TPACK for Reading Instruction: How Elementary Teachers Used Digital Texts During the Pandemic School Year

• In Event: Digital Literacy and Literacy Instruction

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a nationwide survey of U.S. elementary teachers (n=485) describing how they used digital texts for reading instruction during the 2020-2021 school year. Survey development included a literature review, pilot testing (n=38), cognitive interviews (n=8), and expert review. Results indicated that 99.6% of respondents used digital texts for reading instruction, including leveled texts (90.9% using them at least once a week), informational texts (85.3%), passages for fluency practice (82.9%), and picture books (76.9%) Read-aloud mode was the most commonly used text feature regardless of the target literacy skills of the lesson. The findings indicate the need for research-practice partnerships to study and support teachers’ use of digital texts for reading instruction.

Authors

• Laura Tortorelli, Michigan State University

• John Z Strong, University at Buffalo - SUNY