Abstract

Previous research has found that inferential skills are important in the development of among classroom teachers. According to results of national and international standard tests the reading ability is deficient among adult population in Chile. The purpose of the study is to study and explore the development of elementary language teachers’ reading comprehension and competences to use inferential questions (fourth year level) after a training course at a Chilean elementary school. The paper draws on the phenomenography and the variation theory as well as the learning study model in offering 45 elementary language teachers a training course (24 hours and 6 meetings) in reading comprehension and in development of skills in formulating inferential questions. The findings suggest that the Learning study model used to train language teachers reading skills and their ability to formulate inferential questions resulted in improved knowledge and skills among the teachers. On average 60% achieved the highest comprehension level on test 1, and 40% on test 2 and test 3. These results indicate a substantial development of teachers’ reading comprehension and skills in formulation of inferential questions and course and effect questions, since elementary teachers have had few chances to improve their reading skills and a systematic and reflexive development of it. Besides, they have lacked didactic practices to be better prepared to generate improved reading comprehension among their students.