Exploring Teacher Knowledge about Dyslexia and Teacher Efficacy in the Inclusive Classroom: A Multiple Case Study

Researchers have found that teachers seem to lack information about dyslexia which can influence teaching efficacy and behavior. Because inclusion has caused children with dyslexia to spend the majority of their day in general education classrooms, general education teachers are mainly responsible for educating these students. These teachers must understand effective strategies and methods for teaching these students. Unfortunately, educators do not seem to possess adequate information about dyslexia or have sufficient preparation from pre-service training. Because researchers have suggested that children with dyslexia benefit most from earlier interventions, elementary level educators may shoulder the responsibility for educating these children. Despite the fact that many general education teachers may receive literacy endorsement with their licenses, many teachers may still lack appropriate training and knowledge about dyslexia which can influence teaching efficacy. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore how elementary-level general education teachers perceive the relationship between their training and knowledge of dyslexia and their teacher efficacy in the inclusive classroom. The study was approached through purposive sampling from a qualitative, multiple case study perspective. The researcher conducted and analyzed individual, in-depth interviews with seven fully licensed third and fourth grade general education teachers, from nine elementary schools in the school district of Wayne in New Jersey through transcription of the interviews and a thorough reading. The researcher employed cross-case synthesis to compare cases to each other and to explore the relationship of teacher training and knowledge about dyslexia to teacher efficacy in teaching students with dyslexia. Findings suggested that teachers did not seem to have significant knowledge or an accurate definition of dyslexia. The findings also suggested that participants generally believed that they did not have adequate training on the subject of dyslexia and admitted that this lack of training affected their teacher efficacy. Results suggested that teachers lack training on and do not have appropriate knowledge about dyslexia. Recommended actions from the study included appropriate training for teachers in teacher training programs on teaching students with dyslexia including interventions, explorations of phonological processing as the basis of dyslexia, and management of inclusive classrooms.