ERIC Number: ED668552
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 182
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-5355-3122-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Knowledge, Practice, and Self-Efficacy of Public Library Storytime Providers: A Mixed-Methods Study
Roseanne Marie Perkins
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Lehigh University
The importance of early literacy to later academic achievement has been well documented, as has the positive impact of high-quality early literacy environments. One stumbling block to achieving improvements in literacy skills for school-aged children appears to be inequities in access to high-quality early literacy environments. Public libraries, recognizing their unique position to support early literacy in their communities, have embarked on efforts to develop more robust early literacy-based storytime programming. Storytime providers, the individuals who design and deliver these programs to their communities, are key to the success of these efforts. Understanding how to successfully train and support these individuals is crucial to the goal of offering high-quality early literacy programs through public libraries. This small-scale mixed-methods proof of concept study had three central aims. The first was to determine to what extent, if at all, Storytime Behind the Scenes (SBS), an online intervention developed during this research, changed the knowledge, practice, and self-efficacy of storytime providers. Second, to determine if the SBS intervention was deemed feasible and acceptable by the participants. Finally, this study explored emergent themes related to the interconnected nature of knowledge, practice, and self-efficacy of storytime providers within the unique context of public library storytimes. This study demonstrated that SBS has the potential to have a positive impact on the knowledge, practice, and self-efficacy of early career storytime providers. Further, this study demonstrated that SBS was deemed feasible and acceptable by the participants. The findings suggest that special attention should be paid in future professional development interventions to supporting less-familiar early literacy skills and evidence-based practices, such as phonological awareness. Emphasis should also be placed on the unique aspects of storytime in these future interventions, including the need to balance education with entertainment, the mixed-age nature of the audience, and, perhaps most importantly, ways to comfortably and effectively engage with caregivers. The study also demonstrated some consensus among the participants' regarding the experiences that were informative of their storytime practice, which may be useful when designing future professional development for this audience. Limitations and avenues for future research are also discussed. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Public Libraries, Library Services, Knowledge Level, Self Efficacy, Library Personnel, Novices, Professional Development, Story Telling
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Tel: 800-521-0600; Web site: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml
Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A