Graduate Program

Curriculum and Instruction

Degree Name

Master of Science in Education (MSEd)

Semester of Degree Completion

Spring 2025

Thesis Director

Alexis Jones

Thesis Committee Member

Kiran Padmaraju

Thesis Committee Member

Angela Coady

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how explicit and systematic phonics instruction impacts student achievement, and to explore how instructional strategies are effectively implemented in the classroom. To guide the study, two research questions were developed: (1) How does explicit and systematic phonics instruction impact student achievement in vowel teams and r-controlled vowels? (2) What are teacher perceptions of explicit phonics instruction and how are they implemented in the classroom? This was a mixed-methods study. Data was collected from 18 second-grade students and one classroom teacher. Quantitative data was gathered using weekly pre and posttests addressing various phonics skills, as well as an Informal Decoding Inventory to provide baseline phonics data. Instruments such as interviews with the teacher participant and observations of phonics lessons rendered qualitative data. Quantitative results revealed that after 4 weeks of explicit phonics instruction, student learning and improvement occurred. Qualitative findings examined instructional strategies that the teacher perceives to be effective and engaging for student success. The findings in this study remain valuable, as the dynamic field of education will inevitably demand that phonics instruction is both effective and adaptable to diverse learning environments.

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