The Consequences of Secondary Teachers’ Low Efficacy in Delivering Writing Instruction: A Phenomenological Study
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Authors
Wright, Shavon
Issue Date
2026-04
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Educational Leadership & Learning Lifelong , teacher training , student motivation , self-efficacy
Alternative Title
Abstract
The problem addressed by this research study was secondary English teachers’ low efficacy in delivering writing instruction, which results in the deficient writing performance of students in Maryland public high schools. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of secondary English teachers with low efficacy levels in delivering writing instruction. Pre-service and in-service professional development lacks adequate focus on writing instruction to prepare teachers for success in delivering the content effectively in their role. Teachers’ preparedness influences their psychological well-being and confidence to perform. The study’s final purposeful sample included seven secondary English teachers with more than 1 year of experience teaching students in grades 10 – 12. The research participants were employed in the state of Maryland at one of the three public high schools. Data was gathered through semi structured interviews and a focus group and confirmed through member checking. The three major themes that emerged from data analysis using NVivo 15 software were: (a) culture of learning, (b) strategies to deliver writing instruction, and (c) teacher preparation. Three recommendations for practice were: (a) to revisit the pre-service training for new teachers, (b) for school system leaders to provide more communal in-service training to encourage reflective conversations around writing instruction, and (c) for the leaders of school systems to develop professional learning communities centering on writing instruction delivery and student support. Recommendations for future research were to (a) add an interview question where teachers exemplify their success in delivering writing instruction, (b) delve deeper into instructional writing strategies used by successful teachers in a focus group question, (c) include student writing artifacts to show growth, and (d) include an interview question about students’ preparation for technology competency for success on online high-stakes writing assessments.