Examining Shifts in Teachers' Theoretical Orientations to Reading

This study examined the direction, durability and dynamics of affected shifts in teachers' theoretical orientation to reading. Fifty-five out of 181 teachers who attended two, day-long whole language workshops completed a pre-, post-, and delayed postmeasure of theoretical orientation to reading. Four groups by trials procedures were used to analyze the total orientation score and three subscale scores. In all cases the post- and delayed posttest means were significantly greater than the pretest means. No significant difference was indicated between the post and delayed-post means for the phonic and skills subscales. The posttest mean for the total orientation was significantly greater than the delayed posttest mean. The posttest mean for the whole language subscale was significantly greater than the delayed-post mean. Initial orientations had no impact on the direction or durability of the orientational shifts. The results suggest that teachers will move away from initial beliefs as to how reading should be taught and will retain this distance, but do not move with consistency toward an alternative orientation.