The moderating influence of instructional intensity and word type on the acquisition of academic vocabulary in young English language learners

This study used a within-subjects design to explore two instructional conditions for developing vocabulary in second-grade Spanish-speaking English learners (ELs)—extended instruction and embedded instruction implemented during shared interactive reading. Words assigned to the extended condition were directly taught using a multifaceted approach that included visuals, bilingual definitions, examples, spelling, and partner-talk about the words’ meaning. Words assigned to the embedded condition were taught solely through brief definitions to embedded text, writing activities, and songs. In the control condition students heard the target words read aloud during shared interactive reading but without definitions or direct instruction. The study also explored the interaction between instructional condition and word type. Four types of words—abstract cognates, abstract noncognates, concrete cognates, and concrete noncognates—were randomly assigned to each condition. Nine teachers in four schools and 187 second-grade ELs participated in this within-subjects intervention, which took place in transitional bilingual classrooms. Findings indicated that across all word types, both extended and embedded instruction were more effective than the control condition in helping ELs acquire vocabulary. Findings also indicated that extended instruction was more effective then embedded instruction for all word types except concrete cognates suggesting that these young Spanish-speaking ELs were advantaged by word knowledge in their home language. Finally, while embedded instruction was less effective than extended instruction, it was much more effective than a control condition. Embedded instruction takes significantly less preparation and instructional time than extended instruction, offering teachers a practical way to teach more vocabulary to ELs.     

An evaluation of argument mapping as a method of enhancing critical thinking performance in e-learning environments

The current research examined the effects of a critical thinking (CT) e-learning course taught through argument mapping (AM) on measures of CT ability. Seventy-four undergraduate psychology students were allocated to either an AM-infused CT e-learning course or a no instruction control group and were tested both before and after an 8-week intervention period on CT ability using the Halpern Critical Thinking Assessment. Results revealed that participation in the AM-infused CT course significantly enhanced overall CT ability and all CT sub-scale abilities from pre- to post-testing and that post-test performance was positively correlated with motivation towards learning and dispositional need for cognition. In addition, AM-infused CT course participants exhibited a significantly larger gain in both overall CT and in argument analysis (a CT subscale) than controls. There were no effects of training on either motivation for learning or need for cognition. However, both the latter variables were correlated with CT ability at post-testing. Results are discussed in light of research and theory on the best practices of providing CT instruction through argument mapping and e-learning environments.     

Teaching critical questions about argumentation through the revising process: effects of strategy instruction on college students’ argumentative essays

The effects of self-regulated strategy development revising instruction for college students that targeted the use of argumentation schemes and critical questions were assessed in three conditions. In the first condition, students were taught to revise their essays by asking and answering critical questions about the argument from consequences and argument from example schemes while writing about controversial topics. In the second condition, students were taught to revise their essays by using argumentation schemes to justify their standpoint, but did not learn the critical questions. In the third condition, students received no instruction about either the argumentation schemes or the critical questions. Compared to students in the contrasting conditions, those who were taught to ask and answer critical questions wrote essays that were of higher quality, and included more counterarguments, alternative standpoints, and rebuttals. These findings indicate that strategy instruction that includes critical standards for argumentation increases college students’ sensitivity to alternative perspectives.     

Evaluation of patterning instruction for kindergartners

Abstract

To determine whether patterning instruction was as useful or more useful than other forms of instruction, kindergarten children (age five) were taught either patterning or early literacy or mathematics or social studies in matched sessions. Instruction was conducted in 15-minute sessions from November through mid-April. Posttests on patterning, mathematics, early literacy, and three executive functions showed that the children taught patterning became significantly better at patterning than those in the other instructional conditions. No differences were found between the children taught mathematics, early literacy, or social studies. Correlational analyses indicated that the relations of patterning ability, working memory, and inhibitory control to mathematics achievement were similar. Cognitive flexibility was not very strongly related to any other measure and the executive functions were relatively independent of each other for the children who were age five.     

The differential effects of teaching addition through strategy instruction versus drill and practice to students with and without learning disabilities

Forty-two second-grade general education students and 42 students with learning disabilities (LD) were taught basic, one-digit addition facts (e.g., 5 + 3 = _). Students received instruction via (a) a minimum addend strategy, (b) drill and practice, or (c) control. The effectiveness of the two methods was measured through students' accuracy and latency scores on a posttest and a transfer task (e.g., 5 + 3 + 7 =_). Students with LD improved significantly only in the strategy condition, as compared to drill-and-practice and control conditions, whereas general education students improved significantly both in the strategy and the drill-and-practice conditions as compared to the control condition. However, in the transfer task, students from all groups became significantly more accurate only in the strategy condition, while all students were significantly faster than their control group peers regardless of teaching method. The implications for teachers' differential choices of methods of instruction for students with different learning characteristics are discussed.     

Using a picture-embedded method to support acquisition of sight words

This study investigated whether an intervention using words embedded with pictures can be more effective in sight word instruction than one using words alone. Participants included sixty-nine children in junior kindergarten (ages 4–5) enrolled in school in Ontario, Canada. Children were split randomly into treatment and control groups; the treatment group was taught four words using picture-embedded words, and the control group was taught using text alone. Both groups also received phonics instruction to support sight word acquisition. Children in the picture-embedded word condition performed significantly higher than those in the word-alone condition on an immediate post-training test and later retention tests. This outcome, which contrasts with previous studies using picture-embedded words, may result from this method's use of a relevant linking phrase and action that help build an association between picture and word, as well as its incorporation of phonics instruction, with future work needed to test this hypothesis.     

The Effects of Socio-scientific Instruction on Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Learning and Teaching Controversial Family Health Issues

This research investigates the effects of socioscientific instruction on pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy in the teaching and learning of controversial family health issues. For this purpose, a total of 251 students from two teacher training colleges participated in the study and were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught the contents of the controversial family health issues using socioscientific instruction approach and the control group was taught the same content using a more traditional approach. Quantitative data were obtained from both groups after responding to the ‘Teacher sense of Efficacy Scale’ as instrument used for data collection before and after the treatments. Analysis of covariance was used in data analysis of which the pre-treatment scores were used as covariates. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten participants randomly selected from the experimental group before and after the treatment to deepen and elaborate the quantitative data. The quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that the integration of the socioscientific instruction have significantly affected the pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy in favour of the experimental group that shows a more stronger sense of efficacy. It was concluded that the socioscientific instruction is significantly effective in changing the pre-service teachers’ weaker sense of efficacy to a stronger one in the controversial family health issues.     

The Effects of Socio-scientific Instruction on Pre-Service Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy for Learning and Teaching Controversial Family Health Issues

This research investigates the effects of socioscientific instruction on pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy in the teaching and learning of controversial family health issues. For this purpose, a total of 251 students from two teacher training colleges participated in the study and were randomly assigned as experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught the contents of the controversial family health issues using socioscientific instruction approach and the control group was taught the same content using a more traditional approach. Quantitative data were obtained from both groups after responding to the ‘Teacher sense of Efficacy Scale’ as instrument used for data collection before and after the treatments. Analysis of covariance was used in data analysis of which the pre-treatment scores were used as covariates. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten participants randomly selected from the experimental group before and after the treatment to deepen and elaborate the quantitative data. The quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that the integration of the socioscientific instruction have significantly affected the pre-service teachers’ sense of efficacy in favour of the experimental group that shows a more stronger sense of efficacy. It was concluded that the socioscientific instruction is significantly effective in changing the pre-service teachers’ weaker sense of efficacy to a stronger one in the controversial family health issues.

     

Transfer of Grapheme Discrimination from Cued to Traditional Orthography

This study was conducted to help settle a major controversy in spelling instruction concerning the phonetic generalization hypothesis. It utilized Solomon’s Four-Group Experimental Design for 2x2x2 factorial analyses-girls versus boys, pretesting versus nonpretesting, and phonetic instruction versus no phonetic treatment. Dependent variables were two spelling test scores of pupils in 106 Grades 2-6 classes: (1) spellings consistent with two phonetic generalizations taught to treatment groups and (2) spellings unrelated to the two phonetic generalizations. In order of most significant effects found, results showed girls superior to boys, pretesting better than nonpretesting, and questionable advantage for phonetic instruction over no phonetic instruction. Test-Study methods appear to be more promising than phonetic approaches. Further research is necessary to ascertain the definite value of Test-Study methods.     

Writing with peer response using different types of genre knowledge: Effects on linguistic features and revisions of sixth-grade writers

Effects of peer response using instruction in genre knowledge on the writing of 140 sixth-grade students are investigated. In one condition students were taught specific genre knowledge involving functions of linguistic indicators of time and place. In another condition students were taught more general aspects of communicative writing. Both conditions were compared with a baseline control, receiving regular writing education. Students were randomly assigned within classrooms to each of the three conditions. The use of indicators of time and place was positively related to writing quality. Furthermore, strong effects of the specific genre knowledge condition on the use of these linguistic features in writing and revision were found. Findings indicate that instruction in specific genre knowledge is a valuable addition to writing with peer response.     

Argumentation Practices in Classroom: Pre-service teachers' conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium

This study examines the impact of argumentation practices on pre-service teachers' understanding of chemical equilibrium. The sample consisted of 100 pre-service teachers in two classes of a public university. One of these classes was assigned as experimental and the other as control group, randomly. In the experimental group, the subject of chemical equilibrium was taught by using argumentative practices and the participants were encouraged to participate in the lessons actively. However, the instructor taught the same subject by using the lecturing method without engaging argumentative activities in the control group. The Chemical Equilibrium Concept Test and Written Argumentation Survey were administered to all participants to assess their conceptual understanding and the quality of their arguments, respectively. The analysis of covariance results indicate that argumentation practices significantly improved conceptual understanding of the experimental group when compared to the control group. Furthermore, the results show that the pre-service teachers exposed to argumentative practices constructed more quality arguments than those in the control group after the instruction. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the instruction based on argumentative practices is effective in concept teaching in science education. Therefore, argumentation should be explicitly taught in teacher education besides elementary and secondary education.     

Effects of explicit instruction on the acquisition of students’ science inquiry skills in grades 5 and 6 of primary education

In most primary science classes, students are taught science inquiry skills by way of learning by doing. Research shows that explicit instruction may be more effective. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of explicit instruction on the acquisition of inquiry skills. Participants included 705 Dutch fifth and sixth graders. Students in an explicit instruction condition received an eight-week intervention of explicit instruction on inquiry skills. In the lessons of the implicit condition, all aspects of explicit instruction were absent. Students in the baseline condition followed their regular science curriculum. In a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design, two paper-and-pencil tests and three performance assessments were used to examine the acquisition and transfer of inquiry skills. Additionally, questionnaires were used to measure metacognitive skills. The results of a multilevel analysis controlling for pre-tests, general cognitive ability, age, gender and grade level indicated that explicit instruction facilitates the acquisition of science inquiry skills. Specifically on the performance assessment with an unfamiliar topic, students in the explicit condition outperformed students of both the implicit and baseline condition. Therefore, this study provides a strong argument for including an explicit teaching method for developing inquiry skills in primary science education.     

Children’s acquisition and use of the control-of-variables strategy: effects of explicit and implicit instructional guidance

Direct instruction is a proven effective method to strengthen children’s ability to design unconfounded experiments using the control-of-variables strategy (CVS). Recent research suggests that task segmentation can also promote children’s use of this strategy. The present study investigated this assumption by comparing the relative effectiveness of both instructional approaches in elementary science classes. Children in the direct instruction condition (n = 22) were taught the CVS prior to investigating a multivariable inquiry task. Children in the task structuring condition (n = 23) were not, but received a segmented version of the inquiry task that addressed the variables in successive order. Children in the control condition (n = 22) investigated the multivariable inquiry task without additional support. Comparison among these three conditions revealed that task structuring equals direct instruction in effectiveness to promote children to use the CVS and draw valid inferences, and that either type of guidance is more effective than unguided inquiry learning. However, as children’s knowledge of the CVS improved as much in either condition, more practice seems needed for children to take full advantage of both instructional approaches.     

An Exploratory Study of a Gender Equity Program for Secondary School Students

This paper examines the effectiveness of an experiential program designed to make secondary school students in Canada more aware of the barriers to women in the workplace. Two studies are reported. In the first study, the researchers taught individual themes within the instructional module to small groups of students. In the second study, grade 11 students were given the complete instruction as part of a curriculum unit. Data were gathered from analysis of artifacts (in both studies) and audiotapes of sessions (in the first study). In addition, for the second study, students were compared to a matched control group on a pre-test/post-test assessment. The instruction proved effective in increasing student knowledge. Implications and suggestions for future studies are given.     

Implicit and explicit instruction of spelling rules

The study aimed to compare the differential effectiveness of explicit and implicit instruction of two Dutch spelling rules. Students with and without spelling disabilities were instructed a spelling rule either implicitly or explicitly in two experiments. Effects were tested in a pretest-intervention-posttest control group design. Experiment 1 suggested that explicit instruction of a morphological spelling rule led to instance-based knowledge in students with spelling disabilities and to rule-based knowledge in students without. Implicit instruction led to instance-based knowledge in students with spelling disabilities, and in the group without spelling disabilities no learning at all occurred. Experiment 2 revealed that explicit and implicit instruction of an orthographical spelling rule were equally effective in both groups and that the spelling knowledge they had acquired was instance-based. Findings suggest that explicit instruction is more effective than implicit instruction for the teaching of spelling rules when generalization is aimed at.     

Co‐Teaching in Middle School Classrooms Under Routine Conditions: Does the Instructional Experience Differ for Students with Disabilities in Co‐Taught and Solo‐Taught Classes?

Co‐teaching is a popular strategy for implementing the inclusion of students with disabilities within secondary general education classrooms. However, we have little data regarding its effectiveness under routine conditions of educational practice. This study examined whether there was an “additive effect” of the special education teacher on the instructional experiences of students with disabilities as compared with the experiences of the same students taught by only the general education teacher under routine conditions. Observers used time sampling methods to document how students with disabilities spent their time in 11 middle school co‐taught classes. Statistically significant differences were found for targeted students in terms of general education teacher interaction and individual instruction. General education teachers spent significantly less time with students with disabilities when the special education teacher was present. In addition, students with disabilities received significantly more individual instruction when the special education teacher was present. However, these differences were of limited practical significance.     

Volleyball and other analogies: a response to Englert.

Englert and her colleagues have contributed much to our knowledge about effective writing instruction. They have demonstrated that interventions that make explicit the writing process and text structures are successful with students with learning disabilities as well as those without. Englert attributes this success to the holistic, social, and interactive nature of the instruction. However, one must keep in mind that CSIW was a package approach that included other validated instructional components. CSIW teachers presented conceptual models, used examples and nonexamples to illustrate text structure concepts, modeled thinking overtly while demonstrating the process, provided guided practice by prompting the process through dialogue and think-sheets, faded prompts as students took over more of the responsibility for the process, and taught for generalization by addressing more than one text structure and promoting student talk about the process. As Englert reported, most teachers seldom do these things, even when they claim to teach the writing process. Englert allows for the possibility that all students with learning disabilities may not be ready for cognitive strategy instruction as it is described in her article, and professionals must acknowledge that different techniques may be more effective for students of different ages and abilities. Swanson (1990) emphasized that there must be a match between strategy and learner characteristics and that strategies must be considered in relation to a student's knowledge and capacity. Strategic teaching requires that the teacher have a repertoire of approaches along a continuum that encompasses coaching students to use their own mental resources at one end and basic skill instruction at the other.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Efficacy of Rich Vocabulary Instruction in Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Classrooms

A multi-cohort cluster randomized trial was conducted to estimate effects of rich vocabulary classroom instruction on vocabulary and reading comprehension. A total of 1,232 fourth- and fifth-grade students from 61 classrooms in 24 schools completed the study. Students received instruction in 140 Tier Two vocabulary words featured in two grade-level novels. Teachers were randomly assigned to either rich vocabulary (treatment) or to business as usual (control). Teachers in the treatment condition allotted 30 minutes per day to the intervention for 14 weeks. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed positive, significant treatment effects on distal and proximal measures of vocabulary and comprehension. However, average distal treatment effects were small (approximate d =.15) compared with proximal effects (approximate d = 1.24). Observations of teachers’ language arts instruction indicated that treatment teachers spent significantly more time on vocabulary and less time on comprehension instruction than did teachers in the control condition. Results support the intensity and depth of the instruction for learning the taught corpus of words, and modest transfer to global vocabulary and comprehension.     

Instructing First-Grade Children on Patterning Improves Reading and Mathematics

Research Findings: In each of 16 public school classrooms serving multiethnic low-income neighborhoods, 2 first graders were assigned to be taught patterning, 2 to be taught reading, 2 to be taught mathematics, and 2 to be taught social studies for 15-min sessions 3 days per week for 6 months. Assignment within each classroom was randomized. The children's mean age was 6 years, 5.19 months. Patterning instruction included instruction on symmetrical patterns, patterns with increasing numbers of elements, and patterns involving the rotation of an object through 6 or 8 positions. In May, the 120 children still available were tested on patterns, reading, and mathematics. Patterning instruction had large, fully mediated effects on both reading and mathematics. There were no significant differences on some individual scales, but on others children who received patterning instruction scored best, often by grade equivalents of 4 to 8 months. Extant explanations of the efficacy of patterning instruction are reviewed, and the potential importance and limitations of its role in early education are discussed. Practice or Policy: Patterning instruction should be extended to more complex patterns than the alternations currently used in elementary schools in order to produce important improvements in both reading and mathematics.     

The Collaboration of Cooperative Learning and Conceptual Change: Enhancing the Students’ Understanding of Chemical Bonding Concepts

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cooperative learning based on conceptual change approach instruction on ninth-grade students’ understanding in chemical bonding concepts compared to traditional instruction. Seventy-two ninth-grade students from two intact chemistry classes taught by the same teacher in a public high school participated in the study. The classes were randomly assigned as the experimental and control group. The control group (N?=?35) was taught by traditional instruction while the experimental group (N?=?37) was taught cooperative learning based on conceptual change approach instruction. Chemical Bonding Concept Test (CBCT) was used as pre- and post-test to define students’ understanding of chemical bonding concepts. After treatment, students’ interviews were conducted to observe more information about their responses. Moreover, students from experimental groups were interviewed to obtain information about students’ perceptions on cooperative work experiences. The results from ANCOVA showed that cooperative learning based on conceptual change approach instruction led to better acquisition of scientific conceptions related to chemical bonding concepts than traditional instruction. Interview results demonstrated that the students in the experimental group had better understanding and fewer misconceptions in chemical bonding concepts than those in the control group. Moreover, interviews about treatment indicated that this treatment helped students’ learning and increased their learning motivation and their social skills.