Paradigms, pedagogy and practice: Perspectives of National Board Certified teachers in regard to reading

The purpose of this study was to explore similarities and differences between paradigms and practices of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and Reading First mandates in relation to reading instruction. An explanatory mixed-methods design as described by Creswell (2003, 2005) was used in the study.; In Phase I, employing quantitative methods, the research objective was to determine what theoretical orientations to reading were endorsed by NBCTs. A randomized sample of all teachers who are certified through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as Early Childhood Generalists was invited to participate in the study. The data collection instrument employed was the Teacher Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) developed by DeFord (1985). The instrument is a self-reporting 28-item survey using a 5-point Likert scale. Total scores on the TORP were calculated as prescribed in the manual (DeFord, 1985). Theoretical orientation categories were assigned by overall score range: phonics (0-65), skills (66-110), or whole language (111-140). Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate TORP scores and demographic data (DeFord, 1985).; Results of Phase I showed that there are differences in theoretical orientations to reading instruction among NBCTs in the study. NBCTs with higher degrees tended to have higher scores on the TORP.; In Phase II of the study, qualitative research was employed to determine how NBCTs in each of the 3 theoretical orientations described best practices in reading instruction and Reading First mandates. The researcher utilized SPSS 13.0 software to select a random sample of participants for in-depth interviews. A researcher-developed interview protocol was used to guide the interview process. Interviews were taperecorded and transcribed in order to increase accuracy of responses. The researcher presented findings of the analysis through a narrative using thick description. Results indicated that (a) NBCTs desire to have the authority to make curriculum decisions that best meet the needs of their students, such as selecting and using reading materials and appropriate assessments; (b) NBCTs had limited knowledge about the National Reading Panel (2000) report and Reading First mandates; and (c) NBCTs are concerned about increased standardized testing, especially in regard to English language learners.