Teachers’ Beliefs About Literacy Teaching in Japanese Elementary Schools from the Perspective of Special Needs Education

Abstract

Teachers’ beliefs influence their practices. Furthermore, their pedagogical beliefs play a crucial role in shaping their teaching practices. Furthermore, teachers’ beliefs have a significant effect on students’ learning, especially literacy learning. Accordingly, in this study, teachers’ beliefs about literacy teaching for elementary school students were examined from the perspective of special needs education. The purpose of the study was to develop the Literacy Belief Scale to measure Japanese elementary school teachers’ beliefs about literacy instruction in general education classes. The participants, who included 179 Japanese elementary school teachers with a range of teaching experience across both general and special education classes, completed a questionnaire. Factor analysis was performed and three belief dimensions regarding literacy in general education classes were extracted. The results revealed that teachers’ beliefs toward pedagogical approaches are dependent on individual practice and experience.