Preparing teachers to provide literacy instruction to all students: faculty experiences and perceptions
Abstract
Although there is an increased focus on reading instruction in schools, little is known about how teachers of students with extensive support needs are prepared to provide literacy instruction for this group of students. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study of how literary instruction is addressed within teacher education programs at institutions of higher education that prepare preservice and inservice teachers to work with students with extensive support needs. We conducted telephone interviews with nine teacher educators in university programs across the country that prepare special educators, asking about their experiences and perceptions of what works well and what presents difficulty in preparing teachers to effectively teach literacy skills to students with significant disability, what additional research and practice knowledge is needed in this area, and how they view literacy instruction for students with extensive support needs fitting into the current national debate on reading instruction methodology- Content analysis of respondents' interviews yielded three broad themes that we describe and discuss: challenges, changes, and future directions for the field. We explore the implications of the study s findings for teacher preparation programs and directions for future research.
Reference
Copeland, S. R., Keefe, E. B., Calhoo, A. J., Tanner, W., & Park, S. (2011). Preparing teachers to provide literacy instruction to all students: faculty experiences and perceptions. Research & Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 36(3/4), 126-141.
Journal
Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
- qualitative content analysis
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- University Professors (teacher educators)
Preservice Sample Size
9
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
- Content analysis
- Thematic analysis
Researcher Positionality
- Outside (not directly invested in the program or operations)
Research Questions
What were teacher educators' perceptions of what works well and what presents difficulty in preparing future teachers to work with students who have extensive support needs?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
What were teacher educators' perceptions of what additional research and practice knowledge is needed in preparing future teachers to work with students who have extensive support needs?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination
What were teacher educators' views of literacy instruction for students who have extensive support needs?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Combination