Implementing change in early literacy education through in-service professional development of teachers and school administrators

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the ways that primary-level teachers implemented and sustained changes in their literacy teaching practice as a result of intensive in-service professional development based on Willows's (1994) model: The Balanced and Flexible Literacy Diet: Putting Research into Practice. Thirty teachers and ten administrators from seven schools in which the professional development system was implemented three years earlier were interviewed at length to determine their perceptions of the key content, process, and context variables of in-service professional development that guides teachers in translating research into practice. Over 90% of the participants reported that the year-long professional development program had a strong impact on both the general literacy level of students and the way that literacy was being taught in their school. Through the use of qualitative research methods to analyse the data, eight themes emerged, the most salient of which suggest that teachers are most likely to implement lasting change in early literacy education if they feel they have strong administrative and peer support, and are provided with evidence of improvement in student learning. One of the outcomes of this research is a model that delineates the key elements involved in the process of in-service professional development leading to the implementation of lasting change in early literacy education, as well as the roles of the individuals who are involved in the process and their influence on one another. A recommendation is made to assign responsibility for supporting teachers in implementing and sustaining change as well as providing them with ongoing professional development to an early literacy specialist situated within the school.