Master of Education

The purpose of this study was to identify whether teachers' beliefs about reading influence the way interpret set syllabus materials and carry out classroom instruction. In today's' world, school constantly face change as education attempts to stay abreast of research findings and new theories. For changes to be implemented successfully, teachers who are the principal mediators of educational change, must be convinced of the necessity for change if it is to be carried out as planned. The beliefs they hold about what constitutes effective teaching procedures will influence how they teach. These beliefs need to be compatible with the philosophy and the theoretical underpinnings of the syllabus materials. If not , then the materials will not be used in the way intended by the syllabus writers.

The subjects consisted of two Primary Five teachers and two Primary Six teachers. Three of the teachers were female and the fourth was male. All four teachers were interviewed, but only two were observed; one female and one male. Using information from the interviews, teachers were classified as either being 'contemporary' teachers who focus on process, or 'conventional' teachers who focus on product. Interviews were conducted also with four Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore (CDIS) writers in order to identify the theoretical underpinning of the Primary English Thematic Series (PETS) used in the classrooms. Pupils from the classes observed, formed a third interview group. These pupils were representative of the high, medium and low ability groupings in the two classes.

Following the tradition of naturalistic enquiry in building up a case study, observations were carried out in natural classroom settings. Following this, subjects were interviewed to obtain information about beliefs and perceptions; information that could not be derived from observations, Data were checked through interviews, observations and document analysis, for the purpose of triangulation. Stated beliefs were checked against classroom practice and the information supplied by the pupils. The CDIS Writers' views were checked against the materials in the PETS package.

Results indicated that teacher practice was influenced by their beliefs about how reading should be taught. The views expressed by the teachers during the interview sessions were reflected in their teaching practice. Teachers who ere more focused on process, structured their reading lessons to ensure that meaning-making was incorporated. Teachers who were more focused on product, made the teaching of skills the main objective for their lesson. Although closer to meeting the recommendations in PETS, even the 'contemporary' teachers modified the materials. Results also showed that the Singaporean examination system and the school ranking procedures are extra factors that affect teaching procedures. Teachers express the belief that they are compelled to satisfy parents and the school administration by teaching pupils procedures to pass tests, rather than comprehension strategies.

The results point to a need for teachers to be better informed about the nature of the materials and the reading processes that they should be using, as well as the rationale behind recommended teaching strategies as outlined in the PETS materials. Teachers' beliefs about reading instruction will only change if teachers' understanding of reading theories is further enhanced. There may also be a need to address the pressures imposed by the examination system in Singapore.