Motivated to Teach, Yet Not an Avid Reader: Analyzing Teacher Candidates’ Reading Dispositions Through a Conceptual Framework of Transformative Reading Practices

This study investigates teacher candidates’ reading dispositions—habits, attitudes,

beliefs, and values—through the Conceptual Framework of Transformative

Reading Practices, which integrates sociocultural theory, transactional theory, and

Bishop’s metaphor of Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors. This

framework emphasizes the importance of personal engagement with texts,

collaborative reflection within learning communities, and exposure to diverse

literature as key factors of positive reading experiences. By analyzing the

perceptions of preservice and in-service teachers, we explore how these

dispositions influence literacy instruction and highlight the critical role of teacher

preparation programs in fostering inclusive and responsive teaching practices.

Findings advocate for embedding aesthetic reading opportunities and identity-

affirming texts into the curriculum to support all candidates—particularly those

less engaged as readers—in cultivating lifelong, transformative relationships with

literature.