Literacy Beliefs Research Articles

Addressing Media Literacy through an International Virtual Exchange: A Report of One ESL-EFL Collaboration

This article contributes to the literature on the value of Virtual Exchanges (VEs) in the field of technology-mediated language learning. Specifically, we report on a pilot program for high school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Slovakia and English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in Michigan, USA who engaged in a 10-week, international VE focused on media literacy. Learners in both countries collaborated on a project that involved developing and administering a survey on media literacy beliefs and practices among high schoolers at their institutions and provided feedback on their international peers’ survey designs and presentations of survey findings. Learners also worked to raise awareness about misinformation through a media literacy campaign implemented in their social media networks. To guide language educators interested in implementing VEs, we also address the technological tools that enhanced the VE program and discuss several pedagogical issues that are important to consider in VEs for language learners.

Mothers’ educational level and literacy beliefs: associations with home literacy experiences

ABSTRACT This study intends to extend previous work by examining associations between literacy-related beliefs and home literacy experiences during the transition from preschool to Grade 1, taking maternal education into consideration. Fifty-seven Portuguese children and their mothers participated. Data about families’ sociodemographic characteristics, home literacy environment, mothers’ interactive behaviours during storybook reading, and mothers’ literacy beliefs were collected in two moments during home visits. Overall results indicate that mothers’ educational level and literacy beliefs are variables of particular interest for understanding home literacy experiences. Together, mothers’ educational level and literacy beliefs explained a moderate proportion of the variance in reported and observed home literacy experiences, when children were at the end of preschool education, and one year later, when children were at the end of Grade 1. Moreover, findings reveal that mothers’ literacy beliefs contribute independently to the quantity and quality of home literacy experiences after controlling for maternal education. These findings have implications for professionals who have the responsibility of working with families to increase the likelihood of academic success, particularly in contexts that serve children at-risk for reading failure.

Health Literacy and Intercultural Competence Training.

Intercultural competence (ICC) and health literacy (HL) are vital components of patient education. The purpose of this study was to determine if an educational intervention that combined ICC and HL was effective at changing second-year nursing students' self-efficacy, beliefs, and knowledge. A total of 157 second-year nursing students in two different programs participated in pre- and post-surveys consisting of the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool and Health Literacy Beliefs and Knowledge survey. Students attended a two-part lecture with a moderated panel on ICC and health literacy and began clinical fieldwork. Results were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Pearson correlation. There was a statistically significant difference in all ICC subscales after an educational intervention and clinical fieldwork (cognitive z = 7.681, p < .001; practical z = 7.319, p < .001; affective z = 6.533, p < .001). HL knowledge and belief measures showed statistically significant difference after the intervention (z = 3.037, p < .001). There was a statistically significant correlation between intercultural self-efficacy and HL beliefs (Pearson's r = .486, p < .001). Self-efficacy in ICC and beliefs and knowledge in HL increased over time for nursing students, indicating that it may be beneficial to train students about these two constructs simultaneously. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2021;5(4):e283–e286.]

Analysis of Home Literacy Environment in Chilean Families of Children with Down Syndrome

ABSTRACT Home Literacy Environment (HLE) plays a fundamental role in the development of reading and writing skills in children. Evidence suggests differences in HLE components based on cultural and idiosyncratic characteristics. Most studies show a relationship between contextual variables with the quality of HLE in typically developing (TD) children. There are HLE studies with families of children with Down syndrome (DS) that show similar results, but the characteristics of HLE for Latin-American families of children with DS remain unexplored. This study analyses the HLE in a group of 161 families of children with DS, between 3 and 12 years of age, living in urban areas of Chile. Data were collected using an online survey. Results showed differences on the amount of literacy materials, linguistic environment, and beliefs and expectations of parents. Better HLE was observed in families with parents with high educational levels. In the context of previous studies from developed countries with families of children with DS and from Chile with families of TD children, the HLE of families with children with DS in Chile seems poor. This descriptive evidence is necessary to raise concerns in policy makers and national funding agencies to open a way to conduct experimental studies.

ENGLISH TEACHERS’ CONCEPTUALIZATION OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LITERACY IN RELATION TO INDONESIA’S GERAKAN LITERASI SEKOLAH (SCHOOL LITERACY INITIATIVE)

This study aims to explore how, in relation to Indonesia’s Gerakan Literasi Sekolah (GLS – School Literacy Initiative), Indonesian English teachers of secondary schools conceptualize L2 literacy in terms of linguistic and other sign systems, cognitive, sociocultural, and developmental dimensions, a model of literacy beliefs profile by Kucer (2014). The data were collected through a survey questionnaire adapted from Kucer’s model, comprising 37 closed-ended items on conceptual understandings of foreign language literacy, presented in values of 1 to 5 Likert-scale indicating statements from strongly disagree (SD), disagree (D), neutral (N), agree (A), to strongly agree (SA). After being moderated for validity and clarity, the questionnaire was distributed to various groups and forums of English teachers through Google-form. With this convenience sampling procedure, 157 English teachers, mostly from East Java Province, Indonesia, responded to our questionnaire. The results of descriptive analyses in the forms of mean percentages portray how English teachers in our study successfully frame L2 language literacy as reflected in Kucer’s dimensions, which potentially equip them with knowledge about taking part in the success of GLS implementation. They seem to understand that the core of literacy lies in the cognitive dimension, suggesting the use of literacy to express meanings, and that the expressions of meaning require linguistic literacy dimension as the vehicle. These cognitive and linguistic literacy dimensions are affected by the sociocultural literacy dimension, and the employment of the three dimensions tends to continually exist as we are experiencing new and novel events from day to day. Future research might focus on exploring how these understandings about literacy are finally realized in the classroom.

Gambaran Kepercayaan Guru Dalam Literasi Anak Usia Dini

This study aimed to describe and analyze the teacher beliefs of early childhood teachers. The research method was used descriptive quantitative. Sampling was done by random sampling as many as 85 teachers. The data analyzed by using descriptive analysis to find the mean, standard deviation, and categorization. The results showed that most of the teachers still belonged to traditional literacy beliefs. Teachers need to be encouraged to build constructivist knowledge and skills so that the implementation of literacy learning in early childhood is more optimal.

Early literacy in Arabic: the role of SES, home literacy environment, mothers’ early literacy beliefs and estimation of their children’s literacy skills

The study focuses on the beliefs of Arabic-speaking mothers in Israel relating to early literacy, and the relations between their beliefs and their children’s actual early literacy skills. Participants included 113 mothers and their 5–6-year-old preschool children. At the families’ homes, mothers reported about the richness of the home literacy environment (HLE), their general beliefs relating to the importance of the literacy environment and their specific estimations of their child’s letter knowledge, phonological awareness, word writing and reading. In preschools, we assessed children’s letter knowledge, phonological awareness, word writing and reading. Results showed that mothers were aware of their children’s early literacy skills yet they over-estimated them. In a series of hierarchical regression analyses, we found that family socio-economic status (SES) significantly explained all of the children’s early literacy skills. Beyond SES, richness of the HLE contributed to most of the assessed literacy skills. Mothers’ general beliefs regarding the importance of the HLE and their estimation of their child’s literacy skills explained children’s skills beyond SES and HLE. The study has educational implications relating to the promotion of children’s early literacy skills in Arabic within the family.

Multidimensional Analysis of Environmental Literacy (Sensitivity, Knowledge, Belief, and Behavior of Environment) of Prospective Teachers

Sensitivity, knowledge, belief, and behavior to the environment will bring out good behavior that leads to environmental literacy (EL). This study aimed at analyzing the students’ EL based on the multidimensional perspective. This study comprised of two types, namely library and field research. Questionnaire was developed from The Second Minnesota Report Card on EL. This study was conducted in FKIP-UMM at undergraduate level, from July to October 2020. The types of data were in the form of qualitative and quantitative. The data were obtained from the results of Google Form. The population of this study was the students of FKIP-UMM, in which it consisted of 2.750 students. The subjects were chosen randomly by sharing the link of Google Form thru the WhatsApp group so that 139 students (5%) were obtained. The data and EL findings were analyzed descriptively qualitative analytic. Scaling multidimensional analysis was carried out by using ordination that continued with scaling and percentage processes. The results indicated that (1) Environmental sensitivity tends to show various conditions. (2) Environmental knowledge also tends to vary. (3) Environmental beliefs tend to be good. (4) Environmental behavior in students tends to be good.

Uma sequência de ensino para a formação de conceitos estatísticos nos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar os elementos que potencializam o ensino de conceitos estatísticos por meio de uma sequência de ensino acerca do tema água potável, elaborada com as fases do Ciclo Investigativo, para os anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental. Para alcançar esse objetivo, aportamo-nos no Letramento Estatístico proposto por Gal e na Teoria dos Campos Conceituais de Vergnaud. A sequência foi desenvolvida em uma turma de estudantes do 3º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola pública, localizada na região sul da Bahia, e toma como metodologia as cinco fases do Ciclo Investigativo proposto por Wild e Pfannkuch. A sequência foi planejada durante um processo formativo e desenvolvida pela professora em sua sala de aula. O resultado da pesquisa revela que foram potencializados os elementos do componente cognitivo: o conhecimento matemático, ou estatístico. E os elementos do componente atitudinal: postura crítica, crenças e atitudes, propostos por Gal para o desenvolvimento do Letramento Estatístico. Apontou, também, que a sequência proporcionou o aprendizado dos conceitos estatísticos, pelos estudantes, ao abordar um tema do cotidiano e ser desenvolvida segundo as fases do Ciclo Investigativo.

아버지와 어머니의 문해 신념 및 문해 상호작용이 유아의 어휘력에 미치는 영향

This study focused on 120 children age four-five and their parents examining the parents’ literacy beliefs and literacy interaction and how the two variables affect their children’s vocabulary. The subjects were 120 children and 120 parents in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Sejong City.BR ‘Parental literacy beliefs’ and ‘literacy interaction of parents’ were measured using questionnaires by Lee and Kim (2011) and Son and Kim (2012). To estimate the vocabulary of the children, this study used the Receptive Expressive Vocabulary Test: REVT (Kim, Hong, Kim, Jang, & Lee, 2009). A researcher visited institutes and conducted the procedure individually. The data was analyzed using the t-test, Pearson’s correlation, and the multiple regression.BR The results of this study are as follow. First, there was a statistically significant difference between each parent’s literacy beliefs. There was also a statistically significant difference between each parent’s literacy interaction. Second, there were significant correlations between each parent’s literacy beliefs and literacy interactions. Interestingly, The higher the fathers’ beliefs in literacy, the more openly they interacted, and the more they read and interacted with pictures. Additionally, the higher the mothers’ beliefs, the more open interaction with picture-book reading interaction and the more directive interaction. Third, we examined the effects of each parent’s literacy beliefs and literacy interactions on children’s vocabulary skills. The father’s ‘parental role’ and the mother’s ‘parental reading influence’ showed significant influence over the vocabulary skills of the children. Also, the children’s vocabulary skills and father’s ‘picture-book reading interaction showed significant influence. In conclusion, the interaction between each parent’s literacy beliefs and father’s literacy interaction influences their children’s vocabulary skills.

The Relation between Levels of Media Literacy and Attitudes and Beliefs Concerning Obesity in University Students

ABSTRACT The prevalence of obesity in young people around the world. The written and visual media have an important role to play in increasing student awareness in the prevention of obesity. This study was planned with the aim of determining the effect on attitudes and beliefs concerning obesity of the levels of media literacy of university students. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 300 obese students. The Media Literacy Scale, and the Obesity Health Belief Model Scale were used in the collection of data for the study. The Student t test and the one-way ANOVA test were used in the analysis of the data. A weak, positive statistically significant correlation was found between media literacy and the subscales of perceived severity, perceived barriers, and perceived benefit (p < .05). A weak positive correlation was found between the subscales of possessing knowledge, the ability to analyze and form a response, and the ability to judge and see hidden messages, and the sub-scales of perceived severity, perceived barriers, and perceived benefit (p < .05). It was found in this study that the media literacy of obese students was at a medium level, and that media literacy affected their attitudes and beliefs regarding obesity. It is recommended that the visual media should broadcast short audiovisual educational films at regular intervals on the prevention of obesity.

Measuring Parental Literacy Beliefs in a Socio-Economically, Linguistically and Ethnically Diverse Sample

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The current study examined the use of a newly developed instrument for measuring parental literacy beliefs in a highly diverse urban Dutch sample of 35 parents, participating in a family literacy program. The instrument was used to explore a new conceptualization of parental literacy beliefs and associations between beliefs and parental demographic characteristics. Data were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. The instrument revealed that parents in this sample preferred meaning-oriented and facilitative practices to stimulate their children’s literacy development, in which understanding the meaning of language and print is seen as the starting point in literacy development and in which teaching occurs indirectly, in an embedded child-centered approach. Parental preferences were associated with a variety of beliefs. Parents who did not speak Dutch, the majority language, with their children were more inclined toward directly instructing their children compared to parents who did speak Dutch with their children. The instrument proved to be effective in exposing the nature of and nuances in parental literacy beliefs in a diverse sample. Practice or Policy: Our newly developed instrument can be used by professionals working with family literacy programs to gain insight into the literacy beliefs of diverse groups of parents.

The Effect of Environmental Literacy and Environmental Teaching Efficacy Beliefs on the Environmental Teaching Practice of Early Childhood Teachers

The Effect of Environmental Literacy and Environmental Teaching Efficacy Beliefs on the Environmental Teaching Practice of Early Childhood Teachers

“I Felt like My Practice Was Catching up with My Beliefs:” A Longitudinal Cognitive Study of Seven Early Career Literacy Teachers and Their Praxis

ABSTRACT Using a qualitative approach, this article reports findings of a longitudinal study of seven successful elementary educators from the inception of their final preservice field experience through the first seven years of their independent teaching. The research centers the development of teachers’ literacy-related instructional practices over the course of their early teaching careers, as well as the factors that influenced and impacted their instructional choices. Through repeated surveys and a culminating reflective interview, the researchers examined patterns of literacy beliefs and practices reported by these teachers over time, as well as the extent to which they internalized and used those beliefs and practices. The authors share what impacted teachers’ perceptions and practice of reading instruction throughout the formative stages of their teaching careers and suggest implications for teacher preparation programs in attending to pre- and early-career teachers’ praxis.

Cervical cancer screening behaviors among American Indian women: Cervical cancer literacy and health belief model

ABSTRACT American Indian women experience disproportionately high rates of cervical cancer morbidity and mortality, yet cancer screening services tend to be underutilized. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) with a survey of American Indian women (N = 286) in South Dakota, findings indicate that only 59% received Pap test within the past 2 years. Significant predictors of Pap test included advanced age, higher BMI, greater awareness of Pap test, greater motivation, and lower barriers to screening. Findings highlight the importance of considering awareness of cancer screening and HBM constructs (barriers and motivation) in the examination of programs to improve screening among this population.

Investigation of Parental Early Literacy Beliefs and Early Literacy Home Environment of the Children with Developmental Disability and Typical Development

Bu calismada 4-6 yas arasindaki gelisimsel yetersizligi olan ve normal gelisim gosteren cocuklarin ailelerinin ev ortaminda cocuklarina sunmus olduklari erken okuryazarlik ortamlari ve ailelerin erken okuryazarlik inanclarinin karsilastirmali olarak incelenmesi amaclanmistir. Calismada ailelerden bilgi toplamak amaciyla Demografik Bilgi Formu, Erken Okuryazarlik Ev Ortami Olcegi (EROY-EV) ve Ebeveyn Okuma Inanclari Olcegi (EOIO) kullanilmistir. Normal gelisim gosteren cocugu olan 32 aile ve gelisimsel yetersizligi olan cocuga sahip 20 aile calismaya katilmistir. Arastirmanin analizleri betimsel istatistikler, Kruskal Wallis ve Mann Whitney U testleri kullanilarak yapilmistir. Calismanin sonunda bazi alt boyutlarda farklilik anlamli bulunmus ve genel olarak normal gelisim gosteren cocugu olan ailelerin, cocuklarina daha iyi erken okuryazarlik firsatlari sunduklari ve daha olumlu okuryazarlik inanclarina sahip olduklari gorulmustur.

Teachers’ beliefs about literacy practices for young children in early childhood education and care settings

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to investigate the characteristics of early literacy beliefs held by early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers in Japan by developing a novel scale. We believed that overviewing ECEC teachers’ beliefs about early literacy from ecological perspectives would contribute to understanding the underlying factors influencing the quality of early literacy instruction and involvement in ECEC. To this end, 349 ECEC and 45 primary school teachers were asked to complete a two-part questionnaire dealing with (1) ECEC teachers’ literacy beliefs and (2) teachers’ general pedagogical beliefs. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three sub-categories of literacy belief – Direct instruction, Natural development, and Social interaction – and two sub-categories of general pedagogical belief – Adult-centred and Child-centred – and the relations between these sub-categories and background factors were then discussed. The results implied that considering the ecological perspectives of ECEC teachers affords a better understanding of effective practices to facilitate the early literacy experiences of young children in ECEC settings beyond differences in their educational tradition concerning early literacy. These perspectives include the influence of the educational tradition in each region, how ECEC teachers differ from primary school teachers, and the values shared by a particular ECEC facility.

Investigation of Parents’ Early Literacy Beliefs in the Context of Turkey Through the Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI)

&lt;p style="text-align:justify"&gt;This paper aims to test the reliability and validity of the Turkish adaptation of DeBaryshe and Binder's Parent Reading Belief Inventory (PRBI) and to investigate parents' literacy beliefs. The primary focus of this paper is to explore parents’ beliefs and practices and their relatedness on the emergent literacy of their children aged 3–7 (M=69.8 months; SD= 9.33 months). As data collection tools, we availed ourselves of the Parent Reading Belief Inventory,(PRBI), Home Literacy Inventory (HLI) and Child Literacy Behaviours (CLB). In addition, the Personal Information Form, prepared by the researchers, was utilized. Moreover, confirmatory factor analyses were performed on samples of parents from Adana, a city in southern Turkey (N= 952). The study showed that a seven-factor structure in the original form of the PRBI was validated , excluding items 8, 30 and 31. Consistent with the results of the confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis, it can be concluded that the PRBI is a valid and reliable tool to investigate the process of parents' literacy activities with their children in Turkey.&lt;/p&gt;

Teaching phonics without teaching phonics: Early childhood teachers’ reported beliefs and practices

Phonics continues to be one of the most controversial literacy instruction topics debated in the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Given the importance placed on phonics in early literacy learning and the role that teacher beliefs play in the types of code-related literacy children encounter, the purpose of this two phase mixed-methods study was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ reported play–literacy beliefs, their phonics practices and the reasons behind their decisions not to use commercial phonics programmes in the prior-to-school years. This mixed-methods study found there was a correlation related to teachers’ play-based, child-centred literacy beliefs, their reported holistic early literacy phonics practices and their decisions not to use commercial phonics programmes. Logistic regression analysis revealed a positive and significant relationship between early childhood teachers who stated that they would never consider using a commercial phonics programme and their reported belief that children learn letters and sounds incidentally. Thematic analysis of interview data found that the teachers interpreted phonics instruction as a method occurring as an isolated skill–drill activity and subsequently held strong views against heavily scripted commercial phonics programmes. The interview data also revealed a range of play-based and holistic phonics examples embedded through everyday classroom experiences over explicit systematic instruction reported. Early childhood teachers’ knowledge, experience and reported beliefs, together with a high level of confidence in addressing parental pressure to engage in formalised phonics lessons, were reasons behind their reported practices. This study has important implications for understanding the different types of phonics methods children encounter, teacher concerns over loss of play-based literacy learning and the continuing controversy between adult-directed phonics and child-initiated, play-literacy practices.

The Connection between Drama, Language, and Cognition in Preschool Dual Language Learners (DLLs)

This study examined the connection between drama, language, and cognition in 61 preschool Latino children. Parents and teachers completed surveys and observations of children’s behaviors. Results showed that parent home language and literacy practices and beliefs about drama integration were related to children’s cognition. Recommendations for practice are presented.