Date of Award

9-12-2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Linda Dorn

Abstract

This descriptive case study approach with multiple cases and an interrupted time-series design used quantitative and qualitative data to answer two research questions: 1) What changes occur over time in the problem-solving strategies, text-reading accuracy, and phonological knowledge of struggling readers in response to targeted instruction in an innovative dyslexia intervention? 2) How do teachers engage in a collaborative, decision-making process to monitor student learning and adjust scaffolding procedures for struggling readers who are participating in an innovative dyslexia intervention? The quantitative data analysis examined the literacy gains for eight elementary students with characteristics of dyslexia who had participated in the 10-week dyslexia intervention, while the qualitative analysis examined the teachers' decision-making processes based on their collaborative discussions. Qualitative analysis revealed that teachers used four decision-making patterns in their collaborative discussions. An additional finding indicated that teachers' decision-making discussions moved from declarative to strategic levels over the course of the intervention. The quantitative analysis indicated the students' group means increased in all literacy areas, although there was no significant statistical difference between the pre- and post-assessments. The results suggest that students with characteristics of dyslexia benefit from individualized instruction that builds on their strengths and needs, and that teacher decision-making is a critical factor in designing responsive instruction for increasing students’ literacy gains.

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