Roya Scales | Western Carolina University (original) (raw)
Papers by Roya Scales
Teaching and Teacher Education
Abstract In today's highly charged educational climate teacher visioning is recognized as an ... more Abstract In today's highly charged educational climate teacher visioning is recognized as an important navigational tool. Teacher visioning is the ongoing reflective process for teachers to identify what they want to accomplish as teachers. While there is consensus in the field of the importance of visioning there is not consensus on the language to describe the phenomenon. Diverse terminology leads to challenges in advancing understanding of this critical component of teacher development. Moreover, researchers have used various methodologies, across disciplines, and with different results. Therefore, our research team completed a comprehensive review of the literature of empirical research on teacher visioning. In this article, we describe how visioning is defined across the literature over the last 18 years, the methods used to study visioning, and the results of these studies.
Action in Teacher Education, 2019
The purpose of this study was to understand how writing teacher educators, who used research-base... more The purpose of this study was to understand how writing teacher educators, who used research-based practices, make connections to K-12 classrooms for their preservice teacher candidates. A team of eight literacy researchers and educators from institutions across the United States collaborated to conduct a qualitative interview study of 15 writing teacher educators. This study is grounded in literature on effective writing instruction as well as university and K-12 connections, and it is framed by Kolb's experiential learning theory. Findings suggest several themes related to how writing teacher educators make connections to K-12 classrooms including intentional field experiences, spending time in the field themselves, connecting their teaching of writing assessment to actual classrooms and students, and engaging in consistent reflection and revision of their courses. Implications and future directions for research are explored.
Literacy Research and Instruction, 2019
In response to the dearth of research on K to 6 teacher preparation for teaching writing, we inve... more In response to the dearth of research on K to 6 teacher preparation for teaching writing, we investigated writing methods course instructors' course assignments. Participants' courses met the following criteria: (a) Courses taken by undergraduate elementary teacher candidates; (b) Writing methods courses; (c) Use of exemplary writing instructional practices; and (d) Direct writing instruction with field application opportunities. Cross-case analysis revealed that despite vastly different teacher preparation programs and contexts, assignments were highly similar and focused on developing the candidates' self as writer or on becoming a teacher of writing. Assignments highlighted in the findings illuminate how exemplary writing methods course instructors support candidates' development and may be applied to programs seeking to create or to strengthen a writing methods course. Future directions for research are explored. KEYWORDS Writing methods courses; writing pedagogy; writing methods course assignments; writing methods instructors; preservice teacher education In the last decade, much attention has focused on reading teacher preparation (e.g., Dillon,
Review of Educational Research, 2017
Researchers recognize adaptive teaching as a component of effective instruction. Educators adjust... more Researchers recognize adaptive teaching as a component of effective instruction. Educators adjust their teaching according to the social, linguistic, cultural, and instructional needs of their students. While there is consensus that effective teachers are adaptive, there is no consensus on the language to describe this phenomenon. Diverse terminology surrounding the same phenomenon impedes effective communication and comprehensive understanding of this important aspect of classroom instruction. Moreover, researchers have studied this phenomenon using a variety of methods, in various disciplines, with different results. Therefore, our research team completed a comprehensive literature review of the empirical research studying adaptability across academic disciplines. In this article, we describe how adaptive teaching is defined and conceptualized in the education research literature from 1975 to 2014, the methods used to study instructional adaptations, and the results of these studies.
Literacy Research and Instruction, 2017
This case study examines features and processes of a sixth grade teacher (Jane) utilizing text se... more This case study examines features and processes of a sixth grade teacher (Jane) utilizing text sets as a tool for facilitating critical thinking. Jane's strong vision and student-centered beliefs informed her use of various texts to teach language arts as she worked to address demands of the Common Core State Standards. Text sets promoted multiple perspectives and fit with her beliefs about student empowerment. Despite contextual constraints, Jane used professional judgment to apply her learning from professional development to design and implement instruction. Findings support the idea that teachers need autonomy when choosing multiple texts across genres as well as effective strategies to engender critical thinking. Results can help guide further inquiry into types of teaching and classroom environments that facilitate or impede critical thinking.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 2016
Sixth graders find their voice for change while exploring a text set about courage.
This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs... more This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs at ten universities from across the United States. The study will include three phases linking the literacy components of teacher preparation programs with the International Reading Association's Standards (Phase I), to teacher candidate performance in student teaching (Phase II), and finally to teacher education candidates' enactments of instructional knowledge in their first year of teaching (Phase III). Phase I is described here. ...
Reading Psychology, 2017
This longitudinal study, framed by activity theory, examines what seven novice teachers’ talk and... more This longitudinal study, framed by activity theory, examines what seven novice teachers’ talk and actions reveal about their literacy teaching practices then delves into mediating influences of the teaching context. Utilizing collective, multi-case methods, data sources included interviews, observations, and artifacts. Findings indicate novices navigated school contexts by following existing practices, adjusting to conditions, and pushing back. Mediating influences, internal and external, were factored how novices applied knowledge from teacher preparation programs. Authors employed the metaphor of paddling a constantly changing river to convey novices’ actions for meeting students’ literacy learning. Recommendations for teacher educators and policymakers are suggested.
Research in The Teaching of English, 2020
The Professional Educator, 2017
Issues in Teacher Education, 2013
Little attention has been paid to the leadership experiences of pre-service teachers despite the ... more Little attention has been paid to the leadership experiences of pre-service teachers despite the robust field of teacher leadership research. This study reviews 124 activities in the Teacher Leader Essays, a part our program’s licensure requirements, to understand our pre-service teachers’ experiences and perceptions of leadership. This inquiry informs the literature on teacher leadership by providing a summary of pre-service teachers’ actions and reflections on teacher leadership while noting the constraints of such mandated activities.
Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for... more Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for more than 50 years-also, not coincidentally, a time of increasing regulation of teacher preparation programs. A number of alternative pathways
Researchers claim that effective teachers adapt their instruction to meet their students' lea... more Researchers claim that effective teachers adapt their instruction to meet their students' learning needs (see for instance, Bransford, Darling-Hammond, & LePage, 2005; Duffy, 2005; Pressley, Allington, Wharton-McDonald, Block, & Morrow, 2001). Little research has examined how teachers adapt their instruction or their reasons for doing so. While more open tasks lead to more student engagement and learning in different studies (Miller & Meece, 1999; Thornburg, 2005; Turner, 1995), there is little evidence to show how teaching adaptations are related to the openness of literacy tasks and student engagement. In this study, I used a mixed-method multiple case study design (Creswell, 2005) to study six teachers' literacy instruction in each of the six elementary grade levels. Specifically, I explored the teaching adaptations as they are related to academic tasks and student motivation as measured by engaged time on task. I observed each teacher's literacy instruction approxima...
Teaching and Teacher Education
Abstract In today's highly charged educational climate teacher visioning is recognized as an ... more Abstract In today's highly charged educational climate teacher visioning is recognized as an important navigational tool. Teacher visioning is the ongoing reflective process for teachers to identify what they want to accomplish as teachers. While there is consensus in the field of the importance of visioning there is not consensus on the language to describe the phenomenon. Diverse terminology leads to challenges in advancing understanding of this critical component of teacher development. Moreover, researchers have used various methodologies, across disciplines, and with different results. Therefore, our research team completed a comprehensive review of the literature of empirical research on teacher visioning. In this article, we describe how visioning is defined across the literature over the last 18 years, the methods used to study visioning, and the results of these studies.
Action in Teacher Education, 2019
The purpose of this study was to understand how writing teacher educators, who used research-base... more The purpose of this study was to understand how writing teacher educators, who used research-based practices, make connections to K-12 classrooms for their preservice teacher candidates. A team of eight literacy researchers and educators from institutions across the United States collaborated to conduct a qualitative interview study of 15 writing teacher educators. This study is grounded in literature on effective writing instruction as well as university and K-12 connections, and it is framed by Kolb's experiential learning theory. Findings suggest several themes related to how writing teacher educators make connections to K-12 classrooms including intentional field experiences, spending time in the field themselves, connecting their teaching of writing assessment to actual classrooms and students, and engaging in consistent reflection and revision of their courses. Implications and future directions for research are explored.
Literacy Research and Instruction, 2019
In response to the dearth of research on K to 6 teacher preparation for teaching writing, we inve... more In response to the dearth of research on K to 6 teacher preparation for teaching writing, we investigated writing methods course instructors' course assignments. Participants' courses met the following criteria: (a) Courses taken by undergraduate elementary teacher candidates; (b) Writing methods courses; (c) Use of exemplary writing instructional practices; and (d) Direct writing instruction with field application opportunities. Cross-case analysis revealed that despite vastly different teacher preparation programs and contexts, assignments were highly similar and focused on developing the candidates' self as writer or on becoming a teacher of writing. Assignments highlighted in the findings illuminate how exemplary writing methods course instructors support candidates' development and may be applied to programs seeking to create or to strengthen a writing methods course. Future directions for research are explored. KEYWORDS Writing methods courses; writing pedagogy; writing methods course assignments; writing methods instructors; preservice teacher education In the last decade, much attention has focused on reading teacher preparation (e.g., Dillon,
Review of Educational Research, 2017
Researchers recognize adaptive teaching as a component of effective instruction. Educators adjust... more Researchers recognize adaptive teaching as a component of effective instruction. Educators adjust their teaching according to the social, linguistic, cultural, and instructional needs of their students. While there is consensus that effective teachers are adaptive, there is no consensus on the language to describe this phenomenon. Diverse terminology surrounding the same phenomenon impedes effective communication and comprehensive understanding of this important aspect of classroom instruction. Moreover, researchers have studied this phenomenon using a variety of methods, in various disciplines, with different results. Therefore, our research team completed a comprehensive literature review of the empirical research studying adaptability across academic disciplines. In this article, we describe how adaptive teaching is defined and conceptualized in the education research literature from 1975 to 2014, the methods used to study instructional adaptations, and the results of these studies.
Literacy Research and Instruction, 2017
This case study examines features and processes of a sixth grade teacher (Jane) utilizing text se... more This case study examines features and processes of a sixth grade teacher (Jane) utilizing text sets as a tool for facilitating critical thinking. Jane's strong vision and student-centered beliefs informed her use of various texts to teach language arts as she worked to address demands of the Common Core State Standards. Text sets promoted multiple perspectives and fit with her beliefs about student empowerment. Despite contextual constraints, Jane used professional judgment to apply her learning from professional development to design and implement instruction. Findings support the idea that teachers need autonomy when choosing multiple texts across genres as well as effective strategies to engender critical thinking. Results can help guide further inquiry into types of teaching and classroom environments that facilitate or impede critical thinking.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 2016
Sixth graders find their voice for change while exploring a text set about courage.
This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs... more This study examines the critical components of literacy preparation in teacher education programs at ten universities from across the United States. The study will include three phases linking the literacy components of teacher preparation programs with the International Reading Association's Standards (Phase I), to teacher candidate performance in student teaching (Phase II), and finally to teacher education candidates' enactments of instructional knowledge in their first year of teaching (Phase III). Phase I is described here. ...
Reading Psychology, 2017
This longitudinal study, framed by activity theory, examines what seven novice teachers’ talk and... more This longitudinal study, framed by activity theory, examines what seven novice teachers’ talk and actions reveal about their literacy teaching practices then delves into mediating influences of the teaching context. Utilizing collective, multi-case methods, data sources included interviews, observations, and artifacts. Findings indicate novices navigated school contexts by following existing practices, adjusting to conditions, and pushing back. Mediating influences, internal and external, were factored how novices applied knowledge from teacher preparation programs. Authors employed the metaphor of paddling a constantly changing river to convey novices’ actions for meeting students’ literacy learning. Recommendations for teacher educators and policymakers are suggested.
Research in The Teaching of English, 2020
The Professional Educator, 2017
Issues in Teacher Education, 2013
Little attention has been paid to the leadership experiences of pre-service teachers despite the ... more Little attention has been paid to the leadership experiences of pre-service teachers despite the robust field of teacher leadership research. This study reviews 124 activities in the Teacher Leader Essays, a part our program’s licensure requirements, to understand our pre-service teachers’ experiences and perceptions of leadership. This inquiry informs the literature on teacher leadership by providing a summary of pre-service teachers’ actions and reflections on teacher leadership while noting the constraints of such mandated activities.
Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for... more Questions about optimal routes to becoming an effective teacher have fueled an ongoing debate for more than 50 years-also, not coincidentally, a time of increasing regulation of teacher preparation programs. A number of alternative pathways
Researchers claim that effective teachers adapt their instruction to meet their students' lea... more Researchers claim that effective teachers adapt their instruction to meet their students' learning needs (see for instance, Bransford, Darling-Hammond, & LePage, 2005; Duffy, 2005; Pressley, Allington, Wharton-McDonald, Block, & Morrow, 2001). Little research has examined how teachers adapt their instruction or their reasons for doing so. While more open tasks lead to more student engagement and learning in different studies (Miller & Meece, 1999; Thornburg, 2005; Turner, 1995), there is little evidence to show how teaching adaptations are related to the openness of literacy tasks and student engagement. In this study, I used a mixed-method multiple case study design (Creswell, 2005) to study six teachers' literacy instruction in each of the six elementary grade levels. Specifically, I explored the teaching adaptations as they are related to academic tasks and student motivation as measured by engaged time on task. I observed each teacher's literacy instruction approxima...