合作学习在高职英语阅读教学中的适用性研究

合作学习理论在国外教学界已得到了广泛应用,但国内的英语阅读教学尤其是针刈商职学生的英语阅读教学还研究甚少。本文通过试验和开放式问卷调查的方式,研究合作学习在高职英语阅读教学中的实际效果,以探讨一种行之有效的阅读教学法。     

A case study of reading instruction in a Philippine classroom

In this article, we describe the reading practices in a public and high-achieving 6th grade English classroom in the Philippines. By utilizing a four resources model, we discuss the different roles that students assume in this classroom. Students in this class are mainly code breakers and text users and have limited opportunities to assume the other two roles of the four resources model. This case study provides a different view of reading, specifically a view of a culture of reading wherein higher status is given to oral reading performance rather than comprehension. We describe the way a high-achieving 6th grade Philippine classroom perceives reading. Through this article, we would like to contribute to the research literature on Philippine education and increase our knowledge of reading practices as they are conceived and practised in this particular classroom.     

Effects of implementation support on children's reading outcomes following an online early reading programme: A cluster-randomised controlled trial

Well-designed computer or app-based instruction has a number of potential benefits (eg increasing accessibility and feasibility of high-quality instruction, reducing time and resources required for training expert delivery, saving instructional time). However, variation in implementation can still affect outcomes when using educational technology. Research generally suggests that without follow-up support after training, implementation of educational interventions is often poor and outcomes reduced. However, the extent to which this is the case when the core element of an intervention is computer or app-delivered is not yet clear. This study investigated the effects of providing ongoing implementation support for Headsprout Early Reading (HER, an early reading programme accessible via a computer or an app), to determine whether such support leads to better outcomes. Twenty-two primary schools (269 learners) participated in a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Eleven schools received initial training followed by ongoing support across the school year, whereas the other 11 schools received initial training and technical support only. Pre- and post-measures of reading skills were conducted using the York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension. We found no effect of implementation support on outcomes, and no effect of implementation support on delivery of the core element of HER. However, there were some effects of implementation support on the implementation of other HER elements relating to the responsiveness of educators to learners' learning within HER. These findings have implications for providing access to high quality online instruction in early reading skills at scale, with minimal training. More broadly, the current study suggests that well-designed computer or app-based instruction can yield positive outcomes with minimal implementation support and training. However, further research is required to ensure the interplay between learners' app-based learning and teacher intervention functions as intended to provide additional support for those who need it.

Practitioner notes

What is already known about this topic

• Well-designed computer or app-based instruction has a number of potential benefits (eg increasing accessibility and feasibility of high-quality instruction, reducing time and resources required for training expert delivery, saving instructional time).
• Implementation can still affect outcomes when using educational technology, and without follow-up support after training, implementation of educational interventions is often poor and outcomes reduced.
• The extent to which this is the case when the core element of an intervention is computer or app-delivered is not yet clear.

What this paper adds

• We found that providing implementation support for teachers and teaching assistants delivering Headsprout Early Reading (HER; an early reading programme accessible via a computer or an app) did not affect the reading outcomes of learners.
• We also found the implementation support did not affect delivery of the core, app-delivered element of the programme.
• However, there were notable differences in implementation of other aspects of the programme, particularly in relation to the role of the teacher or educational practitioner in managing the interplay between the app-based learning and teacher intervention for learners who require further support.

Implications for practice and policy

• These findings have implications for providing access to high quality instruction in early reading skills at scale, with minimal training.
• More broadly, the current study suggests that well-designed computer or app-based instruction can yield positive outcomes with minimal implementation support and training.
• However, the findings of this study identify some potential risk of an over-reliance on technology to facilitate the learning of all learners accessing the programme.
• Further research is required to ensure the interplay between learners' app-based learning and teacher intervention functions as intended to provide additional support for those who need it.

     

From reading strategy instruction to student reading achievement: The mediating role of student motivational factors

This study investigated the associations among reading strategy instruction, student motivational factors (i.e., attitudes toward reading, reading self‐concept, and motivation to read), gender, and reading achievement. The analyses were conducted using the Hong Kong sample (students at Level 1, n = 3,875 and teachers at Level 2, n = 133) from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study 2011 through multilevel structural equation modeling. The results showed that, first, the relation between the frequency of reading strategy instruction and student reading achievement was mediated by student attitudes toward reading. Second, the frequency of reading strategy instruction was significantly related to student attitudes toward reading and motivation to read and student attitudes toward reading was significantly associated with reading achievement. Finally, girls had more positive attitudes toward reading, more positive reading self‐concept, higher motivation to read, and higher reading achievement than boys. These findings may shed light on how teachers should arrange their reading strategy instruction to interplay with student attitudes toward reading and motivation to read and to help improve reading achievement.     

Construction and validation of a Chinese SRL-based reading instruction questionnaire

The purpose of the study is to construct and validate a Chinese self-regulated learning (SRL)-based reading instruction questionnaire (CSRIQ) and to examine the relationship between Chinese reading instruction and Hong Kong students' reading development from the SRL perspective. A total of 339 Grade 10 students completed the initial CSRIQ in Study 1. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analyses were used to assess the psychometric quality of the questionnaire, and the original CSRIQ subscales were then revised. Study 2 comprised 1,121 Grade 10 students. The factor structure of the revised CSRIQ was supported by the findings of confirmatory factor analysis. The findings of structural equation modelling indicated significant relations between SRL-based instruction and various reading-related variables. Among the four aspects of instruction, teacher support was the most positive factor facilitating Chinese students' reading development, whereas student autonomy seemed less favourable. Cultural and curricula factors affecting Chinese reading instruction in Hong Kong were discussed.     

The child,the text and the teacher: reading primers and reading instruction

From the late sixteenth century, in response to the problem of how best to teach children to read, a variety of texts, such as primers, spellers and readers were produced in England for vernacular instruction. This paper describes how these materials were used by teachers to develop, first, a specific religious understanding according to the stricture of the time and, second, a moral reading practice that provided the child with a guide to secular conduct. The analysis focuses on the use of these texts as a productive means for shaping the child-reader in the context of newly emerging educational spaces, which fostered a particular, morally formative relation among teacher, child and text.     

Effects of instruction on beginning reading skills in children at risk for reading disability

Children identified in kindergarten as being at risk for reading disability were taught in grades one and two using one of two methods of reading instruction, a structured phonics code-emphasis approach or an approach emphasizing use of context. At the end of first and second grade, children were tested on measures of achievement in word identification, word attack, passage comprehension and spelling. Those in the Code group earned uniformly higher scores on all achievement measures at the end of first and second grades. At the end of first grade, statistically significant differences between groups were found on nonword reading and spelling of phonetically regular words. At the end of second grade, significant differences were found in reading of polysyllabic real words and decoding of monosyllabic and polysyllabic nonsense words. It was concluded that reading instruction does have an important impact on acquisition of early reading skills, and that structured, systematic phonics instruction results in more favorable outcome than does a context emphasis approach.This research was supported by PHS Grant HD21887 to Bowman Gray School of Medicine and by PHS Grant NS19413 to UNC-Greensboro, Subcontract to Bowman Gray School of Medicine. Request for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Idalyn S. Brown, Section of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, 300 South Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27103, USA.     

Inclusive and collaborative practices in co-taught classrooms: Roles and responsibilities for teachers and parents

As a step towards inclusion, co-teaching has received attention in the last two decades. This paper discusses the roles and responsibilities of co-teachers in Greek mainstream classrooms and the input of parents. Using a multiple case study research design, we sought to explore and evaluate co-teaching practices with regard to role understanding, responsibilities in classroom management and the relationship of co-teachers and parents. Our findings provide evidence for separate rather than complementary roles with little actual co-teaching practice. We argue for both political and practical changes regarding co-teachers' and parents' roles, as necessary for the enhancement of co-teaching.     

Implementation and effects of explicit reading comprehension instruction in fifth-grade classrooms

In this intervention study, teachers tried to implement four instructional principles derived from the literature on research-based, explicit reading comprehension instruction in their fifth-grade classrooms. The principles focused on relevant background knowledge, reading comprehension strategies, reading-group organization, and reading motivation. Results indicated that during a five-month intervention period, students in the intervention group increased their strategic competence and comprehension performance relative to controls. However, no effect was found on reading motivation. The overall pattern of results is explained in relation to the implementation quality of the four instructional principles, with implementation data indicating that the principles of reading-group organization and reading motivation were particularly difficult for the teachers to translate into classroom practice.     

Reading comprehension instruction in Irish primary classrooms: key insights into teachers' perspectives on classroom practices

Despite a wealth of international research indicating the importance but also the dearth of explicit reading comprehension instruction in classrooms, current classroom reading pedagogy does not appear to have acknowledged and addressed this shortcoming to any significant degree. This is cause for some considerable concern, as today's students require effective, metacognitive reading comprehension strategies in order to succeed in a vastly expanding multi-literate textual environment. This paper will discuss a recent study, involving a survey (n=278) and interviews (n=12), which examined current beliefs and understandings regarding reading, as well as reading pedagogy and practice among teachers at primary level in Ireland. The findings revealed that current reading pedagogy, as indicated by the surveyed teachers, relies heavily on decoding instruction and an affective approach to reading while explicit comprehension instruction practice remains secondary and more the exception rather than the rule. The paper will attempt to examine possible reasons as to why current reading pedagogy remains ‘un-balanced’ in this manner while also exploring possible avenues for improvement.     

Accommodating differences: variations in differentiated literacy instruction in Grade 2/3 classrooms

Although teachers are acutely aware of variance in students' literacy needs, many are unsure exactly how to support these needs in the dynamic classroom. This study reports on compelling evidence from Grade 2/3 classrooms in which teachers differentiated instruction in a variety of ways to benefit all students. In particular, teachers provided additional scaffolding for struggling literacy learners by offering a menu of tiered work products, expert tutoring and additional supports. At the base of instruction were common essential understandings grounded in best literacy practices: shared reading and writing, guided reading, excellent texts and literacy centres. The article emphasises the critical importance of responding to the needs of diverse and at‐risk learners in the regular classroom. Differentiated instruction is suggested as a powerful organising framework in the language arts classroom.     

Effects of a positive youth development approach to literacy through young adult literature in the secondary remedial reading class: an action research study

The purpose of this action research study was to determine if a bibliotological approach to literacy with at-risk students met the educational expectations of a remedial reading course while simultaneously accelerating literacy practices and promoting positive youth development. Twenty-four tenth grade students enrolled in a remedial reading course in the southwestern USA participated in a nine-week instructional design that utilized young adult literature as a medium through which to practice literacy skills and strategies while exploring positive youth development simultaneously. Measurement protocols included diagnostic assessments of reading, surveys, Likert-scale inventories, and journals as a way of eliciting students’ voices. Data was analyzed through paired t-tests, Bonferroni Correlation, and typological and inductive coding. Through this approach, all students experienced an increase in self-efficacy, which led to positive youth development and growth in literacy proficiency and practices. Suggestions for future research include the study of this approach in multiple remedial contexts, with multiple young adult texts, and for greater lengths of time. Additionally, a follow-up inquiry to determine potential lasting impact is warranted.     

From learning to development: a sociocultural approach to instruction

Theories of human development and learning provide an essential framework in which to understand the mechanisms involved in the process of formal instruction as a specific form of teaching and learning in the school setting. The sociocultural theory of development, founded on the works of Lev Vygotsky, espouses the view that social interaction among two or more people is the greatest motivating force in human development. Communication, via the use of language, provides one of the most effective means of social interaction. By collaborating toward a common cultural goal, people co‐construct new knowledge by building on each participant's contribution. Based on the main tenets of sociocultural theory, the following eight interrelated principles for instruction are presented, namely, that it should be: mediated; discursive; collaborative; responsive; contextualized; activity‐oriented; developmental; and integrated.     

Constructivist pedagogy in strategic reading instruction: exploring pathways to learner development in the English as a second language (ESL) classroom

The study explored English as a Second Language (ESL) learner development. In particular, it focused on investigating learners’ understanding of reading and their willingness to be engaged in strategic reading in participatory classroom activities. It also examined possible effects of such pedagogy on reading performance. The context was a two-month strategy-based reading instruction program, set within a constructivist framework. The program emphasized developing students’ academic reading proficiency. The study, quasi-experimental in design, involved a control group and an experimental group, both of whom were ESL students from the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The students were expected to satisfy an intensive English communication skills requirement in order to be successfully matriculated into English-medium universities in Singapore. The results showed that the teacher’s strategy-based instructional intervention evolving around participatory activities affected changes in the ESL students’ use of reading strategies and improvement in comprehension. These findings are discussed in relation to PRC students in study-abroad contexts, especially the cultures of learning that they bring along with them. Recommendations for further research are also made. I have been granted permission to use all the materials presented in this article and I declare that the participants’ names that are referred to in this study are not their real names.     

Supplemental reading strategy instruction for adolescents: A randomized trial and follow-up study

In this study, the authors examine the impact of a yearlong supplemental reading course involving daily instruction in the learning strategies curriculum on lower achieving adolescent students' reading achievement and motivation. Using a multiple-cohort randomized treatment-control group design over 4 years, they compared achievement and motivation outcomes for 605 sixth-grade students who participated in the intervention with 530 students who did not participate and 593 ninth-grade students who participated in the intervention with 535 students who did not participate. Results indicated significant impacts of the intervention on reading achievement for ninth-grade students but not for sixth-grade students. Significant impacts on reading motivation were found for both sixth- and ninth-grade students. An exploratory follow-up study indicated potential benefits of a second year of intervention for sixth-grade students who are still low achieving after 1 year of intervention.     

Load reduction instruction in mathematics and English classrooms: A multilevel study of student and teacher reports

Load reduction instruction (LRI) is a practical instructional framework aimed at managing the cognitive demands experienced by students as they learn. LRI comprises five key instructional principles: (1) difficulty reduction during initial learning, as appropriate to students’ prior learning, (2) support and scaffolding, (3) structured practice, (4) feedback-feedforward, and (5) guided independent application. The present investigation explored student- and teacher-reports of LRI in both mathematics and English. The Load Reduction Instruction Scale – Short was administered to 1773 students and their teachers in 93 mathematics classrooms and 94 English classrooms. Multilevel (Level 1 student; Level 2 classroom) confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) supported a Level 1 student LRI factor and a Level 2 class-average LRI factor in each of mathematics and English. However, two LRI factors emerged for teachers in each of mathematics and English: one factor related to Principle 1 (difficulty reduction) and one factor related to Principles 2–5 (scaffolding to autonomy). Follow-up multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) revealed that teachers adjusted their application of LRI Principle 1 (but not Principles 2–5) as a function of class-average prior learning (lower prior learning was associated with greater application of Principle 1). MCFA also showed that correlations between student- and teacher-reported LRI were low. Follow-up MSEM revealed that student- and teacher-reports of LRI uniquely predicted students’ effort and achievement—suggesting that students and teachers provide distinct insights into instruction (hence the low correlation between them) and highlighting the important role of both informants in capturing a comprehensive perspective on instruction in the classroom.     

Increased frequency and planning: A more effective approach to guided reading in Grade 2

This yearlong quasi experimental study examined the effects of two approaches to guided reading on second-grade students' reading abilities. The 79 subjects were chosen as a nonprobability sample and served as the treatment and comparison groups. The groups were pre- and post tested using the Developmental Reading Assessment, Second Edition determine students' reading levels. A 2 × 2 repeated measures analysis of variance revealed significant main and interaction effects. According to a post hoc analysis of mean difference effect size, both groups experienced very large effects, but treatment effects (d = 3.66) were much larger than the comparison (d = 1.34). The results suggest that increased emphasis on guided reading can lead to a greater impact on second-grade students' reading ability.     

Taiwanese families' perspectives on learning disabilities: an exploratory study in three middle schools

The purpose of this study was to investigate families' perspectives on learning disabilities (LD) in Taiwan. A researcher‐designed survey was sent out to families of children with or without LD from three middle schools. Data from 153 participants were gathered and analysed. The survey consisted of four sections, namely demographic information, children's reading performance, families' general understanding and perspectives of LD. Specifically, the last section of 54 Likert scale items designed to gather information about families' perspectives of LD was analysed with five domains: causes of LD (inherent or acquired), conceptions and misconceptions, attitudes (acceptance or rejection), disclosure of disabilities (willing or unwilling), and support. Results indicated that families were not familiar with educational services related to LD in schools. Additionally, families' experiences with people with disabilities resulted in different perspectives regarding the causes and conceptions about LD, and acquiring support. Families' perspectives on LD also correlated with personal characteristics, including the level of their children's reading performance, number of children and income level. The cultural implications of these findings interplay with an emphasis on academic performance are discussed.     

Code-oriented instruction for kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties: a replication and comparison of instructional groupings

The purposes of this study were to replicate previous research on phonics-based tutoring in kindergarten and to compare treatment effects for students who received individual instruction compared to instruction in dyads. Thirty classroom teachers from 13 urban elementary schools referred at-risk students for participation. Students who met screening criteria were quasi-randomly assigned, within classroom, to one of three conditions: individual tutoring (n = 22), tutoring in dyads (n = 32), or no tutoring (n = 22, classroom instruction only). Twenty-one paraeducators provided 18 weeks of explicit instruction in phonemic skills and the alphabetic code to students during the latter half of kindergarten. Multilevel model results showed that tutored students outperformed non-tutored controls on posttest measures of phonological awareness, word reading accuracy, oral reading fluency, spelling, and comprehension. However, no significant differences were found between the two tutored groups on any measure, suggesting that code-oriented tutoring for pairs of students is a viable alternative to the gold standard of individual instruction.     

Teaching at-risk students to read using specialized techniques in the regular classroom

The reading achievement of at-risk first, second, and third grade students participating in a systematic, sequential, multi-sensory, synthetic, phonetically-based approach to reading (Project Read) was compared with that of control group students instructed through the use of traditional basal readers. Data were analyzed for both the full study and a sub-group in which the teacher variable was controlled. Significant differences were found at first grade for all subtests and the total reading achievement of treatment group students. First grade students reached achievement levels thought possible only through tutoring.