Using instructional technology to improve preservice teachers’ knowledge of phonological awareness.

Abstract

Teacher understanding of phonological awareness (PA) and how to teach PA is related to student outcomes; however, many teachers have an inadequate understanding of PA. The purpose of this study is to describe an intervention intended to improve preservice teachers’understanding of PA, using an example of instructional technology called Content Acquisition Podcasts (CAPs). In this study, teacher candidates randomly assigned to watch a CAP on PA significantly outperformed matched peers who read a practitioner-friendly article on the same topic. Findings hold important implications for the field of teacher education, support, and development in reading pedagogy.

Reference

Driver, M. K., Pullen, P. C., Kennedy, M. J., Williams, M. C., & Ely, E. (2014). Using instructional technology to improve preservice teachers’ knowledge of phonological awareness. Teacher Education and Special Education, 37(4), 309-329. doi:10.1177/0888406414537902

Journal

Teacher Education and Special Education

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

Experimental

Geographic Setting

East Coast
United States

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Elementary
Secondary
Special Education

Programatic Focus

Elementary
Secondary
Special Education

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

Undergraduates (university based program)

Preservice Sample Size

103

Duration of Data Collection

two to three sittings

Data Sources

knowledge application (not specifically taught)
knowledge instrument (administered after teaching)

Data Analysis Tools

Statistical analysis

Researcher Positionality

Research Questions

"Do preservice teachers who watch a CAP (Content Acquisition Podcast) on PA perform better on several domains (i.e., core content related to broad PA knowledge and PA instruction) than preservice teachers who read a practitioner-friendly article on the same content?"
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

"To what extent does learning about PA and PA instruction using CAPs help teacher education students without previous reading coursework catch up to classmates who did complete coursework including content related to PA?"
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes