Professional Development for Teachers in Multiple Means of Representation to Improve Reading: A Basic Qualitative Study
Date
2023
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Abstract
Struggling readers in intermediate grades need core instruction with access to grade-level content to improve reading comprehension. Intermediate teachers need professional development in multiple means of representation to provide students with access to content to master the standards. The problem was the perceptions of teacher trainers in the effectiveness of universal design for learning (UDL) professional development, specifically multiple means of representation, is unknown in assisting struggling readers (Evmenova, 2018). There is a literature gap in using UDL to improve students' reading outcomes during core instruction. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to understand perceptions on the effectiveness of UDL, specifically multiple means of representation when working with struggling readers. Through a social constructivism theoretical framework, teacher trainers’ new knowledge of UDL’s multiple means of representation and reading outcomes was explored. Teacher trainers' descriptions of multiple means of representation related to reading instruction were determined, and perceptions of providing the principle during core reading instruction to struggling readers were explored. Participants were 15 teacher trainers providing professional development to classroom teachers in Grades 3-5, teaching struggling readers. Questionnaire data were collected and analyzed through open-ended questions in Google Forms, in which five themes emerged. Results indicated classroom teachers taking the course would improve access to struggling readers during Tier 1 instruction, improving reading outcomes. Recommendations advised increased collaborative asynchronous online courses on UDL with coaching would build framework capacity.
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