Using conceptual change theory to help preservice teachers understand dyslexia

Recently, many states passed laws requiring pre- and in-service teachers to receive professional development in dyslexia awareness. Even though misconceptions regarding dyslexia are widespread, there is a paucity of research on how to effectively remove misconceptions and replace them with accurate knowledge. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a researcher-created refutation text grounded in conceptual change theory could produce significant conceptual change in preservice teacher knowledge of dyslexia when compared with a control text about dyslexia (Dyslexia Basics, International Dyslexia Association; IDA, 2018). A sample of preservice teachers (n = 97) was randomly assigned to either the Dyslexia Basics text (n = 48) or the refutation text (n = 49). A one-way repeated ANOVA was used to identify if growth rates from pretest to posttest were differential across conditions. Results suggest that while both texts affect conceptions, the refutation text outperformed the Dyslexia Basics text (n = 97), η² = 0.33. Effects were maintained at a delayed posttest (n = 75), η² = 0.175. Interaction effects suggested that the amount of reading coursework did not moderate conceptual change. Implications for facilitating conceptual change of dyslexia will be discussed.