ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6505-905X

Date of Award

2021

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Philosophy (Ph.D)

Department

Education Specialties

First Advisor

Olivia G. Stewart

Second Advisor

Brett E. Blake

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand if K-2 novice educators with three or fewer years of experience have the requisite knowledge and self-efficacy to teach foundational skills in reading and how experienced educators have guilt related to what they wish they would have known about teaching the foundational skills of reading in their beginning years as an educator. The comparison of novice educators with experienced educators could impact future pre-service preparation for novice educators. This study was framed within social cognitive theory related to teacher self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) and feelings associated with guilt (Hargreaves, 1991). This study used a convergent mixed methods design, including a survey with an open-ended question section for K-2 novice teachers and an open-ended interview process for educators with four or more years of experience. Thirty-eight K-2 teachers with three or fewer years of experience participated in the online survey that combined profile data, the Teacher Knowledge Assessment: Structured Literacy (Mather et al., 2001), the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Literacy Scale (Moran et al., 2011), and open-ended questions. Eight educators with four or more years of experience participated in the qualitative interview process. Results indicated a strong belief by the novice educators in their ability to teach reading; however, there was a lack of knowledge in orthographic mapping and phonological awareness. The interview process of this study indicated that among the eight experienced educators interviewed; there was a link to only depressive guilt for one and both depressive and persecutory guilt for six of the individuals. The feelings of anger, frustration, disgust, sadness, anxiousness, and fear about reflections on being equipped in their novice years to teach reading were the evidence needed to link to persecutory or depressive guilt. The outcomes of this study indicate that there is evidence to show teacher emotions relate to guilt about their requisite knowledge and feelings about teaching the foundational skills of reading in their novice years, and K-2 novice educators with three or fewer years of experience had a firm belief in their ability to teach reading yet had knowledge gaps in orthographic mapping and phonemic awareness.

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