Bridging the Gap: Teacher Candidates’ Understanding of Advocacy in Literacy Instruction

• In Event: Roundtable Session VI
  In Roundtable Session: Advocacy, Agency and Self-Efficacy in Teacher Education

Abstract

This study explores how teacher candidates in elementary education programs understand and integrate advocacy into literacy instruction. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research examines the connection between advocacy, social justice, and literacy teaching. Preliminary findings suggest that while candidates value equity, they struggle to connect advocacy with classroom practice. The study highlights the need for teacher preparation programs to explicitly embed advocacy in literacy instruction to better equip future educators to support diverse students' needs.

Authors

• Simone Gibson, Morgan State University

• Margaret Polizos Peterson, 2311 Benjamin Bldng.

• Laura Groth, Maryland Initiative for Literacy and Equity, University of Maryland