Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Stanley, Shalanda
URN	etd-10222012-094356
Title	An Investigation into Urban Elementary Teachers' Educational Beliefs in Regards to Teaching Writing: Comparing Experiences and Self-Reported Beliefs to Teacher Practices
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department	Educational Theory, Policy, & Practice
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Cheek, Earl Committee Chair Blanchard, Pamela Committee Member Mitchell, Roland Committee Member Monroe, Pamela Dean's Representative
Keywords	writing methods reading methods writing as a process literarcy strategies
Date of Defense	2012-09-26
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This six week study investigated six urban elementary teachers’ educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing, comparing their personal histories as writers with their self-reported beliefs on writing and teaching writing, with that of their teacher practices. A further analysis examined how closely aligned their teacher practices were to research-validated practices. During this ethnographic case study, three questions were explored. These questions were: (a) How do teachers’ personal histories with writing inform their beliefs regarding writing in general, as well as their beliefs on teaching writing?, (b) How do teachers’ educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing inform their instructional decisions?, and (c) What impact do teachers’ personal histories with writing and their educational beliefs in regards to teaching writing have on how closely aligned their teacher practices are to research-validated practices? The participants in this study were six primary grade teachers, a first, second, and third grade teacher respectively, from two Title 1 schools in neighboring school districts. This ethnographic case study followed the Developmental Research Sequence Method, an ethnographic method of analysis designed by James Spradley (1980), in his book The Participant Observer. The data collected included written autobiographies concerning the teachers’ histories as writers, interviews, and classroom observations. There was evidence to suggest that teachers’ histories with writing informed some general held beliefs regarding writing, as well as beliefs regarding teaching writing. There was an indication that the histories and beliefs then informed the teachers’ instructional decisions in the classroom and how closely aligned those practices were to current, research-validated practices.
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