The relationship between teachers’ beliefs on reading and the time spent with digital storybooks in  class, and the moderating effect of perceived barriers

As a fundamental skill in one’s life, reading should be one of the main focuses of children's education, which translates to teachers holding a vital role in the development of reading skills. The current study examines whether there is a relationship between teachers’ beliefs about reading and their actual reading practices, as well as the moderation effect of potential barriers that may hinder this relationship. Specifically, we explored the relationship between the perceived severity and responsibility of engaging in reading activities from a young age and the actual time spent reading digital books in the classroom. Teachers from schools in the Netherlands (N = 10) responded to a questionnaire that measured their perceived severity, responsibility, and barriers to reading in class, and also provided their log data with the frequency and duration that they were reading digital books in class. We performed separate regression analyses with each variable of perceived severity and...Show moreAs a fundamental skill in one’s life, reading should be one of the main focuses of children's education, which translates to teachers holding a vital role in the development of reading skills. The current study examines whether there is a relationship between teachers’ beliefs about reading and their actual reading practices, as well as the moderation effect of potential barriers that may hinder this relationship. Specifically, we explored the relationship between the perceived severity and responsibility of engaging in reading activities from a young age and the actual time spent reading digital books in the classroom. Teachers from schools in the Netherlands (N = 10) responded to a questionnaire that measured their perceived severity, responsibility, and barriers to reading in class, and also provided their log data with the frequency and duration that they were reading digital books in class. We performed separate regression analyses with each variable of perceived severity and responsibility, and the total reading time, as well as a hierarchical regression analysis with our moderator (perceived barriers). However, we were unable to prove any significant relationship or moderation effect among our variables. We concluded that the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their actual teaching practices is complicated and that it can be influenced by many factors not included in our study, such as time constraints and potential lack of specific teaching qualifications. This, as well as our insufficient sample size, might have impacted our research and resulted in non-significant results. Nevertheless, the current study provides an important starting point for future research regarding this relationship, as well as information for digital book reading; a field with limited available research.Show less

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The relationship between teachers’ beliefs on reading and the time spent with digital storybooks in class, and the moderating effect of perceived barriers