Knowledge and beliefs about developmental dyslexia in pre-service and in-service Spanish-speaking teachers

Abstract

The present study investigated knowledge, misconceptions, and lack of information about dyslexia among pre-service (PST) and in-service (IST) Spanish-speaking teachers in Spain and Peru. Two hundred and forty-six pre-service teachers and 267 in-service teachers completed the Knowledge and Beliefs about Developmental Dyslexia Scale (KBDDS). In-service teachers scored significantly higher on the total scale, and on the symptoms/diagnosis and general information subscales, than pre-service teachers. The percentages for misconceptions and lack of information ("do not know responses") were higher for PSTs than for ISTs on the general information subscale, the symptoms/diagnosis subscale, and the treatment subscale. Analyses of individual items were conducted to differentiate concepts that teachers did not know from misconceptions. In-service teacher self-efficacy, years of teaching experience, post-graduate training in dyslexia, and prior exposure to a child with dyslexia were positively related to knowledge about dyslexia. Implications for pre-service teacher training and professional development are discussed.

Preservice educators' and noneducators' knowledge and perceptions of responsibility about dyslexia

“…Both national and international studies have demonstrated that considerable misunderstanding exists among educators regarding dyslexia, most often regarding the origins and characteristics (Bell et al, ; Carvalhais & da Silva, ; Gwernan‐Jones & Burden, ; Soriano‐Ferrer, Echegaray‐Bengoa, & Joshi, ; Thorwarth, ; Wadlington & Wadlington, ; Washburn, Binks‐Cantrell, & Joshi, ; Worthy et al, ). Moreover, teachers in several countries have expressed the concern that their education and training did not prepare them to teach reading to students with dyslexia (Carvalhais & da Silva, ; Thorwarth, ; Worthy et al, ).…”

Translational Science: A Road Map for the Science of Reading

“…Many have been slower to adopt approaches to teaching reading backed by the SOR in their reading methods programs (Cunningham, Perry, Stanovich, & Stanovich, 2004;Lyon & Weiser, 2009;Moats & Foorman, 2003). Challenges associated with the disconnect between the SOR and teacher preparation have been reported around the world, particularly in English-speaking nations (e.g., Castles, Rastle, & Nation, 2018;Washburn, Binks, & Joshi, 2014) and increasingly in other languages (e.g., Soriano-Ferrer, Echegaray-Bengoa, & Joshi, 2016;Yin, Joshi, & Yan, 2019) and in low-and middle-income nations (e.g., Kim, Lee, & Zuilkowski, 2020).…”

Investigating multiple source use among students with and without dyslexia

“…Latini, Anmarkrud and Brandmo (2018), in a recent study of teachers' self-efficacy for instructing dyslexic students in Internet reading, found that experience with teaching Internet reading and beliefs and knowledge about dyslexia and dyslexic students' abilities predicted this form of teacher efficacy. However, recent research has revealed gaps in teachers' knowledge about dyslexia (Olofsson, Ahl, & Taube, 2012;Soriano-Ferrer, Echegaray-Bengoa, & Joshi, 2016;Washburn, Binks, & Joshi, 2014). This suggests that more focus on dyslexia is needed in the teacher education curriculum, and that use of the Internet for academic purposes needs to be addressed in both teacher education and special needs education.…”