Education Commons^™

International Schools' Assessment Program

International Developments

Designed and developed Schools’ Assessment Designed and developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the International Schools' Assessment Program (ISA) is currently administered in 260 international schools worldwide with over 49000 students participating, and allows these schools to benchmark themselves against other international schools in the core skill areas of mathematical literacy, reading and writing. The ISA is a culturally inclusive test that provides meaningful and valuable information for education providers and the parents of students.

Programme For International Student Assessment (Pisa)

International Developments

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) leads an international consortium of research organisations, and educational institutions to deliver the International PISA project on behalf of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Translated into 48 languages and then verified to ensure they can be understood by students from a wide range of language and cultural backgrounds, PISA questions are based on relevant, everyday situations. PISA tests the reading, mathematics and science literacy of 15-year-olds across the world. In 2009 around 400 000 students from 57 countries took part.

A Family Strengths Approach To Early Language And Literacy Development, Deborah Carter, David J. Chard, Juli Pool

Juli Lull Pool

Language and literacy skills are an essential element of young children’s development and allow them to interact meaningfully with other people and to develop knowledge in all subject areas. Despite the importance of language and literacy development, however, more than one third of children in the United States enter school with significant differences in language, early literacy skills, and motivation to learn that place them at considerable risk for developing long-term reading difficulties. The quantity and quality of language interactions children have with their parents and exposure to print in their home environment prior to entering school have an important …

A Clinical Practicum Experience To Prepare Teacher Candidates For Classroom Literacy Instruction, Karen C. Waters

Education Faculty Publications

There is a pervasive reading crisis in the United States. Critics, including policymakers, educators, literacy scholars, and professional educational organizations have openly accused university teacher preparation programs of not preparing candidates to deliver effective reading instruction. This qualitative study used narrative inquiry to explore ways in which teacher candidates' participation in a research-based university clinical practicum contributed to their pedagogical understanding of literacy instruction. Conceptually this study was based on constructivism and the ideas of Dewey, Freire, Vygotsky, and Schön. Data collection included multiple interviews and observations to determine how teacher candidates' participation in clinical practicum affects their assumptions about …

Teacher Support - An Exploration Of How Foundation-Phase Teachers Facilitate Language Skills, Anna-Maria Wium, Brenda Louw

Brenda Louw

The Relationship Between Functional Health Literacy Of African American Veterans And Nonveterans And Their Ability To Read And Comprehend Medical Information For A Chronic Illness, David Stephen Points

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences between male African Americans who have served in the military and those who are not veterans in their ability to read and comprehend medical information for a chronic illness prevalent among African Americans, such as type 2 diabetes. The participants included 92 African American men of whom 44 were veterans and 48 were nonveterans. The participants were drawn from fraternal organizations and churches in a large metropolitan area located in the Midwestern part of the United States. The Short Test of Health Literacy Assessment (STOFHLA), a knowledge questionnaire, …

Visual Arts And Literacy: The Potential Of Interdisciplinary Coalitions For Social Justice, Melanie L. Buffington, William Muth

Journal of Social Theory in Art Education

In this article, we explore the possibilities of creating a coalition of the visual arts with literacy to work toward meaningful integrated learning experiences with a social justice agenda. We discuss the benefits of integrated curriculum and its potential to support learning at many levels. Following that, we introduce the Hope House mural project as an example of an integrated visual arts and literacy program. Through this project, children and their incarcerated fathers grapple with significant issues in their lives and to build a bond while doing so. We argue that this coalition results in learning that is inseparably tied …

The Identity Development Of Preservice Teachers Of Literacy In Field Experiences Considering Their Prior Knowledge, Lindsay Pearle Grow

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative multiple case study explored the identity development of three preservice teachers of literacy. The study focused on the prior knowledge of the preservice teachers of literacy and how their knowledge related to their identity development while in field experiences. The primary question that guided this study was: What is the nature of the construction of identity during field experiences for preservice teachers of literacy? Sub questions explored identity in field experiences and the role of prior pedagogical content knowledge to identity development.

Findings indicated that an evolving habitus central to their identity as literacy teachers could be deduced …

Literacy And Cultural Assimilation In Rural China: A Report From The Interior, Amanda C.R. Clark

Library Faculty Scholarship

The American Library Association has long been concerned with the promotion of literacy, particularly as it pertains to the equity and global universality of access to information. When libraries focus on the accessibility of information, literacy is understandably an initial step in the process. This essay focuses on challenges to literacy in rural China, and how technology may be improving access to information for many of the inland population.

Language And Literacies In The Borderlands: Children Acting Upon Theworld Through Testimonios., Cinthya M. Saavedra

Cinthya M. Saavedra

No abstract provided.

Pisa 2009 Plus Results : Performance Of 15-Year-Olds In Reading, Mathematics And Science For 10 Additional Participants, Maurice Walker

OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative survey of 15-year-olds’ knowledge and skills in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. PISA seeks to measure how well young adults have acquired the knowledge and skills that are required to function as successful members of society. As part of the PISA 2009 survey, students completed an assessment on reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy, as well as an extensive background questionnaire. School principals also completed a survey describing the context of education at their school, including the level of resources in the school and qualifications of staff. …

Emergent Writing Skills In Preschool Children With Language Impairment, Stacey Lynne Pavelko

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Much research demonstrates that alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and emergent writing are all significant predictors of later reading and writing outcomes, and that children with language impairments (LI) are particularly at risk for later literacy difficulties. Further, children with LI consistently demonstrate depressed emergent literacy skills in the areas of phonological awareness, print concepts, and alphabet knowledge; however, little is known about their emergent writing skills. Therefore, the purposes of this study were twofold: (1) to compare the emergent writing skills of preschool children with language impairment to their typically developing peers using a range of writing tasks and a …

Do They Get The Picture?: Visual Literacy And Low-Literacy Adult Esl Learners, Daniel J Bruski

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Teachers of low-literate adult English language learners often use visual materials to teach content, but little research has been conducted on how these visuals are interpreted. This research explores the relationship between first language (L1) literacy and visual literacy, specifically the ability of adult ESL learners to identify the functions of graphic devices used in educational materials. The literature review examines how literacy and visual literacy are defined and discusses visual communication using the framework of semiotics. Through think-aloud interview sessions, Somali participants of varying L1 literacy levels interpreted illustrations from ESL materials. Results show lower than expected ability to …

Determining Data Information Literacy Needs: A Study Of Students And Research Faculty, Jake R. Carlson, Michael Fosmire, Chris Miller, Megan R. Sapp Nelson

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Researchers increasingly need to integrate the disposition, management and curation of their data into their current workflows. However, it is not yet clear to what extent faculty and students are sufficiently prepared to take on these responsibilities. This paper articulates the need for a data information literacy program (DIL) to prepare students to engage in such an “e-research” environment. Assessments of faculty interviews and student performance in a geoinformatics course provide complementary sources of information, which are then filtered through the perspective of ACRL’s information literacy competency standards to produce a draft set of outcomes for a data information literacy …

Tanzanian Women Literacy Learners: Balancing Autonomy And Community, Olivia L. Weitz

Summer Research

This paper examines women’s literacy perceptions and practices to better understand why women’s literacy rates in Tanzania have declined in the past couple of decades. To assess Tanzanian women’s literacy practices and perceptions my paper examines answers from 38 female respondents on Julie Christoph’s 2011 survey in Zanzibar that is designed to represent Tanzanian women’s attitudes and practices more generally. To supplement emerging trends from the survey, my paper adds responses from women derived from a survey I conducted in Zanzibar this summer at Zanzibar State University. The results from the surveys suggest that women literacy learners are discouraged in …

Language And Literacies In The Borderlands: Children Acting Upon Theworld Through Testimonios., Cinthya M. Saavedra

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Principals' Content Knowledge: Examining The Relationship Between Principals' Reading Knowledge And Leadership Actions From Principals' And Teachers' Perceptions, Angela Suzanne Butler

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Principals' leadership content knowledge in reading was investigated by examining the relationship between the perceived reading knowledge of principals and perceived leadership actions principals take to support reading instruction. Survey results from 78 principals and 1,876 teachers were analyzed. Results showed a positive, statistically significant correlation between principals' perceptions of their reading knowledge and principals' perceptions of the actions they take to support reading. A stronger positive, significant correlation between teachers' perceptions of their principal's reading knowledge and teachers' perceptions of their principal's actions was also demonstrated. These correlations substantiated studies that purported principals with more reading knowledge are more …

Demands Of Dualism: Literacy And Content Area Instructional Beliefs In Alabama High Schools, Cindy Sager Adams

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine differences in content area teachers' general educational beliefs and their attitudes toward teaching reading in their social studies, science, and English language arts classrooms in Alabama high schools when both content area and teacher certificate levels were considered. Such a study is important because teachers work with students ill-prepared for the demands of required high school reading, upcoming college reading, or workplace literacy, in a state in which nearly 39% of its youth fail to graduate from high school. Nearly 80% of all Alabama grade 11 students read below the 50th …

Nurturing Urban Native American Families Through Preschool Family Literacy Celebrations, M. Susan Mcwilliams, Tami Maldonado, Paula Szczepaniak

Teacher Education Faculty Publications

Most Native Americans (NAs ) live in urban settings [1]. Only half of indigenous ninth-grade students graduate with their non-native, same-age peers [2]. New and innovative approaches to teaching urban NAs to increase their graduation rates are urgently needed. One such innovative approach infuses cultural education into curriculum: young children from diverse Native Nations, many of whom have additional non-Native heritage, attend an experimental, urban Native Indian Centered Education (NICE) preschool in the Midwest. The preschool focuses on building and strengthening family literacy resources and developing family-school-community partnerships to strengthen literacy.

The Effects Of Word Instruction During Classroom Read-Alouds On The Acquisition Of Vocabulary, Marla Renee Muncy

Online Theses and Dissertations

To focus on the need to improve literacy in rural Appalachia, this study investigates the use of Text Talk during read-aloud to increase the receptive vocabulary of participants. The investigator read six picturebooks to two groups of kindergarteners. Group A had 21 participants and Group B had 20 participants. Each group received instruction on two different sets of target vocabulary words, three in each book. The researcher administered a pre-test and post-test to each student patterned after the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. T-tests revealed that students made significant progress learning words when the reader used Text Talk during the lessons. …

Literacy Coaching : Negotiating Roles And Realities, Stephanie Affinito

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation sought to understand how literacy coaches enact their coaching conceptualizations in practice, examine influences on coaches' decision-making, and explore the impact of coaching practices on teachers. My purpose was to extend the research on how coaches examine and articulate coaching understandings to sustain their daily practices, effectively work with teachers, and grapple with the challenges of the position. I sought to contribute to the growing body of evidence that allows us to arrive at "robust conclusions'" about coaching (Walpole & McKenna, 2008).

Teacher Understandings Of Responsibilities For Reading Instruction In Stage One And Two English Courses Of Study In Western Australian Schools, Liana Strutt

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of the study was to explore secondary teachers’ understandings of their responsibilities towards students who demonstrate poor literacy skills with regard to the Reading Outcome in the Western Australian English Courses of Study. As an experienced secondary English teacher, the researcher was aware that the reading demands of senior secondary classrooms were challenging for some students and that many teachers were unsure of how they should respond to the needs of the students. Since the education reforms which began in Western Australia in the late 1990s and the subsequent introduction of Courses of Study in 2006, a great …

Health Literacy: A Community-Based Mixed Methods Study Of Prescription Medication Self-Management Among Community Dwelling Older Adults, Joy P. Deupree

All ETDs from UAB

During the next decade, it is estimated that 7,918 Americans will turn 60 years old every day. This increase is expected to impact future health care costs. The aging population must be knowledgeable about health care needs to self-manage chronic conditions requiring multiple medications. Nearly half of all American adults have limited literacy skills. Adults at the lowest literacy levels may misunderstand instructions from a health care professional. Confusion about health care instructions can put patients at risk for adverse drug events. The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to explore how community dwelling adults ages 60 …

Turning Pages Together: Supporting Literacy And Social Engagement, Cynthia R. Chambers

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

How “Struggling” Readers Engage In Literacy Events In Middle School Science: An Analysis Of Interactions In Literacy Events, Kristin Cartwright Palmer

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

This study examined opportunities for participation and learning for "struggling" readers in a sixth grade science classroom. Literacy practices, language differences, activity structures, and the social and cultural identities and associated practices and everyday funds of knowledge of both "struggling" and nonstruggling readers in one sixth grade science classroom were documented and analyzed using a qualitative research design. Over sixteen hours of audio and video recordings as well as numerous student work samples were transcribed and analyzed. Analyses of the classroom interactions and artifacts documented in this study revealed several important affordances available in the context of this classroom related …

Embracing Literacy-Based Teaching: A Longitudinal Study Of The Conceptual Development Of Novice Foreign Language Teachers, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

Taking a sociocultural theory perspective (Lantolf & Thorne, 2006), this longitudinal study explored the conceptual development of two teaching assistants in a university foreign language department in relation to literacy and language teaching. Findings illustrate the "twisting path" (Vygotsky, 1987, p. 156) of concept development experienced by the two first-time teachers of Spanish as their understandings of literacy and efforts to use tools of literacy evolved over several years. Evidence of the ability to think through concepts of literacy in structuring teaching practices did not emerge for either participant until four semesters after they started teaching, illustrating what a gradual …