Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

2024

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ded)

Department

Educational Leadership

First Advisor

Erin Lehmann

Abstract

In 2000, the National Reading Panel published a report stating that reading instruction should include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction that is explicit and systematic. Despite this recommendation, more than half of fourth graders in the US continue to lack proficiency in reading each year. Further, studies showed that pre-service teachers lacked the training and preparation to demonstrate mastery of the concepts and provide effective literacy instruction. This study employed a case study design to explore the programming surrounding pre-service teacher preparation over the last ten years, their relationships with cooperating teachers, and how that affects perceived readiness in teaching the science of reading concepts. This study added to the literature by looking at pre-service teacher preparations to teach reading through the teachers’ perceptions. Results of this study indicated that teachers had insufficient field experiences, inadequate or differing coursework, were told to adhere to district-provided curricula, had teaching style differences from their cooperating teachers, and ultimately their comfort with teaching reading concepts increased with more exposure and experience. These findings indicate that pre-service preparation programs need to continue to evaluate their coursework, field experience opportunities, and selection of cooperating teachers to continue adapting existing practices to meet the preparation needs of new teachers entering the field to teach reading.

Subject Categories

Teacher Education and Professional Development

Keywords

Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers, Pre-Service Preparation, Readiness Levels to Teach Reading, Science of Reading

Number of Pages

100

Publisher

University of South Dakota

Available for download on Sunday, February 16, 2025

Share

COinS