Abstract
Abstract: Across the UK, Reading for Pleasure (RfP) is included in national curricula, yet
children’s engagement as readers appears to be declining. Equipping pre-service teachers
with the knowledge to develop RfP pedagogy in their classrooms is vital. Previous studies
have identified knowledge of diverse children’s literature as central to RfP pedagogy.
However, data indicate that teachers and pre-service teachers rely on a narrow childhood
canon. Furthermore, in initial teacher training (ITT), developing teachers’ knowledge of
children’s literature may be limited to an optional specialism. This study offers a starting
point for ITT provision that develops pedagogical content knowledge for RfP. A total of
595 pre-service teachers’ questionnaire responses from 10 UK universities are reported
about their expectations of RfP pedagogy and knowledge of children’s literature. Data
showed their limited knowledge of children’s authors and illustrators and highlighted
striking gaps in their understanding of RfP pedagogy with little difference between student
teachers who read regularly or those who rarely read in their free time. Recommendations
for new initiatives to address identified gaps in pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content
knowledge for RfP are discussed.
children’s engagement as readers appears to be declining. Equipping pre-service teachers
with the knowledge to develop RfP pedagogy in their classrooms is vital. Previous studies
have identified knowledge of diverse children’s literature as central to RfP pedagogy.
However, data indicate that teachers and pre-service teachers rely on a narrow childhood
canon. Furthermore, in initial teacher training (ITT), developing teachers’ knowledge of
children’s literature may be limited to an optional specialism. This study offers a starting
point for ITT provision that develops pedagogical content knowledge for RfP. A total of
595 pre-service teachers’ questionnaire responses from 10 UK universities are reported
about their expectations of RfP pedagogy and knowledge of children’s literature. Data
showed their limited knowledge of children’s authors and illustrators and highlighted
striking gaps in their understanding of RfP pedagogy with little difference between student
teachers who read regularly or those who rarely read in their free time. Recommendations
for new initiatives to address identified gaps in pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content
knowledge for RfP are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Education Sciences |
| Volume | 15 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 9 May 2025 |
Keywords
- reading
- pre-service
- teachers
- engagement
- pedagogy
- reading for pleasure
- training
- peers
- student teachers
Cite this
- APA
- Author
- BIBTEX
- Harvard
- Standard
- RIS
- Vancouver