Date of Award

12-9-2016

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

School Name

Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education

Department

Education

Major Advisor

Kathleen Cooter

Second Advisor

David Paige

Third Advisor

J. Todd Whitney

Abstract

Teachers are the foundational component of the education system. Annually, they are required to engage in professional development opportunities to expand their knowledge. Since 1985 there has been a profusion of legislative attention to the reading disability dyslexia. Included in legislation is the mandate for teacher training, but there is a lack of research on effective professional development to increase teacher knowledge of dyslexia. This study compared three models of professional development to assess their efficacy in increasing declarative knowledge of dyslexia for elementary general education teachers. The results indicated that the use of simulation training alone was less effective at increasing teachers' knowledge than using lecture training or a mixed-method training which includes both lecture and simulation. Because of limitations in funding and time available to train teachers, this study could be helpful in considering options for training teachers about dyslexia.

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