Literacy-related professional development preferences of secondary teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the literacy-related professional development preferences of participating secondary teachers in one school board in Ontario. Data was collected using a survey. The findings of this study confirm and extend existing research: the majority of secondary teachers want to engage in literacy-related professional development; secondary teachers have preferences for various forms of professional development, including duration and form; there are differences in preferences for duration, form, and content of teachers in different subject areas; and differences exist in preferences for form and content of teachers of different course types. The findings of this study that confirmed existing research included: the preferences by teachers of Science and Geography for literacy-related professional development on instruction of reading graphical text; the preference for literacy-related professional development by teachers of Math on reading word problems; the preference for literacy-related professional development that results in practical ideas and strategies; and the preference for literacy-related professional development that meets the needs of teachers and students. Interesting themes emerged that extend previous research: the preference for literacy-related professional development that is short in duration (between one to five hours); a higher percentage of teachers of Science, Math, and Technology wanting no literacy-related professional development; the preference by teachers of Open type courses for literacy-related professional development on differentiating literacy instruction; and a stronger focus on the content (as opposed to a focus on form) of literacy-related professional development by teachers of Science, Math, and Technology.