Change in the knowledge and practices of literacy, professional development for primary teachers

grantor: University of TorontoThis study assessed the effects of a professional development program focused on specific concepts of literacy and delivered through an approach designed to encourage the implementation of these concepts in the classroom. The focus of the study was on possible changes in teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and practices as a result of their participation in the professional development sessions. The study involved post-treatment interviews about the self-reported knowledge, beliefs, and practices of 9 experimental teachers and 9 grade matched controls. Findings suggest experimental teachers learned the literacy terms/concepts from the sessions. This new knowledge also appeared to impact directly on their practices; experimental teachers differed from the controls in their self-reports of teaching styles, the material their students used in the classroom, and in whether or not their students were kept informed of their progress. Potential ramifications of these outcomes in terms of possible impact on at-risk students are discussed.M.A