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Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
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Some Comply While Some Defy: Elementary Teachers' Responses to Leadership Mandates on Reading Comprehension
Reid J Smith1, Pamela C Snow1, Tanya A Serry2
1School of Education, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools
|December 26, 2024
Summary
Australian elementary teachers report varied literacy block structures and satisfaction. Tensions arise when teacher pedagogy conflicts with mandated approaches, leading to compliance or defiance in reading instruction.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Pedagogy
- Literacy Studies
Background:
- Elementary teachers' approaches to reading instruction are crucial for student literacy development.
- Understanding the practical implementation of literacy blocks in Australian schools is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively explore Australian elementary teachers' perspectives on their literacy block.
- To investigate the utilization of literacy block time, instructional decision-making, and teacher responses to mandated approaches.
Main Methods:
- A web-based survey was administered to Australian elementary teachers.
- 182 teachers provided free-text comments in response to open-ended questions.
- Qualitative thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Teachers reported diverse literacy block structures and general satisfaction with effectiveness.
- Key themes included satisfaction with time use, locus of decision-making, and teacher responses (compliance/defiance).
- Tensions exist when teacher pedagogy conflicts with leadership-determined instructional approaches.
Conclusions:
- Literacy block implementation varies significantly across Australian elementary schools.
- Teachers exercise agency by choosing to comply with or defy mandated instructional approaches.
- Discrepancies between teacher pedagogy and mandates create tensions and impact school-level data interpretation.
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