Teacher’s methodological competence as the foundation of primary school students’ orthographic literacy
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background.The article emphasizes the relevance of shifting from merely stating the problem of low literacy among schoolchildren to addressing its underlying cause – the deficit in teachers’ predictive and reflective skills. It is argued that the high percentage of errors among students is not due to a lack of teaching materials, but rather to a deficit in specific methodological skills of the teacher. Thepurposeof the work is to theoretically substantiate and empirically identify the structure of a teacher’s methodological competence as a key condition for overcoming spelling difficulties. Methodology.The research is based on methods including the study of regulatory documents, analysis and synthesis of psychological-pedagogical and methodological literature, a questionnaire survey and processing of its results, and the analysis of school textbooks. Results.Based on the analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, the content of the concept “teacher’s methodological competence” in the field of spelling has been refined, and its cognitive, operational-technological, predictive, and reflective components have been identified. The results of a diagnostic workshop involving 1,373 primary school teachers are presented, revealing professional deficits: an incomplete understanding of the essence of a spelling pattern as a choice situation, insufficient mastery of the system of its identifying features, and a weak connection between the linguistic principles of spelling and the selection of appropriate methodological tools. As a solution, an algorithmic system of methodological actions is proposed, encompassing stages from identifying the features of a spelling pattern to creating an algorithm for its verification. A practice-oriented model for teacher professional development is substantiated, based on the design of didactic modules grounded in the linguistic nature of spelling patterns and on the diagnostic analysis of errors. The conclusion is drawn that it is necessary to shift the focus from the conditions of student learning to the design of a diagnostically supported system of the teacher’s professional actions in order to achieve sustainable spelling literacy. Practical implications.The findings of the study can serve as a foundation for modernizing primary school teacher training programs in pedagogical universities and advanced training courses, making them more practice-oriented and grounded in specific mechanisms for developing spelling skills, taking into account the cognitive characteristics of younger schoolchildren.
Author: Galina V. Mitina
Institution: Pacific National University
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $80
OpenAlex ID: W7204995664