Fachwissen von Grundschullehrkräften

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Early literacy studies in Germany have primarily focused on didactic approaches, instructional methods, and classroom interaction. While these studies generally find no significant differences in achievement based on teaching approaches, evidence suggests that literacy skill development is more influenced by the quality of instruction for struggling pupils. This study explores the impact of teachers’ subject matter content knowledge on pupils’ spelling, utilizing the COACTIV theoretical model of teacher competence. The sample included 421 elementary school children from 29 classes, with assessments of intelligence and phonological awareness at the start of 1st grade and spelling at the end of 2nd grade. Teachers’ knowledge was evaluated through a questionnaire, and data were analyzed using multilevel regression analysis, focusing on the interaction between teachers’ knowledge and pupils’ intelligence. Findings indicate that teachers’ knowledge moderates the relationship between intelligence and spelling achievement; specifically, higher teacher knowledge correlates with a weaker effect of intelligence on spelling. This significant effect persists even after accounting for phonological awareness at school entry. These results provide empirical evidence of the influence of teachers’ subject matter knowledge on pupils’ spelling and highlight the need for enhanced linguistic training in teacher education.