University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A case study of third-grade teacher's literacy instruction in a racially mixed classroom

Cheng, Ruey-Chuan

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Description

Title
A case study of third-grade teacher's literacy instruction in a racially mixed classroom
Author(s)
Cheng, Ruey-Chuan
Issue Date
1996
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Garcia, Georgia E.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Education, Elementary
  • Education, Reading
  • Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Language
eng
Abstract
  • The purpose of this interpretive study is to examine one teacher's literacy approach and to understand the factors that contributed to the construction of this approach. The teacher's literacy approach was compared to what has been written about basal reading approaches, the whole-language approach, literature-based approaches, and culturally-relevant instruction. The data were collected across an academic year and included field notes from classroom observations, interview transcripts, and classroom artifacts. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data.
  • Two findings emerged from this inquiry. First, the teacher adopted an eclectic approach in teaching literacy. Second, several factors contributed to the construction of this eclectic approach--her educational background, her teaching experiences and goals, her beliefs about different literacy approaches, and contextual constraints such as time and energy, the school district's policy, availability of materials, assessment, and classroom management.
  • These findings led to a discussion of the limitations of evaluating and categorizing teacher's literacy instruction within the confines of any specific type of literacy approach or culturally-relevant instruction. Literacy researchers need to test the feasibility of their theoretical arguments by taking into account the complexity and dynamics of teaching.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/21903
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1996 Cheng, Ruey-Chuan

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