Erin McTigue - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Erin McTigue
L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 2021
This paper documents how teachers use guided reading practices in Norwegian second-grade classroo... more This paper documents how teachers use guided reading practices in Norwegian second-grade classrooms. In a two-part study consisting of teachers' self-reports (Study 1) and video-observations of guided reading sessions (Study 2), we analyzed the frequency and characteristics of guided reading practices. Findings from Study 1 indicate that guided reading is a common practice of Norwegian second-grade teachers and that discussing word meaning, text, and pictures are the most frequently addressed literacy components. Findings from Study 2 illustrate that the teachers regularly make optimal use of the before-reading phase, while the after-reading phase is relatively lacking. The observational data also indicate that teachers are more likely to simply check students' understanding of word meaning rather than to work in-depth with vocabulary. Likewise, teachers were more likely to supply help in the decoding process rather than scaffold students' decoding with strategies. In sum, the data indicate that teachers may not fully use the benefits that guided reading instruction can afford. We discuss how to help educators use more of the potential of guided reading, arguing that the benefits of guided reading can be strengthened by (1) more indepth planning, (2) greater use of strategies, and (3) routines for observing and assessing.
Educational Psychology Review
For attaining success in writing, motivation is essential. Crucially, instruction is dependent on... more For attaining success in writing, motivation is essential. Crucially, instruction is dependent on knowing the student’s capabilities and inner drives. To date, research on writing has yet to establish a consistent framework for assessing writing motivation, and often fails to acknowledge students’ self-reports, rather favoring evaluations of students’ writing motivation made by others, such as teachers and researchers. This limbo state originates partly from a general skepticism towards the trustworthiness of elementary students’ self-reports. Nonetheless, the validity of such self-reports has been acknowledged in adjacent fields, such as reading. Aiming to establish a knowledge base from studies addressing students’ voices, the present study adopts the method of a systematic review and investigates how writing motivation has been assessed in empirical studies (1996–2020) through K-5 students’ self-reports. Of the 7047 studies identified through database search, 56 met the inclusion...
Picture Perfect: Using Quality Graphics to Support English Language Learners in Science Classes
The Science Teacher, 2015
Studies evaluating the graphics in science textbooks have recommended that teachers use eye-catch... more Studies evaluating the graphics in science textbooks have recommended that teachers use eye-catching visuals to reinforce student learning objectives (Wright et al. 2014). Similarly, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) suggest that science teachers use visuals to teach English Language Learners (ELLs). However, little research has focused on the role visuals play in helping young ELLs acquire second-language skills and content-area knowledge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using visuals is a common and recommended practice for teaching ELLs, but there's reason to question the effectiveness of current methods. In 2009, only 3% of eighth-grade ELLs scored "proficient" on the National Assessment of Educational Progress science exam (NAEP 2009), a level of underachievement that represents a crisis in the capability of young ELLs to advance in their scientific fields. Unfortunately, although many sources urge teachers to incorporate pictures, graphs, and c...
Educational Psychology Review, 2020
The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual displ... more The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual display tasks benefits K-12 students' content-area learning. After screening 1693 articles at abstract level and a systematic evaluation of methodological quality, we synthesized 44 articles for this review. The qualitative synthesis of the studies is organized by categories of interaction with visual displays (ViDis), instructional support, and types of knowledge and learning. Overall findings indicate the simple inclusion of visual displays does not guarantee a positive learning effect. More detailed findings distinguish three categories of ViDis: author-provided, studentfilled-in, and student-created visual displays. Furthermore, we discuss each category's effectiveness for students' learning. Additionally, findings on retention and information comprehension are mixed when students are either provided with ViDis or complete ViDis themselves. However, the integration of ViDis in K-12 classrooms indicate highly promising results for enhancing students' higher-level learning (i.e., analyzing, evaluating, applying, and creating). Finally, we provided practical implications for K-12 teachers and recommendations for future research.
Journal of Visual Literacy, 2019
The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual displ... more The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual display tasks benefits K-12 students' content-area learning. After screening 1693 articles at abstract level and a systematic evaluation of methodological quality, we synthesized 44 articles for this review. The qualitative synthesis of the studies is organized by categories of interaction with visual displays (ViDis), instructional support, and types of knowledge and learning. Overall findings indicate the simple inclusion of visual displays does not guarantee a positive learning effect. More detailed findings distinguish three categories of ViDis: author-provided, studentfilled-in, and student-created visual displays. Furthermore, we discuss each category's effectiveness for students' learning. Additionally, findings on retention and information comprehension are mixed when students are either provided with ViDis or complete ViDis themselves. However, the integration of ViDis in K-12 classrooms indicate highly promising results for enhancing students' higher-level learning (i.e., analyzing, evaluating, applying, and creating). Finally, we provided practical implications for K-12 teachers and recommendations for future research.
Assessing Writing, 2019
Assessment is an under-researched challenge of writing development, instruction, and teacher prep... more Assessment is an under-researched challenge of writing development, instruction, and teacher preparation. One reason for the lack of research on writing assessment in teacher preparation is that writing achievement is multi-faceted and difficult to measure consistently. Additionally, research has reported that teacher educators and preservice teaches may have limited assessment literacy knowledge. In previous studies, researchers have struggled to provide strong evidence of validity, reliability, and fairness across raters, writing samples, and rubric items. In the present study, we fill several gaps in the research literature by developing a rubric, the Writing Rubric to Inform Teacher Educators (WRITE), which utilizes a structure that promotes assessment literacy while raters score samples. Furthermore, using modern measurement theory, we strengthen the field's understanding of writing assessment by providing evidence of validity, reliability, and fairness of scores to support the interpretation and use of the WRITE. 1. Introduction Despite the importance of writing instruction and assessment in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education, very few teacher preparation programs include adequate instruction about writing instruction and assessment (Martin & Dismuke, 2018; Myers et al., 2016). While developing competent writers should be a goal in all higher education fields, it is particularly imperative for those working with preservice teachers. With only 25% of preservice teachers taking a course devoted to writing instruction (Myers et al., 2016), it may not be surprising that students in early elementary grades write less than 30 min per day (Coker et al., 2016). These findings reveal a concern in education-teachers may not be prepared to effectively assess and then teach writing, which impacts students' educational and professional success. Improving how teacher educators assess, and therefore develop, the writing skills of preservice teachers has the long-term potential of improving K-12 students' writing. To address this concern, the purpose of the present study is to validate a rubric for writing assessment, known as the Writing Rubric to Inform Teacher Educators (WRITE), that yields valid, reliable, and fair scores while simultaneously informing the rater about the qualities of effective writing. Writing assessment is an under-researched challenge in teacher preparation programs (Ferris, 2014). When asked about forms of literacy assessment, educators are likely to discuss those related to reading, often omitting writing (Vallalón, Mateos, & Cuevas, 2015). If educators mention writing assessment, their intent is frequently either to assess English conventions or content knowledge
The Reading Teacher, 2018
Unfortunately, elementary students often learn few transferable skills from literacy computer gam... more Unfortunately, elementary students often learn few transferable skills from literacy computer games. In this article, myths about computer games are debunked and guidelines presented for students to derive greater benefits.
Cogent Education, 2016
Research is failing to consistently report theoretical frameworks, increasing the gap between res... more Research is failing to consistently report theoretical frameworks, increasing the gap between research and practice, and increasing the difficulty teachers face in effectively matching interventions with student needs. However, this lack of theoretical understanding has not been well documented in the current literature. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the literacy theories used in published articles within the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (JAAL). JAAL is a peer-reviewed literacy journal that focuses on providing research-based practices for teachers. The present study includes an overview of published theories of reading and writing and the results of coding for these theories within a sample of ninety-four published intervention articles. Through this review, we have uncovered several areas for future research: (1) clarification of the differences between sociocultural and sociocognitive theories, (2) an increased emphasis on the mutual impact of reading and writing, and (3) a need to diversify theories used for reading and writing instruction.
Renovating Literacy Centers for Middle Grades: Differentiating, Reteaching, and Motivating
The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2014
Both Theory and Practice: Science Literacy Instruction and Theories of Reading
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2015
Many journal articles detail recommendations to naturally integrate literacy instruction into con... more Many journal articles detail recommendations to naturally integrate literacy instruction into content-area classes, particularly science, claiming that such instructional practices will support both literacy and content-knowledge acquisition. This begs the question, are the literacy strategies recommended for content-area instruction founded in established educational theories? The purpose of the current study is to examine the implicit and explicit theories driving science disciplinary literacy instruction. Theories assist in organizing and advancing research in a systematic manner. Information on the status of theory is essential to both practitioners (who are implementing strategies) and researchers (who are making recommendations for classroom instruction). Our study revealed that in science literacy, vocabulary instructional practices are frequently supported with Schema and Dual-Coding theories. Articles also frequently used theories grounded in social dynamics, including social constructionism and sociocultural perspective, to support literacy instruction. However, recommendations for other aspects of instructional practices in science literacy are generally not well-grounded in major reading theories.
Picture Perfect
The Science Teacher, 2015
Minding the Gap
Teaching at Work, 2015
Teachers are tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of instructing a vast range of learners ... more Teachers are tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of instructing a vast range of learners while continually infusing current, research-based principles into their daily practice. However, teachers report frequently feeling ill-prepared and unsupported in this mission as the realities of K-12 classrooms are complex and dynamic situations.
Sketched-truss recognition tutoring system: Improved student learning through active learning and immediate student feedback
Visual literacy in science texts: Elementary students perceptions and understandings of common diagrams
The Reading Teacher
Unlocking the Power of Visual Communication
Teacher read-alouds make science come alive
Visual Literacy in Science
L1 Educational Studies in Language and Literature, 2021
This paper documents how teachers use guided reading practices in Norwegian second-grade classroo... more This paper documents how teachers use guided reading practices in Norwegian second-grade classrooms. In a two-part study consisting of teachers' self-reports (Study 1) and video-observations of guided reading sessions (Study 2), we analyzed the frequency and characteristics of guided reading practices. Findings from Study 1 indicate that guided reading is a common practice of Norwegian second-grade teachers and that discussing word meaning, text, and pictures are the most frequently addressed literacy components. Findings from Study 2 illustrate that the teachers regularly make optimal use of the before-reading phase, while the after-reading phase is relatively lacking. The observational data also indicate that teachers are more likely to simply check students' understanding of word meaning rather than to work in-depth with vocabulary. Likewise, teachers were more likely to supply help in the decoding process rather than scaffold students' decoding with strategies. In sum, the data indicate that teachers may not fully use the benefits that guided reading instruction can afford. We discuss how to help educators use more of the potential of guided reading, arguing that the benefits of guided reading can be strengthened by (1) more indepth planning, (2) greater use of strategies, and (3) routines for observing and assessing.
Educational Psychology Review
For attaining success in writing, motivation is essential. Crucially, instruction is dependent on... more For attaining success in writing, motivation is essential. Crucially, instruction is dependent on knowing the student’s capabilities and inner drives. To date, research on writing has yet to establish a consistent framework for assessing writing motivation, and often fails to acknowledge students’ self-reports, rather favoring evaluations of students’ writing motivation made by others, such as teachers and researchers. This limbo state originates partly from a general skepticism towards the trustworthiness of elementary students’ self-reports. Nonetheless, the validity of such self-reports has been acknowledged in adjacent fields, such as reading. Aiming to establish a knowledge base from studies addressing students’ voices, the present study adopts the method of a systematic review and investigates how writing motivation has been assessed in empirical studies (1996–2020) through K-5 students’ self-reports. Of the 7047 studies identified through database search, 56 met the inclusion...
Picture Perfect: Using Quality Graphics to Support English Language Learners in Science Classes
The Science Teacher, 2015
Studies evaluating the graphics in science textbooks have recommended that teachers use eye-catch... more Studies evaluating the graphics in science textbooks have recommended that teachers use eye-catching visuals to reinforce student learning objectives (Wright et al. 2014). Similarly, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States 2013) suggest that science teachers use visuals to teach English Language Learners (ELLs). However, little research has focused on the role visuals play in helping young ELLs acquire second-language skills and content-area knowledge. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Using visuals is a common and recommended practice for teaching ELLs, but there's reason to question the effectiveness of current methods. In 2009, only 3% of eighth-grade ELLs scored "proficient" on the National Assessment of Educational Progress science exam (NAEP 2009), a level of underachievement that represents a crisis in the capability of young ELLs to advance in their scientific fields. Unfortunately, although many sources urge teachers to incorporate pictures, graphs, and c...
Educational Psychology Review, 2020
The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual displ... more The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual display tasks benefits K-12 students' content-area learning. After screening 1693 articles at abstract level and a systematic evaluation of methodological quality, we synthesized 44 articles for this review. The qualitative synthesis of the studies is organized by categories of interaction with visual displays (ViDis), instructional support, and types of knowledge and learning. Overall findings indicate the simple inclusion of visual displays does not guarantee a positive learning effect. More detailed findings distinguish three categories of ViDis: author-provided, studentfilled-in, and student-created visual displays. Furthermore, we discuss each category's effectiveness for students' learning. Additionally, findings on retention and information comprehension are mixed when students are either provided with ViDis or complete ViDis themselves. However, the integration of ViDis in K-12 classrooms indicate highly promising results for enhancing students' higher-level learning (i.e., analyzing, evaluating, applying, and creating). Finally, we provided practical implications for K-12 teachers and recommendations for future research.
Journal of Visual Literacy, 2019
The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual displ... more The current systematic review aimed to investigate in what ways the incorporation of visual display tasks benefits K-12 students' content-area learning. After screening 1693 articles at abstract level and a systematic evaluation of methodological quality, we synthesized 44 articles for this review. The qualitative synthesis of the studies is organized by categories of interaction with visual displays (ViDis), instructional support, and types of knowledge and learning. Overall findings indicate the simple inclusion of visual displays does not guarantee a positive learning effect. More detailed findings distinguish three categories of ViDis: author-provided, studentfilled-in, and student-created visual displays. Furthermore, we discuss each category's effectiveness for students' learning. Additionally, findings on retention and information comprehension are mixed when students are either provided with ViDis or complete ViDis themselves. However, the integration of ViDis in K-12 classrooms indicate highly promising results for enhancing students' higher-level learning (i.e., analyzing, evaluating, applying, and creating). Finally, we provided practical implications for K-12 teachers and recommendations for future research.
Assessing Writing, 2019
Assessment is an under-researched challenge of writing development, instruction, and teacher prep... more Assessment is an under-researched challenge of writing development, instruction, and teacher preparation. One reason for the lack of research on writing assessment in teacher preparation is that writing achievement is multi-faceted and difficult to measure consistently. Additionally, research has reported that teacher educators and preservice teaches may have limited assessment literacy knowledge. In previous studies, researchers have struggled to provide strong evidence of validity, reliability, and fairness across raters, writing samples, and rubric items. In the present study, we fill several gaps in the research literature by developing a rubric, the Writing Rubric to Inform Teacher Educators (WRITE), which utilizes a structure that promotes assessment literacy while raters score samples. Furthermore, using modern measurement theory, we strengthen the field's understanding of writing assessment by providing evidence of validity, reliability, and fairness of scores to support the interpretation and use of the WRITE. 1. Introduction Despite the importance of writing instruction and assessment in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education, very few teacher preparation programs include adequate instruction about writing instruction and assessment (Martin & Dismuke, 2018; Myers et al., 2016). While developing competent writers should be a goal in all higher education fields, it is particularly imperative for those working with preservice teachers. With only 25% of preservice teachers taking a course devoted to writing instruction (Myers et al., 2016), it may not be surprising that students in early elementary grades write less than 30 min per day (Coker et al., 2016). These findings reveal a concern in education-teachers may not be prepared to effectively assess and then teach writing, which impacts students' educational and professional success. Improving how teacher educators assess, and therefore develop, the writing skills of preservice teachers has the long-term potential of improving K-12 students' writing. To address this concern, the purpose of the present study is to validate a rubric for writing assessment, known as the Writing Rubric to Inform Teacher Educators (WRITE), that yields valid, reliable, and fair scores while simultaneously informing the rater about the qualities of effective writing. Writing assessment is an under-researched challenge in teacher preparation programs (Ferris, 2014). When asked about forms of literacy assessment, educators are likely to discuss those related to reading, often omitting writing (Vallalón, Mateos, & Cuevas, 2015). If educators mention writing assessment, their intent is frequently either to assess English conventions or content knowledge
The Reading Teacher, 2018
Unfortunately, elementary students often learn few transferable skills from literacy computer gam... more Unfortunately, elementary students often learn few transferable skills from literacy computer games. In this article, myths about computer games are debunked and guidelines presented for students to derive greater benefits.
Cogent Education, 2016
Research is failing to consistently report theoretical frameworks, increasing the gap between res... more Research is failing to consistently report theoretical frameworks, increasing the gap between research and practice, and increasing the difficulty teachers face in effectively matching interventions with student needs. However, this lack of theoretical understanding has not been well documented in the current literature. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the literacy theories used in published articles within the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (JAAL). JAAL is a peer-reviewed literacy journal that focuses on providing research-based practices for teachers. The present study includes an overview of published theories of reading and writing and the results of coding for these theories within a sample of ninety-four published intervention articles. Through this review, we have uncovered several areas for future research: (1) clarification of the differences between sociocultural and sociocognitive theories, (2) an increased emphasis on the mutual impact of reading and writing, and (3) a need to diversify theories used for reading and writing instruction.
Renovating Literacy Centers for Middle Grades: Differentiating, Reteaching, and Motivating
The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 2014
Both Theory and Practice: Science Literacy Instruction and Theories of Reading
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2015
Many journal articles detail recommendations to naturally integrate literacy instruction into con... more Many journal articles detail recommendations to naturally integrate literacy instruction into content-area classes, particularly science, claiming that such instructional practices will support both literacy and content-knowledge acquisition. This begs the question, are the literacy strategies recommended for content-area instruction founded in established educational theories? The purpose of the current study is to examine the implicit and explicit theories driving science disciplinary literacy instruction. Theories assist in organizing and advancing research in a systematic manner. Information on the status of theory is essential to both practitioners (who are implementing strategies) and researchers (who are making recommendations for classroom instruction). Our study revealed that in science literacy, vocabulary instructional practices are frequently supported with Schema and Dual-Coding theories. Articles also frequently used theories grounded in social dynamics, including social constructionism and sociocultural perspective, to support literacy instruction. However, recommendations for other aspects of instructional practices in science literacy are generally not well-grounded in major reading theories.
Picture Perfect
The Science Teacher, 2015
Minding the Gap
Teaching at Work, 2015
Teachers are tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of instructing a vast range of learners ... more Teachers are tasked with the overwhelming responsibility of instructing a vast range of learners while continually infusing current, research-based principles into their daily practice. However, teachers report frequently feeling ill-prepared and unsupported in this mission as the realities of K-12 classrooms are complex and dynamic situations.
Sketched-truss recognition tutoring system: Improved student learning through active learning and immediate student feedback
Visual literacy in science texts: Elementary students perceptions and understandings of common diagrams
The Reading Teacher
Unlocking the Power of Visual Communication
Teacher read-alouds make science come alive
Visual Literacy in Science