The attitudes and teaching practices of selected Newfoundland teachers pertaining to reading instruction in the secondary school

Shortall, Brian William (1973) The attitudes and teaching practices of selected Newfoundland teachers pertaining to reading instruction in the secondary school. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (3MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

This study was designed with five purposes in mind. To begin with it was designed to survey the attitudes of selected Newfoundland secondary school teachers toward reading instruction. It was also intended to survey the extent to which these teachers made use of twenty selected teaching practices indicative of good reading instruction. In addition to these things, this study assessed the extent of the correlation between a teacher's attitude and his use of the selected teaching practices. The effect of the following independent variables upon a teacher's attitude and his use of the selected practices was also investigated: teaching experience, teaching certificate, sex, subject area with which the teacher is most familiar and the number of university accredited courses in secondary reading instruction taken by each teacher. The final aim of this thesis was to provide the kind of information and recommendations appropriate for the improvement of reading instruction at the secondary level. -- The population which this study investigated consisted of all the secondary school teachers working on the Burin Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada. No sample was taken as the researcher used the entire population in his inquiry. -- The data was collected by distributing a research booklet to all the subjects. Along with an explanatory letter and an appropriate information sheet, this booklet contained an Attitude Questionnaire and a Teaching Practices Questionnaire. -- The data was used to test eleven hypotheses. Standard statistical computer programs for One-Way Analysis of Variance, the t-test, and the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient were employed to analyse the data. -- The analysis indicated that the teachers' attitudes and extent of use of the selected practices in connection with reading instruction in the secondary school were unsatisfactory. Also, a low negative correlation was found to exist between the two. With regard to the independent variables considered by the study, none was found to significantly affect the teachers' attitudes. However, their extent of use of the teaching practices was affected by the independent variables of sex, the subject area with which they were most familiar, and the number of university accredited courses in secondary reading instruction. -- Several recommendations were made by the researcher after his consideration of the findings. Among these were: (A) that steps be taken so that the various subject area teachers recognize their responsibility and role in secondary reading instruction; (B) that a professional library of teacher resources in secondary reading instruction be established at the school or district level to assist teachers with instruction; (C) that inservice programs in secondary reading instruction be instigated; (D) that before hiring new teachers their pre-service training be examined to determine if they are theoretically equipped to participate in a sound reading program for the junior and senior high school, and if they have a satisfactory attitude in this regard; (E) that consultative services be used in planning a sound reading program beyond the elementary school.

Actions (login required)

View Item