Planning on Preservice Teachers’ Affective Domains of Reading

1. Planning on Preservice Teachers’ Affective Domains of Reading Jennifer Davis-Duerr, Ed.D. | SUNY New Paltz

2. Introduction Background | Rationale

3. Defining the Affective domain of reading • The attitudes, beliefs, and values one has about reading, which ultimately influence one’s reading engagement, motivation, and habits.

4. Why study the affective domain of reading? • Recreational reading (reading for fun) has steadily declined in nearly ever age group for the last 20 years • 65% of college freshmen read for pleasure less than an hour per week or not at all • By the time these freshmen become college seniors, one in three students read nothing at all for pleasure in a given week. National Endowment for the Arts (2007)

5. Why Study the Affective domain (cont.) • Approximately 50% of preservice teachers are unenthusiastic readers (Applegate & Applegate, 2004; Nathanson, et al., 2008) • Teachers’ enthusiasm for reading and books facilitates students’ interests as well. (Routman, 2002; Atwell, 2007) • Teachers’ book recommendations are one of the greatest contributors to students’ text choices for recreational reading. (Miller, 2009)

6. Goal of Research in this field • Short-term: Improve preservice teachers’ relationships with reading such that they become avid, enthusiastic readers. • Long-term: Improve elementary, middle, and high school level students’ engagement in recreational reading through meaningful interactions with teachers who are passionate about reading.

7. Research questions • Q1: What are instructors’ perceptions of their students’ affective domains of reading? • Q2: How do instructors’ perceptions influence their instructional decisions in a children’s literature course?

8. Methods Contexts | design | Participants | Data

9. Contexts |Children’s Literature courses • SITE A: Urban, 4-year, NCATE Accredited, English Department SITE B: Semi-Rural, 2-year, English Department SITE C: Suburban, 4-year, NCATE Accredited, Education Department

10. Design | Mixed Methods • Quantitative Survey Rating Scale of Preservice Teacher Affective Domain (Adult Motivation for Reading Scale, Schutte & Malouff, 2007) • Interviews with Instructors (Round 1) • Observation (Children’s Literature course sessions) • Artifacts • Interviews with Instructors (Round 2)

11. Data collection

12. Participants | Children’s Lit. Instructors • SITE A – ALICE : • Experienced with the course • MA Creative Writing/Drama • Incorporated visual arts, film, and drama • Weekly 3 hour sessions, 15 weeks • Instructional Style: Lecture, instructor read aloud, small group presentations, whole and small group discussions, small group literature sharing, in-class multiple choice and short answer quizzes • Materials used: course packet of articles/selected works, some self-selected literature

13. Participants | Children’s Lit. Instructors • SITE B – BRIAN : • Minimal experience with the course (1st time with PSTs) • MA English: Composition • Incorporated current events and film • Weekly 3 hour sessions, 15 weeks • Instructional Style: Lecture, whole group discussion, student presentations of literature, essays, literature analysis • Materials used: comprehensive textbook, some self-selected literature

14. Participants | Children’s Lit. Instructors • SITE C – CHRIS : • Somewhat experienced with the course • Ph.D. Research Methods: Reading • Incorporated elementary teaching methods, activities, strategies • Weekly 3 hour sessions, 15 weeks • Instructional Style: Minimal lecture, instructor and student read alouds, silent reading, whole and small group literature discussions (book clubs), small group literature sharing and sorting, elementary level practicum • Materials used: brief textbook, supplementary text focused on read aloud techniques, much self-selected children’s and adolescent literature

15. Findings Instructors’ perceptions | influence on instruction

16. Instructors’ Perceptions Five Common Beliefs

17. Belief 1| Affective Domains Vary • “In this class, I find that a lot of them are just discovering that they can enjoy reading...And it’s (building a passion for reading) so different, it’s just so individual.” ~Alice, Site A • “You could tell from the discussions which of them were really into this stuff and which weren’t.” ~Brian, Site B • “I view reading as an individual journey for students.” ~Chris, Site C

18. Belief 2| It’s a job, an Obligation • “They read boring stuff for school because they’re made to...” ~Alice, Site A • “It’s possible that there are those that really don’t like to read, but they do it because it’s class and that’s what they’re going to do, so they do it.” ~Brian, Site B • “Yeah, this to me...all these answers explain the hectic nature of college expectations, and the reason I say that is because they’ve told me that... ~Chris, Site C

19. Belief 3| Teachers should be readers • “They (elementary teachers) are the source of literacy. How the teachers teach reading and how much reading they have is the center of how literate the kids will be in other grades and when they’re an adult.” ~Alice, Site A • “Teachers that are passionate about reading, they’re going to be more likely to pass along that passion to their students...their students will see it in them…I think in academic fields, I think you’re short-changing yourself and your students if you don’t have that love of reading.” ~Brian, Site B • “You know, teachers as a model of reading is critical…What will you do to make sure those, your beliefs and your understanding of your beliefs, support your students?”~Chris, Site C

20. Belief 4| Their Affective Domains will improve • “It seems like this class changes people’s, the students’, attitudes to reading a lot. It seems like they enjoy reading a lot more.” ~Alice, Site A • “The hope is that that will rub off a bit, and others will see, ‘Wow, they’re really into that,’ you know, lead by example kind of thing. You hope as a teacher that your own passion for those kinds of things will rub off.” ~Brian, Site B • “My reaction (to the survey rating scale data) is that it’s going to change dramatically. The kids on that that are on the lower end are going to develop a sense of self efficacy as readers, and they’re going to see themselves as readers, the importance of reading and try to fit that into their definition of reading. I can almost guarantee it.”~Chris, Site C

21. Belief 5| Every student can become a reader • Alice also felt strongly that there’s the potential for everyone to become a reader, quoting children’s author, Philip Pullman, “...put the right book into the hands of the right child at the right time,”~Alice, Site A • “I really believe that everybody has the potential to love reading. It just has to hit them at the right time...it just takes whatever connects with you...know your audience and find something that fits them...and I think pretty much teachers at all levels, I think teachers even at my level can do that, which is part of the reason I like to teach children’s literature.” ~Brian, Site B • “So they’re in such a safe environment in our class, which they’ve expressed, that they are very willing to go places that they know are going to be difficult, so they’re willing to challenge themselves, so they’re willing to say they’d like to go here...”~Chris, Site C

22. Influence on instruction Four Aspects of Courses Influenced by Instructors Understanding Their Students’ Affective Domains

23. 1st Aspect of Course| Interactions with Students

24. 2nd Aspect of Course| Selection and use of required reading

25. 3rd Aspect of Course| Assignments and assessments

26. 4th Aspect of Course| In-Class Activities

27. Discussion & implications So what?

28. Plan on it Intentional Affective Instruction

29. Creating the environment • Building up a “club” • All are welcome here • It’s not your “fault” • Build a sense of community through sharing and acceptance of personal reading journeys • Use assignments and activities to help students understand their own personal histories with reading and others’ • Reading autobiographies • Skits/role plays

30. Sharing our reading selves • Model reading habits • I’ve got to share this with you… • I found this great book… • Does anyone know about…? • Expose them to the literary culture • www.goodreads.com • www.audible.com • http://bookpage.com

31. Expanding awareness of texts • Bring in LOTS of literature • Connect literature to current lives • Help them determine “the good, the bad, and the ugly” • Honor “old favorites” while encouraging knowledge of the new • Careful of assumptions • Level the playing field

32. Providing choices • Facilitate informed decisions • Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature • http://www.dawcl.com • Self-selection of • Texts • Topics • Grouping • Format (projects/assignments)

33. Just the beginning Lingering Questions | Future Research

34. Lingering Questions | teacher education • How might applying intentional affective instruction in other teacher preparation courses influence preservice teachers’ affective domains of reading, particularly in content areas? • How long do the positive effects of intentional affective instruction last? • Do student teachers maintain a consistent positive affective domain following experiences with intentional affective instruction? Increase? Decrease?

35. Lingering Questions | teacher-student connections • How might teachers’ affective domains influence their ability to implement intentional affective instructional practices in the K-12 classroom? • How might teachers’ affective domains influence their students’ affective domains? • Which aspects of intentional affective instruction are most effective for improving elementary, middle, and high school readers’ affective domains?

36. Future research • Needs to take into account changing definitions of literacy due to advancements in technology • Needs to support teacher-student & student-student relationships • Needs to result in solutions that increase literacy engagement and motivation in striving readers • Reluctant (aliterate) • Urban • English Language Learners • Special Needs

37. References • Applegate, A.J., & Applegate, M.D. (2004). The Peter effect: Reading habits and attitudes of preservice teachers. The Reading Teacher, 57 (6), 554-563 • Atwell, N. (2007). The reading zone: How to help kids become skilled, passionate, habitual, critical readers. New York: Scholastic. • Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications Inc. • Davis-Duerr, J. (2010). Qualitative and quantitative inquiry into the affective domain of preservice teachers enrolled in children’s literature courses. . Ed. D. Dissertation, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. • Iyengar, S. (2007). To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence Research Report #47. In S. Iyengar (Ed.), (pp. 98). Washington, DC: National Endowment for the Arts Office of Research and Analysis.

38. References • Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Miller, D. (2009). The Book Whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. • Merriam, S. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Nathanson, S., Pruslow, J., & Levitt, R. (2008). The reading habits and literacy attitudes of inservice and prospective teachers: Results of a questionnaire survey. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(4), 313-321. • Routman, R. (2002). Reading essentials: The specifics you need to teach reading well. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. • Schutte, N. S., & Malouff, J. M. (2007). Dimensions of reading motivation: Development of an adult reading motivation scale. Reading Psychology, 28, 469-489.