The Diversity of Secondary Preservice Teachers' Beliefs Related to Teaching Reading in the Content Areas

• In Event: 63.053 - Studying Preservice Teacher Beliefs and Self-Efficacy Across Content Areas

Abstract

This case study explored pre-service secondary teachers’ (PTs) beliefs related to content area literacy. We interviewed 11 PTs about topics including their personal attitudes toward reading, their definitions of literacy, and their perceived confidence for applying the knowledge and skills covered in a required content area literacy course. About half of the PTs were training to become social studies teachers (n = 6), and the rest were training to teach in science or mathematics. Interviews revealed great variation in PT responses. Differences in themes were apparent between content areas categorized broadly by STEM and social studies majors. Findings provide a preliminary understanding of variation in PTs’ beliefs, which should be of interest to teacher educators responsible for training PTs.

Authors

• Erik Scott Rawls, Florida State University

• Meagan Caridad Arrastia, Valdosta State University

• Laura M Jakiel, Florida State University

• Alysia D. Roehrig, Florida State University