Transforming evidence into practice for reading and spelling instruction: a descriptive study of six Victorian primary schools

In this qualitative study, we describe the reported processes, enablers and barriers associated with transformations towards adopting structured literacy instruction at the whole-school level. Theoretical sampling was used to select six Victorian schools known as early adopters of structured literacy practices in the early years. Participants (n = 28), who represented various disciplines and roles, were interviewed individually. Using inductive thematic analysis, five processes were identified as pivotal to implementing this transformation across a school. These were (i) acknowledging the need for change, (ii) the critical and multiple roles of leaders throughout the entire transformation process, (iii) rigorous development of teachers’ knowledge and skills, (iv) adoption of a comprehensive approach to assessment and instruction, and (v) working towards consistency and low variance across the school. Practice considerations derived from our findings are provided as a series of practice guidelines to assist leaders who are embarking on a similar transformation to school-wide instruction.<p></p>