Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching - National University

Instrument
A survey instrument was designed with 16 questions, 5 of which were written to elicit teachers’
preferences for the types of reading tasks they preferred to use in their classes. Other questions
addressed demographic and student characteristics, as described above. Rank-order questions
sought to highlight the types of reading activities that teachers might prefer. If respondents had
been asked to choose all appropriate reading approaches, responses might not emphasize
preferred techniques. Rank-ordered choices ensure that the respondents will consider each
approach, giving weight to those they prefer to use. However, it cannot be inferred that choices
that do not rank highly are not used or are inappropriate for the student population with whom
the teacher works. Some respondents added comments to their surveys, and one kindergarten
teacher noted, “I teach Kdgn [sic]. So the majority of the reading is done through read-alouds or
chorally. Independent work is often done in small groups with teacher guidance.” This teacher’s
comment indicates her awareness of activities that would be most appropriate for students in the
grade level she teaches.
Multiple-choice questions provided further insight into the rank-order choices respondents made.
For example, in question 12, respondents indicated their preference, by rank order, for assigning
reading tasks as homework, as a read-aloud to the whole class, as partner reading, and so on.
Question 13 sought greater depth by asking a multiple choice question about the methods used
for reading aloud in class (e.g., students reading aloud by taking turns, students listening to
someone else reading aloud, etc.).
Data Analysis
The present study is exploratory and descriptive in nature, and data represent the self-perceptions
of the participants regarding the instructional practices investigated. It reasonably can be
assumed that teachers will present their conceptions of their own reading practices in a light they
believe will be favorable. Thus, their perceptions are worthwhile indicators of how they
approach instructional tasks that involve reading in their classrooms. Descriptive statistics for
survey responses provide a useful indication of teachers’ practices. Though averages for the
entire group of upper and primary grade teachers are presented, they are of limited utility in
determining the amount of reading tasks assigned by teachers from seven grade levels
(kindergarten through sixth grade). The data are more useful in predicting preferred instructional
approaches. Further study exploring the preference for reading task formats and the actual
amount of time spent with students engaged in those tasks would be useful for future study.
Results
Respondents were asked to rank their choices from among the choices presented in Table 5a.
Primary grade teachers preferred to assign students to read with small groups of students, while
upper elementary teachers preferred that students read with a partner. Upper grade teachers also
favored silent reading in class as a reading approach. Primary teachers were more likely to ask
students to reread a text or portion of text, with this as the third-ranked choice; however, this
choice was fourth among upper-elementary teachers. Upper-grade teachers favored reading in
small groups as their overall third choice.
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