Measuring Elementary Teachers' Metalinguistic Awareness: Early Results for a New Online Measure

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Innovations in Literacy Research, Theory, and Practice: Poster Session 2

Abstract

As part of our larger mixed methods study with multiple measures of knowledge and practice, this project attempts to describe the metalinguistic awareness (MA) that teachers in the upper elementary grades bring to their writing instruction. We describe a written measure exploring teachers’ writing relevant knowledge, including contextualized pedagogical content knowledge, related instructional decision-making, and less contextualized knowledge of language. We report results of the first two waves pilot testing the measure, including construct and social validity. Given the current emphasis on preparing highly qualified teachers, it is crucial to examine links between teachers’ knowledge and practice and their students’ opportunities to learn. The work described here is intended as a modest step in this direction.

Authors

• Mary Northey, University of Washington

• Deborah E. Mccutchen, University of Washington

• Elizabeth A. Sanders, University of Washington

• Erin Lane, University of Washington - Seattle

• Heather Tiffany Hebard, University of Washington - Seattle