Date
4-25-2023
Department
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)
Chair
Sharon Farrell
Keywords
transcendental, phenomenology, dyslexia, phonics, basic language constructs, the science of reading, evidence-based practices, Albert Bandura, triadic reciprocal causation
Disciplines
Education | Special Education and Teaching
Recommended Citation
Bower, Erin Lynn, "Understanding The Lived Experiences of Elementary Teachers Who Teach Students With Dyslexia How to Read: A Transcendental Phenomenology" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 4355.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4355
Abstract
This transcendental phenomenology sought to understand the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read. The central question guiding this study was: “What are the lived experiences of elementary teachers who teach students with dyslexia how to read?” Three sub-questions looked more deeply into the phenomenon. The first sub-question asked: “What internal influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” The second sub-question asked: “What external influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” Finally, the third sub-question asked: “How do internal and external influences shape elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching students with dyslexia how to read?” Bandura’s social cognitive theory (SCT) guided this study, as its model of triadic reciprocal causation provided a framework for understanding the internal and external influences that shaped elementary teachers’ experiences when teaching reading to students with dyslexia. A total of 14 teachers were purposefully selected either from public and private elementary teacher Facebook groups across the United States or snowball sampling. Participants were K-4 classroom teachers, special education teachers, and reading specialists. Data were collected from individual interviews, document analysis, and participant journaling. Moustakas’ (1994) data analysis procedures were used to reveal the essence of participants’ lived experiences of the phenomenon. Thus, the science of reading, barriers to teaching students with dyslexia, and the pandemic and dyslexia strongly shaped elementary teachers’ instruction when teaching students with dyslexia how to read.
