Preservice Teachers' Perspectives on why Every Teacher is not a Teacher of Reading: A Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

Although content reading courses are mandated in a majority of states for preservice secondary teachers in a variety of teaching endorsement areas, these prospective teachers often resist such courses, viewing them as irrelevant to their future success as teachers. In order to better understand this resistance, dimensions of preservice teachers' resistance to content reading instruction were examined through a discussion of a qualitative analysis of five data sources. The overall analysis indicated that preservice teachers hold misconceptions about content reading common among their practicing peers; such surface misconceptions are easy to counter. However, in addition, we found a dimension of the resistance deeply rooted in beliefs and traditions of school life relating to teachers' roles and allegiance to content disciplines; these complex misconceptions are more resilient. Suggestions are offered for modifying preservice content reading courses so that preservice teachers can confront the deeply rooted beliefs and traditions that run counter to the tenets and pedagogy associated with content reading courses.