Uncovering Teachers’ Varying Views on Reading and Writing Instruction

Through an exploratory study, authors Poulson, Avramidis, Fox, Medwell and Wray, investigated how 225 effective teachers of literacy viewed certain literacy approaches/strategies and considered how their educational backgrounds influenced these views. This study also included a group composed of 71 math coordinators, which served as a comparison to the effective teachers of literacy. The instructional views of the effective teachers of literacy were compared to the instructional views of the math coordinators. Having a profession in research or education gives these authors authority to write about and share information on this topic of study. Poulson, Fox, and Medwell are education lecturers at universities. Avramidis is a â€Å"Research Fellow† and Wray is an education professor. The authors’ work experience gives credibility to this study. This study conducted in 1996-1998, appeared in a 2001 edition of Research Papers in Education. This article critique provides a s ummary of the exploratory study, discusses the relevance of the study to the classroom and determines how these authors define â€Å"literacy.† Content Summary This exploratory study sought to reveal effective teachers’ views of teaching reading and writing, in correspondence to their qualifications, and furthermore, compare the effective teachers’ views to a group of math coordinators. This exploratory study involved 225 effective teachers of literacy and 71 math coordinators, which served as a comparison group. The comparison group incorporated various levels of effectiveness (some were considered to be more effective than others). The teachers were selected from primary schools in Britain. The qualifications of the participants included â€Å"effective teachers’ education... ...r own views impact their reading and writing instruction. I determined that the literacy definition present in this study is reading and writing; reading by decoding words, previewing and repeating new words, and guessing unfamiliar words and writing by focusing on content versus correct spelling, varying the intended audience, and considering elements of presentation. I would recommend this study to any grade level teacher, literacy coach, or curriculum developer. After reading this article, these individuals could reflect on how their own views could be influencing their instruction. Works Cited Poulson, L., Avramidis, E., Fox, R., Medwell, J., & Wray, D. (2001). The theoretical beliefs of effective teachers of literacy in primary schools: An exploratory study of orientations to reading and writing. Research Papers in Education, 16(3), 271-292.