Perceptions and training needs of teachers in relation to reading practices and the School Reading Plan

Abstract

Students’ reading comprehension and the habit of regular reading are a growing concern, reinforcing the need to design and implement solid and efficient Reading Plans in schools, as well as to support and increase teacher training. This paper aims to understand the perceptions and training needs of teachers from a range of areas and educational stages in relation to their own personal reading habits, their teaching practices and the needs of their students. This paper also aims to enrich a training process carried out in a school, with a view to the construction of a Reading Project. A mixed approach has made it possible to collect data from questionnaires and discussion groups carried out with teachers from a range of disciplines and educational stages. The results suggest that the value teachers assign to personal and professional reading is higher than expected. The results also suggest a series of specific needs: to involve all areas of knowledge in the evaluation of reading competence and the promotion of reading habits; to promote coordination between various educational stages; to improve and establish criteria for text selection; and to revitalise resources such as classroom and school libraries.