Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine family and consumer sciences (FACS) teacher educators’ perceptions on the integration of reading skill instruction in secondary FACS courses. Background: As a result of low national reading scores and legislation, family and consumer sciences (FACS) teachers are being challenged to explicitly teach reading into course curricula but feel untrained to do so. Therefore, this demonstrates that FACS teachers know the value of literacy integration, but lack pedagogical skills too successfully and explicitly integrate literacy in the FACS curriculum. This draws attention to the preparation of FACS teachers, moreover FACS teacher educators’ thoughts on the need and responsibility of reading skill integration in FACS courses. Method: A descriptive study was designed to answer the research purpose. Specifically, a survey instrument was used to elicit information on (a) the research participants’ characteristics and (b) their views regarding the integration of reading skills into FACS courses. A population of 107 FACS teacher educators who were responsible for the preparation of FACS teacher candidates in instructional strategies for teaching FACS courses was surveyed. Fifty-two surveys were returned, resulting in a response rate of 48.6%. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics. Results: Results revealed most FACS teacher educators reported positive perceptions towards the integration of reading skills but did not feel responsible for providing explicit reading instructional methods to pre-service FACS teachers. However, respondents did not support holding FACS teachers accountable for reading scores on standardized academic assessments. Additionally, majority of respondents indicated that Reading teacher educators and other teacher educators (e.g., Curriculum and Instruction) should be primarily responsible for preparing FACS teacher candidates to integrate reading skills in the courses they teach. Conclusion: Overall, FACS teacher educators acknowledged the need but lacked support for assuming responsibility of integration of reading instructional strategies for FACS teachers and teacher candidates. Implications: Building a cadre of teachers who understand the benefits of integrating literacy skills and contextual curriculum is a pre-requisite for increased student academic achievement and workforce readiness. FACS teachers need to be given the tools to explicitly assist students with literacy action which starts in their FACS teacher education coursework. FACS teacher educators should make the effort to provide reading skill development in their instructional strategy courses because without the support and ‘buy in’ future FACS teachers will continue to feel untrained to explicitly teaching reading skill development.
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Family and Consumer Sciences Commons, Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons