Change in literacy orientation through revised staff development

Abstract

Staff development is presently in a state of reinvention to reflect what has been learned about adults as learners and to meet the, often competing, needs of schools and teachers. This study analyzes the effects of non-traditional staff development utilizing constructivist listening dyads on change in teachers' literacy orientation. A quasi-experimental, mostly quantitative single group pre and post test design was used to analyze data from the Literacy Orientation Survey (LOS) and its subsection scores, Beliefs and Practices. The teachers also wrote statements about their literacy beliefs (i.e., practical arguments) before and after the staff development. Participants were twenty-five Del Norte school teachers teaching grades 2 - 12. Significant differences were found between the pre and post LOS scores; thus, a significant change (toward a constructivist orientation) was made in literacy orientation. Similar significant results were found for the change in Practices scores, but not for change in the Beliefs scores. Surprisingly, the teachers who scored high on the LOS initially made the most gains. No significant differences in gain scores were found for the variables of gender and assigned teaching level, except between the elementary and the middle and high school teachers' Beliefs gain scores. The elementary teachers' scores went up and the middle/high teachers' scores went down slightly. Positive correlations were found for perceived level of preparation and also amount of previous training in facilitating reading instruction with initial Practice scores but not with any other scores. Years of teaching experience showed no positive correlation with any of the LOS scores. Teachers' concluding written statements about their literacy beliefs (i.e., practical arguments) showed that teachers better articulated their positions. Their final statements included more reasons in explanation or support of their actions, indicating increased understanding of purpose essential to sustained use of practice. Overall, the difference between the sum of initial and final practical arguments showed a significant increase, demonstrating an enhanced cumulative knowledge base. This study has implications for schools needing effective, resource-efficient staff development. Findings of this study suggest that facilitating such collegial study across building lines promotes teacher change.