Are Teachers Prepared for Writing? Insight on the Training and Development of Teachers for Writing Instruction in K-2 Classrooms

This multiple case study examined the degree to which pre-service teachers were prepared to teach writing and how these skills were further developed in the beginning years of teaching to ensure students were receiving foundational literacy skills to be successful in both reading and writing. The setting for this study took place in an urban charter school and a suburban traditional public school in southeastern Louisiana. The participants for this study included two university instructors of teacher preparation programs who taught literacy methods courses. Also included were four K-2 classroom teachers, one kindergarten teacher, one second-grade teacher, and two first-grade teachers and their corresponding instructional coaches. The instructional coach at the charter school was also the principal for grades K-4. Data collection included interviews with all participants, classroom observations of writing instruction, and student writing samples. The results of the study included a lack of teacher preparation in writing instruction and limited use of evidence-based instructional practices due to a prioritization of reading and limited pedagogical knowledge of writing instruction. Implications for practice included implementing evidence-based instructional practices in literacy methods courses for writing instruction to increase teacher knowledge and self-efficacy, providing development for in-service teachers in writing instruction, and developing instructional coaches in developing teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and understanding of evidence-based instructional practices