Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices to Support Emergent Literacy Development in Preschool Education: The Moderating Role of Continuous Training

Abstract

AbstractThe main goal of this study was to explore the relationship between emergent literacy beliefs and practices among Portuguese preschool teachers and to investigate the moderating role of experience and training (initial and continuous). The participants were 266 preschool teachers working in Portugal. The results indicate higher levels of holistic beliefs than technicist beliefs regarding emergent literacy. Practices aimed at promoting oral language and phonological awareness were reported as the most frequently used practices in the classroom. Teachers who had continuous training in emergent literacy had more holistic beliefs and performed more practices to promote children’s phonological awareness and knowledge of the relationship between oral and written language. Continuous training was also a significant moderator of the relationship between emergent literacy beliefs and practices. These findings highlight the importance of continuous training in fostering the use of quality research-based practices in the classroom.