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Abstract

This study examined six preservice teachers’ beliefs about struggling readers, as well as their constructions of knowledge for how to teach reading. Interview and artifact data were analyzed to relate preservice teacher beliefs to knowledge construction. Analyses revealed that without practical experiences with reading instruction, preservice teachers’ beliefs centered on student and home deficits, and their construction of knowledge consisted of simple solutions. With more practical experiences, however, preservice teachers’ beliefs shifted to focus on the role of teachers and instruction, and their knowledge construction became more sophisticated. Implications for structuring teacher education programs are discussed.

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