Award Date

1-1-1998

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Committee Member

Marilyn McKinney

Second Committee Member

John Readence

Number of Pages

146

Abstract

The focus of this study was to explore the changes in literacy practice that occurred as two intermediate teachers attempted to implement an intervention model within their literacy instruction. There were two participants in this study, Mrs. Bailey, a fourth-grade teacher in her twelfth year of teaching, and Mrs. Cook, a third-grade teacher in her twenty-eighth year of teaching. Multiple data sources including interviews, observations, descriptive self-report items, reflective journal entries, lesson plans, and exit slips and evaluation forms were collected. The constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss, 1967) was used for analyzing data. This inductive analysis allowed for initial coding of categories followed by comparison across these categories as more data were analyzed. This type of research used a constructive strategy which aimed at discovering constructs or categories elicited from the behaviors of the participants (LeCompte & Priessle, 1993). The most important finding was that the changes were often dictated by the existing literacy structure within each teacher's classroom. These literacy structures seemed to be extensions of each teacher's overall philosophy and belief system about the teaching of literacy and did not appear to change as a result of the Project STARS class. The implications of this study suggest that because teachers seemed to be highly influenced by their existing structures, considerations be placed on how an innovation fits into an existing structure. This would ease the way for the participant in changing from current practices to new practices. Also, because these existing literacy structures are often embedded in an individual's belief system, it is important that participants define what beliefs they currently hold (Richardson, 1996). Without an acknowledgment and understanding of current belief systems, long-term changes will probably not occur (Richardson, 1996).

Keywords

Development; Influence; Instruction; Intermediate; Intervention; Literacy Instruction; Staff Development; Teachers

Controlled Subject

Individualized reading instruction; Teachers--Training of

File Format

pdf

File Size

4208.64 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

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