The Development of Expertise in Reading

• In Event: The Role and Impact of Professional Development in Educators’ Effective Literacy Instruction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine whether teachers with more teaching experience possess greater expertise with regards to content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge than teachers with less experience, and to identify a collection of variables that contribute to the growth of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Data were obtained from 388 inservice and 105 preservice teachers. Analyses showed that content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge are not well-defined constructs. Results from a one-way ANOVA indicated that there is an increase in literacy knowledge from preservice teachers to inservice teachers who have 1-to-21+ years of experience. Results from the backwards deletion regression identified four variables which accounted for 68% of the variability in literacy knowledge.

Authors

• Christine Wiggins, Salt Lake City School District

• Douglas J. Hacker, University of Utah