Literacy orientation survey: A survey to clarify teachers’ beliefs and practices

Abstract

The development of the Literacy Orientation Survey (LOS) is described. The LOS is an instrument for assessing teachers’ beliefs about literacy learning and classroom practices as they relate to constructivism. Content validity of the LOS was established by a panel of experts who reviewed the items, judging how well items reflected principles of constructivist approaches to literacy instruction. A draft survey of 44 items was administered to 110 teachers. Responses were factor analyzed. Thirty items, 15 belief statements and 15 practice statements, that respectively loaded at a .80 level were retained. The resulting LOS survey was administered to 30 different teachers in order to determine the reliability of the instrument. A test‐retest reliability coefficient was computed as r = .927. The LOS was subsequently administered to 95 teachers. Correlation between belief and practice items was .65. While the LOS was determined to have robust internal validity and reliability, questions remained about external validity of teachers’ self‐reports of their approaches to instruction. To assess external validity, 42 teachers were observed during actual classroom instruction. They were categorized as traditional, eclectic, or constructivist based on indicators used during the observations. The LOS was then administered to these same 42 teachers. LOS scores, by teaching category, were compared using Analysis of Variance. Homogeneity of variance across groups was assured (Levene Test). A significant F = 66.01, at the p < .001 level, resulted in the conclusion that the LOS consistently predicted actual classroom practice. It is concluded that the LOS can be used as a reliable and valid indicator of teachers’ practices during literacy instruction.