Kindergarten and First Grade Teachers’ Knowledge of Reading and Associations with Teacher Characteristics and Instructional Practices at Rural Low-Wealth Schools

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  • March 20, 2019
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  • Jordan, Rebecca
    • Affiliation: School of Education
Abstract
  • The notably low level of reading proficiency across the United States, combined with the known importance of teachers for student success, necessitates improved understanding of teachers’ knowledge, how it is acquired, and its role in instruction. This study had four goals: (1) identify whether domains of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge could be separately assessed in a measure of teacher knowledge; (2) assess the level of overall knowledge, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge; (3) examine content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in relation to coursework, education, and experience; and (4) examine the relationship between content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge and self-reported reading instructional practices. Using data from the Targeted Reading Intervention, factor analyses and multiple linear regressions were conducted on questionnaire data from sixty-six kindergarten and first grade teachers who were assigned to the control group in the original study. The findings illustrated teacher knowledge of reading is composed of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. The levels of knowledge across domains were roughly equal. Experience was the only characteristic to be significantly associated with knowledge; however, knowledge was also significantly associated with instructional practices consistent with a comprehensive instructional approach. These findings illustrate the need to consider the domains that compose teacher knowledge in both teacher education programs and subsequent research. They also provide support for an emphasis on experiential learning and internships in teacher education programs.
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  • In Copyright
Advisor
  • Able, Harriet
  • Erickson, Karen A.
  • Bratsch-Hines, Mary
  • Vernon-Feagans, Lynne
  • Mason, Linda
Degree
  • Doctor of Philosophy
Degree granting institution
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School
Graduation year
  • 2016
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