How do teachers appropriate and implement a newly introduced reading and spelling instructional method? A qualitative investigation of barriers, levers, and recommendations

Résumé En

Learning to read and spell constitutes a major societal concern. As a result, different stud- ies have been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of different instructional methods. However, few studies have investigated how teachers appropriate and implement a newly reading and spelling instructional method in the classroom. In order to grasp informa- tion regarding this appropriation and implementation, we set up a qualitative study. An online questionnaire was completed by 116 teachers and an interview was conducted with 15 other teachers who voluntarily used a reading and spelling instructional method that they had never used before. A thematic content analysis and the QDA Miner Lite software (ProvalisResearch) were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the conditions underlying appropriation can be organized into three categories: (1) “Context” with the teacher profile, the class profile, and the organizational context, (2) “Implementation con- ditions” with the resources and time allocated to the implementation of the instructional method and training and supervision conditions, and (3) “Cognitive and Behavioral Appro- priation” with characteristics of the instructional method and the knowledge/understanding of the theoretical underpinnings. We thus provide recommendations aiming at improving appropriation of instructional methods, and we highlight methodological challenges for planning effective assessments.