Date of Conferral

11-13-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Billie Andersson

Abstract

In a suburban charter elementary school in the southeastern region of the United States, primary grade teachers were not fully implementing new strategies for all five components of the science of reading (SoR) during the shift from balanced literacy in the reading wars. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore primary grade teachers’ experiences with implementing new strategies to support the five components of the SoR. Guided by Hall and Hord’s concerns-based adoption model (CBAM), data were collected from a purposeful sample of 15 primary grade level teachers at the charter school, who participated in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using open inductive coding to identify six themes. Themes indicate that most teachers were at the “preparation for mechanical use” level within CBAM. Implementing strategies without a complete understanding left them feeling overwhelmed as they did not feel confident in their ability to fully implement components, correctly use strategies, or develop activities for students. Data also revealed that teachers wanted professional development for the “how” in implementing the SoR. Teachers requested hands-on professional development tailored to their classroom needs. Teachers wanted additional support to ensure the successful implementation of strategies, ensuring the strategies are taught and used effectively and efficiently. Based on the findings, a 3-day professional development was created to address the instructional gaps and support teachers’ continued growth in implementing the SoR. Supporting improved literacy instruction through the SoR may foster positive social change through enhanced student reading achievement, which could bridge learning in other content areas to assist in the development of well-rounded students.

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