Leana McClain

Senior Clinical Lecturer Emeritus

Where does your international research/engagement take place?
I have collabrated with teachers in Costa Rica, Cook Islands, and China.

Please briefly describe your research/activity.
Supporting literacy instruction in the classroom is my area of interest. I work directly with teachers in their classrooms introducing best practices in literacy instruction.

Why does your research/activity matter?
Teachers in countries outside of the United States do not always have the opportunity to receive adequate teaching training in literacy instruction, especially schools in rural and remote areas of the world. These are the schools that I collaborate with on improving classroom literacy instruction.

What led you to this research/activity?
Having been a classroom teacher for 30 years and having taught literacy methods in the IU School of Education for 20 years, supporting teachers stateside and internationally is a natural fit and a passion for me.

What problem do you hope this research/activity will solve/what are your hopes for this work?
I hope that work that I am doing will help solve the inadequacy in teacher preparation in the area of literacy instruction in developing countries.

How will your work create change for the better?
My hope is that teachers will be better prepared in presenting the best in literacy instruction to their students.