John E. Readence

Prior Knowledge Activation and the Comprehension of Compatible and Incompatible Text.

THIS STUDY examined the effect of prior knowledge activation on average readers comprehension of compatible and incompatible text. Fifty-two sixth-grade students either activated or did not activate what they believed to be relevant background knowledge prior to reading each of two science passages taken from naturally-occurring text. Based on the results of preexperimental knowledge domain and pilot data measures, the passage on rattlesnakes was judged compatible, while the one on sunlight was considered incompatible due to the counter-intuitive information it contained. Measures of written free recall and multiplechoice tests were the dependent variables. In addition, a post-session questionnaire was administered. Findings supported the notion that prior knowledge may interfere with, rather than facilitate, reading comprehension under certain conditions. Subjects who activated relevant background knowledge prior to reading text that contained ideas which were incompatible with their existing knowledge structures allowed their previous knowledge and experiences to override the text information. This effect was observed for both general and specifically targeted comprehension indices. There was no difference in performance between activators and non-activators on compatible text. Excerpts from students post-session questionnaire responses were reported, and instructional implications were tentatively drawn regarding the role of text in changing inaccurate background knowledge.

Constructing meaning about literacy difficulties: Preservice teachers beginning to think about pedagogy

Abstract The purpose of this study was to explore the meanings preservice teachers constructed about students with reading difficulties. Qualitative techniques were employed to develop six case studies to understand better how preservice teachers framed their meanings. Cross-case analysis revealed that each preservice teachers stance on meaning, while idiosyncratically based on experience, was tied to pedagogy in two distinct ways: (a) most of the participants placed an increasingly important role on the supervising teacher when considering reading difficulties and (b) they situated themselves as a teacher within that context. The findings suggest the importance of designing preservice education course work that is inquiry-oriented and offers opportunities for students to explore systematically their developing stances and self-constructed meanings about reading.

Preservice Teachers in Secondary Social Studies: Examining Conceptions and Practices

Abstract The present study is an examination of preservice teachers beliefs and practices about secondary social studies education. Social studies majors were surveyed prior to their content methods course and during student teaching on their conceptions of teaching and learning, and case study data were gathered on one preservice teacher in field and clinical situations. Overall, the preservice teachers held positive conceptions about social studies on both administrations of the survey, stressing active student learning and knowledge construction; however, the case study revealed inconsistencies with these beliefs, particularly during student teaching. Such results emphasize the necessity of meshing theories of instruction with the practical realities of the classroom.

An interpretive study of doctoral mentoring in literacy

This research focused on one mentor and her advisee and how they characterized the mentoring process and their roles in it. The mentor, a seasoned veteran, was independent, self‐motivated, and passionate about her work. The doctoral student, on the other hand, sought the expertise of a more knowledgeable person to help her deal with, and reduce, her stress. Clearly, both individuals saw reciprocity in their relationship. The faculty mentor perceived the doctoral student as someone who could lend another set of eyes to her work; the student viewed herself in the role of expanding the mentors research interests. The faculty member saw mentoring as a concrete, sequential process, ultimately leading to independence as a scholar. The doctoral student expressed a combination of anxiety and eventual comfort, viewing the range of research experiences as an opportunity to explore options.

Adolescent literacy: Charting a course for successful futures as lifelong learners

Abstract A brief history of the adolescent literacy movement is provided and the suggestion is made that the next step in the evolution of this conceptualization is the need to extend it into how we approach curriculum development. Two issues that will impact adolescent literacy curriculum development and help us chart our course toward making adolescents lifelong learners, globalization and adolescent identity, are then discussed. It is suggested that the articles in this special issue will begin to help us think about what exactly that course for success will be.

Preservice and Inservice Secondary Teachers' Orientations toward Content Area Reading.

Abstract This study examined preservice and inservice secondary teachers orientations toward content area reading and instruction. Instruments included two sets of belief statements and three sets of lesson plans; for comparison, each instrument incorporated three explanations of the reading process. Based on their selection of statements and plans, preservice teachers favored an interactive model of reading but a reader-based instructional approach, whereas in-service teachers held reader-based beliefs in both areas. In addition, both groups selected primarily reader-based vocabulary and comprehension lessons but varied in their choices of decoding lessons. Further, only teachers holding reader-based beliefs consistently chose corresponding vocabulary and comprehension plans.

Preservice Teachers' Discussion of a Multicultural Young Adult Novel.

Abstract The present study explored preservice elementary teachers’ literature circle discussion of a multicultural young adult novel with a focus on two research questions: (a) How do preservice teachers discuss a multicultural young adult novel? and, (b) What views and theories informed their understanding of literature response discussion? The discussion stances that emerged from the data indicated participants adopted either a literary analysis stance in their discussions or a personal association stance. The more distant literary analysis stance may limit important cross‐cultural insights that might be gleaned from a young adult multicultural novel.

A Critical Analysis of Two Preservice Teachers' Knowledge of Struggling Readers: Raced, Classed and Gendered?.

Abstract This analysis explored how preservice teachers’ development of knowledge about struggling readers was located in their white, middle‐class identities. Framed within the critical paradigm, data previously collected on two preservice teachers were analyzed to explore the extent to which they accepted, resisted, and negotiated hegemonic ideologies. An analysis revealed that these two preservice teachers differentially mediated knowledge about struggling readers through their own cultured identities. The need for probing deeper into the formative discourse of prospective teachers is recommended to teacher educators as one way to deal with the subjective nature of preservice teachers’ knowledge.

Revisiting the First‐Grade Studies: The Importance of Literacy History

The authors, editors of RRQ at the time of this publication, explaining why they have reprinted “The First-Grade Studies” in this issue (see http:dx.doi.org10.1598RRQ.32.4.4) and their views of the lasting importance of Bond and Dykstras research to the field.

Reconceptualizing adolescent identity

The authors review Act Your Age! A Cultural Construction of Adolescence by Nancy Lesko, Conversational Borderlands: Language and Identity in an Alternative Urban High School by Betsy Rymes, and School Kids/Street Kids: Identity Development in Latino Students by Nilda Flores-Gonzalez.