Findings hold implications for assessment in teacher education and call for further research to elaborate the nature of advanced knowledge acquisition related to literacy instruction and the effectiveness of professional development for supporting that knowledge.
Reference
Gallant, P., & Schwartz, R. (2009). Examining the nature of expertise in reading instruction. Literacy Research and Instruction, 49(1), 1-19.
Journal
Literacy Research and Instruction
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
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
5
Other Participant Data
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- written responses to film clips
Data Analysis Tools
- Constant comparative analysis
- Qualitative Content Analysis
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
Researchers examined the three groups (preservice, classroom, and intervention teachers)
"Specifically, we examined each category of responses for indications of:
• What patterns of information did each group notice?" (p. 7)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown
Researchers examined the three groups (preservice, classroom, and intervention teachers)
"Specifically, we examined each category of responses for indications of:
• What content knowledge is evident for each group?" (p. 7)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown
Researchers examined the three groups (preservice, classroom, and intervention teachers)
"Specifically, we examined each category of responses for indications of:
• To what degree are each group’s recommendations applicable to the specific situation?" (p. 7)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Unknown