Date of Award
5-9-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
School Name
Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education
Department
Education
Major Advisor
Elizabeth Dinkins, Ph. D.
Second Advisor
Winn Crenshaw Wheeler, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Rosemarie I. Young, Ph. D.
Abstract
When reading is no longer taught as a separate subject, adolescent students with weak reading skills have limited opportunities to catch up to their peers and are unlikely to improve without targeted support (Wigfield et al., 2008). This descriptive case study intended to increase teacher knowledge by presenting a professional development intervention focused on orthographic knowledge using effective professional development components. This study was conducted with six teachers of adolescent students (4th-8th) from a private preparatory school. Analysis found that teachers increased their understanding of the role orthography plays in the reading process and increased their ability to identify features associated with orthography. Analysis further revealed classroom practices were influenced through the analyzation of orthographic assessments where teachers discovered the needs and strengths of the students. Tailored instruction was then based on the new knowledge instead of perceived understanding. Analyis also noted coaching and expert support, content focus, and active learning as influential elements leading to change in classroom practices. Collectively, these outcomes demonstrate the potential of targeted, conceptually grounded professional development to enhance teachers’ orthographic knowledge and inform more responsive literacy instruction for adolescent readers.
Recommended Citation
Leslie, Mary L., "Teacher Orthographic Knowledge" (2026). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones. 214.
https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/tdc/214