Middle- and High-School Content Area Teachers' Perceptions about Literacy Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Middle- and high-school content area teachers' beliefs about literacy teaching and learning were investigated during the initial implementation phase of a year-long content literacy professional development project. Teacher interview data were used to examine factors that contribute to and/or inhibit teachers' successful implementation of content literacy techniques. Generally, findings indicated that most content area teachers believed that literacy was integral to their content area and they reported viewing themselves as literacy teachers as well as content teachers. Although they encountered a number of barriers during the initial stages of content literacy implementation, the teachers reported that content literacy professional development with coaching and collaboration supported teachers' efficacy with literacy teaching and their implementation of content literacy practices.