In this formative experiment, a series of Professional Development (PD) sessions are designed, facilitated, and iteratively evaluated by the researcher working collaboratively with a cohort of teachers who work with Adolescent Struggling Literacy Learners (ASL) in small-group or individual settings. The PD aims to develop the understanding and ability of these teachers to design and implement a
Literacy Intervention (LI) to suit the needs of their students in their educational context. The LI will apply recommendations from research regarding effective components of instruction for adolescent struggling literacy learners, to practice. Each Teacher will apply the learning and support from their PD sessions to the design of a LI for the ASLs in their context. The teachers will be initially supplied with a framework to guide their design and LI implementation. At each PD session, the teachers will engage in collective sharing of practice and working together as a community of professionals. This study will document the development of the participating teachers’ understandings and practice, the adjustments to PD as it responds to the needs of the teachers, and the modifications made to the LI they create to support the literacy needs of their students.
This study will serve to bridge the gap that exists between educational theory and practice by observing how the authentic environment and experience of teachers impact the design of PD for teachers who seek to work with such pupils in the future.