Effective Teachers of Literacy: Knowledge, Beliefs and Practices, 3(9)

Abstract

This article reports the results of research into the characteristics of teachers who could be shown to be effective in teaching literacy to elementary school students. The findings are based on a close study of a sample of teachers whose students make effective learning gains in literacy and of a sample of teachers who were less effective in literacy teaching. Important findings emerged from the research concerning the literacy subject knowledge, the beliefs about literacy teaching and the literacy teaching practices characteristic of the effective teachers of literacy. There were also several implications regarding effective professional development in literacy.