Middle and High School Teachers’ Perceived Expertise and Needs in Disciplinary Literacy

For years, secondary educators have been tasked with incorporating literacy into their instruction, supported by training and courses; however, these may not fully meet the specific needs of teachers. Despite their existing expertise, teachers are often taught general literacy strategies, which leaves gaps in targeted and ongoing professional learning because their needs were not included in the co-design process. This study aimed to recognize teachers’ perceived expertise, challenge misconceptions that subject-area teachers do not incorporate literacy practices, and inform professional learning through teachers’ experiences and perspectives. Therefore, we surveyed 165 middle and high school teachers across eight subject areas to assess their knowledge and self-efficacy in disciplinary literacy. Our results extend existing research that highlights the expertise of subject-area teachers, while also building on scholarship that emphasizes the need for the literacy scholar’s expertise to be combined with others’ perspectives and expertise.