Professional development for conceptual change: extending the paradigm to teaching reading comprehension in US schools

Abstract

In this paper we examine American inservice teachers’ instructional methods in reading comprehension following professional development (PD), illustrating the prolonged and significant gap between research and practice in the field of reading comprehension. We explore this gap from a conceptual change perspective, positing that some level of dissatisfaction or discontentment with an existing belief, conception or practice is central to its successful revision. Thus, to support change in practice, PD for teachers should begin from the point of intrinsic pedagogical dissatisfaction, with current practices self-identified as problematic. To illustrate this, we portray the current instructional practices of three representative teachers in conjunction with their PD histories. Analyses revealed high levels of pedagogical satisfaction despite observational data divergent from the research base in reading comprehension instruction. We identify both idiosyncratic and common impediments to pedagogical and conceptual change following PD. In conclusion, we suggest the design of PD in reading comprehension instruction to support conceptual change.