Reading Teacher Questionnaire – English

Instructions

Dear English/language arts teacher,

Thank you for participating in this study.

This questionnaire asks for information about:

• Background information
• Your initial education and professional development
• Your collaboration with teachers and parents
• Teacher beliefs and attitudes
• Teaching practices
• Your school

This information will help illustrate the similarities and differences between groups of teachers in order to better establish the context for students’ test results. For example, the information provided may help to establish what effect the availability of resources may have on student achievement - both within and between countries.

The questionnaire should be completed by you only. It should take about 30 minutes to complete.

If you do not know an answer precisely, your best estimate will be adequate for the purposes of the study.

Please note that the forward button used to proceed to the next question is located at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. In some instances you may need to scroll down to the bottom of your screen to access this forward button.

Your answers will be combined with answers from other teachers to calculate totals and averages. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151).

Background Information

Are you female or male?

(Please select one response.)

Female

Male

How old are you?

(Please move the slider to the appropriate number of years.)

What is your current employment status as a teacher?

(Please consider your employment status at this school and for all your teaching employments together.)

(Please select one response.)

	Full-time (more than 90% of full-time hours)	Part-time (71-90% of full-time hours)	Part-time (50-70% of full-time hours)	Part-time (less than 50% of full-time hours)
My employment status at this school

How many years of work experience do you have?

(Please round up to whole years no matter whether you worked part-time or full-time and move the slider to the appropriate number of years. If any option does not apply to you select "0" (zero).)

Year(s) working as a teacher at this school

Year(s) working as a teacher in total

Your Initial Education and Professional Development

What is the highest level of formal education you have completed?

(Please select one response.)

High school and/or some college courses

Associate’s degree

Master’s degree

Doctoral or professional degree (e.g., PhD, M.D., J.D)

Did you complete a teacher education or training program?

(Please select one response.)

Yes, a program of 1 year or less.

Yes, a program longer than 1 year

No

How did you receive your teaching qualifications?

(Please select one response.)

I attended a standard teacher education or training program at a college or university.

I attended an in-service teacher education or training program.

I attended a work based teacher education or training program.

I attended training in another pedagogical profession.

Other

Were any of the following included in your teacher education or training program or other professional qualification and do you teach them to the 10th grade in the current school year?

(Because this is an international survey, we had to categorize many of the actual subjects taught in schools into broad categories. If the exact name of one of your subjects is not listed, please mark the category you think best fits the subject.)

(Please select all that apply.)

Reading, writing and literature: reading and writing (and literature) in English, language arts, public speaking, literature, composition, communications, journalism

Mathematics: mathematics, mathematics with statistics, geometry, algebra, etc.

Science: natural science, physics, physical science, chemistry, biology, human biology, earth and space sciences, environmental science, agriculture/horticulture/forestry

Technology: orientation in technology, including information technology, computer studies, construction/surveying, engineering, electronics, graphics and design, keyboard skills, word processing, workshop technology/design technology

Social studies: social studies, community studies, contemporary studies, economics, environmental studies, geography, history, humanities, legal studies, American studies, social sciences, ethical thinking, philosophy

Modern foreign languages: languages different from the language of instruction

Classical languages (e.g., Latin)

Arts: arts, music, visual arts, practical art, drama, performance music, photography, drawing, creative handicraft, creative needlework

Physical education: physical education, gymnastics, dance, health

Religion and/or ethics: religion, history of religions, religion culture, ethics

Practical and vocational skills: vocational skills (preparation for a specific occupation), technics, domestic science, accounting, business studies, career education, clothing and textiles, driving, home economics, polytechnic courses, secretarial studies, tourism and hospitality, handicraft.

	Included in my teacher education or training program or other professional qualification	I teach it to the 10th grade in the current school year
Reading, writing and literature
Mathematics
Science
Technology
Social studies
Modern foreign languages
Classical languages (e.g., Latin)
Arts
Physical education
Religion and/or ethics
Practical and vocational skills

What proportion of your teacher education or training program or other professional qualification was dedicated to each of the following areas?

(For each area please enter an approximate percentage, e.g.,“20” in the first row to indicate 20% of initial education time used for English/language arts.)

(Note that the percentages must add up to 100.)

English/language arts: knowledge and skills related to English/language arts

Pedagogy of English/language arts: knowledge and methodology of English/language arts, instructional skills (teaching reading comprehension strategies, structure of texts or literature)

General pedagogical knowledge: e.g., teacher-student interaction, classroom management, school evaluation, special education

As part of your formal education and/or training, to what extent did you study the following areas?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not at all	Overview or introduction to topic	It was an area of emphasis
English/language arts
Pedagogy/teaching English/language arts
Educational psychology
Remedial English/Language arts
Theoretical models and processes of reading
Special education
Pedagogy/teaching English as a second or foreign language
Assessment methods in reading comprehension

Are you required to take part in professional development activities?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

During the last 12 months, what proportion of your professional development activities was dedicated to each of the following areas?

(For each area please enter an approximate percentage, e.g.,“20” in the first row to indicate 20% of professional development activity time used for English/Language arts.)

(Note that the percentages must add up to 100.)

English/language arts: knowledge and skills related to English/language arts domain

Pedagogy of English/language arts: knowledge and methodology of English/Language arts, instructional skills (teaching reading comprehension strategies, structure of texts or literature)

General pedagogical knowledge: e.g., teacher-student interaction, classroom management, school evaluation,special education

Were any of the topics listed below included in your teacher education or training program or other professional qualification and your professional development activities?

(Please select all that apply.)

	Included in my teacher education or training program or other professional qualification	Included in my professional development activities during the last 12 months
Knowledge and understanding of my subject field(s)
Pedagogical competencies in teaching my subject field(s)
Knowledge of the curriculum
Student assessment practices
ICT (information and communication technology) skills for teaching
Student behavior and classroom management
School management and administration
Approaches to individualized learning
Teaching students with special needs
Teaching in a multicultural or multilingual setting
Teaching cross-curricular skills (e.g., problem solving, learning-tolearn)
Student career guidance and counseling
Internal evaluation or self-evaluation of schools
Use of evaluation results
Teacher-parent cooperation
Second language teaching
Communicating with people from different cultures or countries
Teaching about equity and diversity

We would like to know how you generally feel about your job. How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disgree	Disgree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The advantages of being a teacher clearly outweigh the disadvantages.
If I could decide again, I would still choose to work as a teacher.
I would like to change to another school if that were possible.
I regret that I decided to become a teacher.
I enjoy working at this school.
I wonder whether it would have been better to choose another profession.
I would recommend my school as a good place to work.
I think that the teaching profession is valued in society.
I am satisfied with my performance in this school.
All in all, I am satisfied with my job.

About how much time per week do you spend reading for your work (e.g., articles, magazines, books, manuals, and websites) out of your classes?

(Please select one response.)

Less than 1 hour a week

1-3 hours a week

4-6 hours a week

More than 6 hours a week

How much do you agree with the following statements?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disgree	Disgree	Agree	Strongly Agree
Every teacher should be trained to teach reading comprehension.
Every teacher has a responsibility to improve students’ reading comprehension skills.
I know how to diagnose the students’ reading comprehension problems.
I am very confident in my capability to teach reading comprehension strategies.

How important do you consider teaching the following skills in your lessons?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Not important	Somewhat important	Important	Very important
Skills related to reading comprehension
Skills related to writing
Skills related to listening comprehension
Skills related to oral communication

How often do these situations occur in your English/language arts lessons?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Some lessons	Many lessons	Every lesson or almost every lesson
I tailor my teaching to meet the needs of my students.
I provide individual help when a student has difficulties understanding a topic or task.
I change the structure of my lesson on a topic that most students find difficult to understand.
I provide individual support for advanced students.
I tell students how they are performing in my course.
I give students feedback on their strengths in my course.
I tell students in which areas they can still improve.
I tell students how they can improve their performance.
I advise students on how to reach their learning goals.

How often do these things happen in your English/language arts lessons?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Every lesson	Most lessons	Some lessons	Never or hardly ever
Many students don’t listen to what I say.
There is noise and disorder.
I have to wait a long time for students to quiet down.
Students cannot work well.
Students don’t start working for a long time after the lesson begins.

How often do the following things happen in your English/language arts lessons?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Every lesson	Most lessons	Some lessons	Never or hardly ever
I set clear goals for the students’ learning.
I ask questions to check whether students have understood what was taught.
At the beginning of a lesson, I present a short summary of the previous lesson.
I tell students what they have to learn.

How often do you teach the following aspects of reading comprehension in your lessons?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Some lessons	Many lessons	Every lesson or almost every lesson
Summarizing strategies
Connecting texts with prior content knowledge
Monitoring comprehension
Adapting the mode of reading depending on reading purposes
Assessing credibility of information available on the Internet
Searching and selecting relevant information on the Internet

In your English/language arts lessons, how often does the following occur?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or hardly ever	In some lessons	In most lessons	In all lessons
I encourage students to express their opinion about a text.
I help students relate the stories they read to their lives.
I show students how the information in texts builds on what they already know.
I pose questions that motivate students to participate actively.

How often do you ask the students to do the following things to develop their reading comprehension skills or strategies?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Never or almost never	Once or twice a month	Once or twice a week	Every day or almost every day
Identify the main ideas of what they have read
Explain or support their understanding of what they have read
Draw inferences based on what they have read
Describe the style or structure of the text they have read
Determine the author’s perspective or purpose

During this academic year, how many pages was the longest piece of text your 10th-grade students had to read for your lessons?

(Please select one response.)

One page or less

Between 2 and 10 pages

Between 11 and 50 pages

Between 51 and 100 pages

Between 101 and 500 pages

More than 500 pages

In your lessons, have you ever taught any of the following things?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
How to use keywords when using a search engine such as Google©, Yahoo©, etc.
How to decide whether to trust information from the Internet
How to compare different web pages and decide what information is more relevant for the students’ school work
To understand the consequences of making information publicly available online on Facebook©, Instagram©, etc.
How to use the short description below the links in the list of results of a search
How to detect whether the information is subjective or biased
How to detect phishing or spam emails

Within the last month, have digital devices (such as a tablet, computer, smartphone, e-reader or interactive whiteboard) been used in your teaching of English/language arts lessons?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

During the last month, did you ask your English/language arts students to use digital devices for any of the following purposes?

(Please select one response.)

	Yes	No
Searching for subject-related information online
Working on extended projects (e.g., over several weeks)
Working on short assignments (e.g., within a week)
Working at their individual pace
Working on individualized material
Planning a sequence of learning activities for themselves
Submitting homework or classwork
Practicing or drilling
Coordinating schoolwork with other students
Following up on missed lessons or material
Reading texts electronically instead of paper versions
Writing a text such as a blog or a wiki

To what extent do you agree with the following statements about regular cooperation among your fellow English/language arts teachers and yourself?

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Strongly Disgree	Disgree	Agree	Strongly Agree
We discuss the achievement requirements for English/language arts when setting tests.
We discuss the criteria we use to grade written tests.
We exchange tasks for classes and homework that cover a range of different levels of difficulty.
I prepare a selection of teaching units with my fellow English/language arts teachers.
We discuss ways to teach learning strategies and techniques to our students.
My fellow English/language arts teachers benefit from my specific skills and interests.
We discuss ways to better identify students’ individual strengths and weaknesses.

Is there any formal curriculum for English/language arts in the 10th grade?

(Please consider national, state, district, or school policies.)

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

Are parents informed about the availability and content of the English/language arts curriculum (e.g., in a parent-teacher conference or a newsletter)?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

Does your school have special programs for students who have the following characteristics?

(Please consider that students may fall into multiple categories.)

(Please select one response in each row.)

	Yes	No
Students with special needs
Students whose heritage language is different from English
Students who struggle with reading

Does your school have a policy concerning the use of digital devices for teaching?

(Please select one response.)

Yes

No

Which of the following statements best describes how you read books (on any topic)?

(Please select one response.)

I rarely or never read books.

I read books more often in paper format.

I read books more often on digital devices (e.g., e-reader, tablet, smartphone, computer).

I read books equally often in paper format and on digital devices.

Which of the following statements best describes how you read the news (e.g., politics, culture, sports, local news)?

(Please select one response.)

I do not follow the news at all.

I only watch or listen to the news (e.g., radio, television, podcasts).

I read the news more often on digital devices (e.g., tablet, smartphone, computer).

I read the news more often on paper (e.g., newspapers, magazines).

I read the news equally often in paper format and on digital devices.

How often are you involved in the following reading activities?

(Please select one response in each row. If you don’t know what the activity is, select “I don’t know what it is.”.)

	I don’t know what it is	Never or almost never	Several times a month	Several times a week	Several times a day
Reading emails
Chat online (e.g., WhatsApp®, Messenger®)
Reading online news
Searching information online to learn about a particular topic
Taking part in online group discussions or forums
Searching for practical information online (e.g., schedules, events, tips, recipes)

Thank you very much for your cooperation in completing this questionnaire!