Teacher’s Views on Instructional Practices Used for Diminished Reading Difficulty at Primary Schools

Abstract

Reading difficulty experienced by first and second graders is one of the main problems that primary school teachers have in teaching first reading and writing. It is of great importance to identify teachers’ perceptions regarding reading difficulty and offer solutions based on these perceptions. The aim of this study was to identify elementary teachers’ perceptions of instructional practices towards reading difficulty through an evaluation based on different variables. The study was conducted with 359 teachers working in the city centre and districts of Denizli. Mixed design was used in the study, and the Scale for Teachers’ Perceptions of Instructional Practices Used for Reading Difficulty (STPIPURD) developed by Yurdakal and Susar Kırmızı (2014) was employed to gather data. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of the scale was 0.95, and it consisted of four dimensions and 33 items. The data obtained through the scale were analysed by using SPSS 20.0 package program. T-test and variance analysis were performed in data analysis. The results were supported with qualitative data. According to the results of the study, the teachers’ perceptions of the instructional practices used for reading difficulty differed based on gender and seniority. It was found that the teachers had overall theoretical knowledge of reading difficulty and stated that classroom arrangements should be made for students having reading difficulty and different instructional practices should be implemented with supplementary teaching, but they said they did not know any strategies and techniques to use for reading difficulty.