Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Dissertation

Abstract

The number of students lacking literacy proficiency is on the rise, with only 33% of students assessed in Grades 4 and 31% of students assessed in Grade 8 scoring at or above NAEP proficiency in reading (National Center for Education Statistics, 2022). The purpose of this study was to understand more about the attitudes and beliefs of classroom teachers, preservice teachers, and content area literacy instructors surrounding content area literacy instruction, and how those beliefs affected their likelihood to incorporate literacy across the curriculum. The theoretical framework for this study included the critical literacy theory along with Paolo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed. The literature reviewed for this study included the topics of teacher identities and attitudes, teacher preparation programs, and the decline of literacy proficiency among K–12 students. This study focused on three main research questions: (1) How are prospective teachers prepared to incorporate literacy across the curriculum? (2) How do teacher attitudes shape their decision-making about literacy instruction? and (3) How do teacher preparation programs inform developing thinking about literacy? These questions were explored using a qualitative research design and a case study methodology. The data was analyzed using in vivo coding. Four themes emerged, including the connection between early literacy experiences and teacher identity, literacy as a multifaceted concept, and the importance of ongoing professional development and mentorship opportunities. This study may add to the lack of literature that is available about the importance of content area literacy training for teachers across the curriculum.

Year of Submission

2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Lori Norton-Meier

Date Original

2025

Object Description

1 PDF file (vii, 75 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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