The effects of dyad reading and text difficulty on third-graders’ reading achievement

This study replicated, with modifications, previous research of dyad reading using texts at various levels of difficulty (Morgan, 1997). The current project measured the effects of using above–grade-level texts on reading achievement and sought to determine the influences of dyad reading on both lead and assisted readers. Results indicate that weaker readers, using texts at two, three, and four grade levels above their instructional levels with the assistance of lead readers, outscored both proficient and less proficient students in the control group across multiple measures of reading achievement. However, the gains made by assisted readers were not significantly different relative to the various text levels. When all assessments were considered, assisted readers reading texts two grade levels above their instructional levels showed the most robust gains in oral reading fluency and comprehension. Lead readers also benefited from dyad reading and continued their respective reading developmental trajectories across measures.     

The effects of diagrams and time-compressed instruction on learning and learners’ perceptions of cognitive load

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of diagrams and time-compressed instruction on learning and learners’ perceptions of cognitive load. The following design factors, visuals (visuals and non-visuals) and time-compressed instruction (0%-normal paced, 25, and 50%) were presented to 216 university students to analyze learning in a multimedia environment. Participants listened to audio instruction of the heart and those in the visuals condition viewed 19 diagrams that corresponded to the verbal instruction. The dependent variables consisted of four achievement tests: drawing, identification, terminology, and comprehension. Review behaviors (back and replay buttons) and learners’ perceptions of cognitive load served as additional dependent variables. The results of this study indicate that listening to normal or moderately compressed (25%) instruction in a multimedia environment supports learning. At these speeds, cognitive load is not increased thus allowing learners to gain a conceptual understanding of the material.     

The effects of presenting different types of vocabulary clusters on very young learners’ foreign language learning

The main aim of this study was to find out which type of vocabulary cluster – semantic, thematic and unrelated – very young learners benefit from the most while learning foreign language vocabulary. The study also aimed at shedding light on the effects of these three vocabulary clusters on the immediate and delayed recall of foreign language vocabulary. In accordance with the aims, 51 very young English as a Foreign Language learners participated in the study. A pre-test was administered to determine the target words in the three clusters so that all target words were new to all participants. The participants received immediate recall tests immediately after the instruction of L2 words in each cluster. Delayed recall tests were also administered for each cluster after three days of reviews of the words in the clusters The analysis of the quantitative data results of the study revealed that the presenting L2 words in different type of clusters have a significant effect on very young EFL learners' L2 vocabulary retention, and the subjects remembered significantly more L2 words when the words were grouped in unrelated clusters.     

The effects of emotional design on middle school students’ multimedia learning: the role of learners’ prior knowledge

Abstract

Extending studies on emotional design in multimedia learning beyond college samples and further considering individual differences, we examined the effects of emotional design on middle school students’ learning and whether this relationship is moderated by learners’ prior knowledge, using a computer-based lesson covering the topic “the formation of lightning.” Participants were middle school students (N?=?124; 58 females; age range 13 to 16) who volunteered to participate with permission. Learners with high prior knowledge (n?=?63) and learners with low prior knowledge (n?=?61) were randomly assigned to one of two instructional design conditions: positive emotional design (colourful and anthropomorphic features) and neutral emotional design (grey and non-anthropomorphic features). The results showed that the positive emotional design operationalised via visual elements did not induce more positive emotions than the neutral design group, although there was a trend towards facilitating more learning transfer (η²_p?=?.02, p?=?.098) and increasing the mental effort of learners with low prior knowledge (η²_p = .03, p?=?.06). There was a tendency for learners with high knowledge to perceive higher mental effort (η²_p?=?.03, p?=?.06), satisfaction (η²_p = .05, p?=?.01) and achieve better transfer scores (η²_p = .03, p?=?.087) compared with those learners with low knowledge. These findings suggest that positive emotional design should be cautiously applied in multimedia learning for middle school students. Individual differences must be considered in instructional design in a multimedia learning environment.     

The impact of reading material’s lexical accessibility on text fading effects in children’s reading performance

The acceleration phenomenon (AP) is defined by improvements in reading speed and reading comprehension, induced by an artificial text fading procedure corresponding to the previously determined fastest individual reading rate. Recent results, however, indicated that fading that is slower than the self-paced reading rate can produce comparable reading enhancements. As reading performance can be strongly influenced by the reading material, this study aimed at investigating to which extent reading enhancements induced by text fading depend on the reading material’s characteristics. We confronted 39 German third graders with a previously utilized text fading procedure, which was slower than their self-paced reading rate. Included text varied regarding to the lexical accessibility (LA), representing how well information can be accessed from the mental lexicon. Children’s reading rates increased statistically significant due to text fading for all LA levels. However, reading comprehension was sensitive to the text material’s characteristics: Reading comprehension enhancements were observable for easily accessible reading material, but not for material with intermediate or difficult levels of LA. Material that was difficult to retrieve from the mental lexicon even resulted in reduced reading comprehension in the fading condition. Possible influences on immediate lexical access, the impact of working memory capacity and implications for future AP research are discussed.     

Students’ genre expectations and the effects of text cohesion on reading comprehension

This study raises the question what makes school texts comprehensible by analyzing whether students’ genre expectations about literary or expository texts moderate the impact of different forms of text cohesion on reading comprehension, even when the texts are similar regarding their genre. 754 students (Grade 9) from comprehensive schools read one of four text versions with similar content, but different degrees of local and global text cohesion. The four more or less cohesive texts were introduced as literary texts (part of a story) or as expository texts (newspaper article), although the different genres were only purported and the texts contained both literary and expository passages. Reading comprehension was assessed with multiple-choice-items, semi-open, and open-ended questions. Results demonstrate that global cohesion was profitable for reading comprehension with expository expectations, but not with literary ones. Local text cohesion and both forms of cohesion in combination did not interact with students’ genre expectations and had no main effect on comprehension. When students reading skills and prior knowledge were considered, the interaction was still apparent. Moreover, students with lower levels of reading skills tended to profit especially from texts with global cohesion, whereas the readers with higher reading skills achieved equal means in reading comprehension irrespective of the degree of global text cohesion. The findings are discussed with respect to theoretical aspects of text–reader-interactions, cognitive and emotional components of genre expectations, and the composition and instruction of comprehensible school texts.     

The effects of explanation-driven inquiry on students’ conceptual understanding of redox

ABSTRACT

The study that is the subject of this paper tested the effects of EDI (explanation-driven inquiry) on students’ redox conceptual understanding and their misconceptions. Two classes of 119 10th grade high school students were involved. Two groups of students in the same school were chosen. One class that was taught by EDI teaching was set as the treatment group and another class that received conventional teaching was set as the control group. Students’ conceptual understanding was measured by a standardised instrument, and the students’ misconceptions were compared. The analysis of covariance showed that EDI teaching had significant effects on students’ redox conceptual understanding, and the results of the chi-square test demonstrated that students’ conceptual understanding level was improved by using EDI teaching. Also, after comparing the two groups of students’ misconceptions of redox, the results indicated that the students’ misconceptions changed toward deeper conceptual understanding in the treatment group that used EDI. Finally, some suggestions were made on how to implement EDI in the classroom.     

The effects of browse time on the Internet on students’ essay scores

This study examined how 30 minutes of search time on the Web affected students’ essay scores in response to a writing prompt. Expository essays were obtained from 49 fourth- and fifthgrade students enrolled in an elementary school in Virginia, in the United States. Students were placed by random assignment into three groups with the same writing prompt for all three groups. Data analyses using ANOVA indicate that there was statistical significance in two components of writing. The group that received instruction on using the Internet to conduct research in the prewriting phase outperformed the control group in two areas: the total essay score (p=.053) and usage/mechanics (p=.028). The study also produced effect sizes ranging from small to large when the Internet users were compared to the control group. Implications for the future of Internet use in the school system are discussed.     

The effects of cooperative learning on preschoolers’ mathematics problem-solving ability

The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency of cooperative learning on preschoolers’ verbal mathematics problem-solving abilities and to present the observational findings of the related processes and the teachers’ perspectives about the application of the program. Two experimental groups and one control group participated in the study. Results found that preschoolers in the experimental groups experienced larger improvements in their problem-solving abilities than those in the control group. Findings also revealed that the cooperative learning method can be successfully applied in teaching verbal mathematics problem-solving skills during the preschool period. The preschoolers’ skills regarding cooperation, sharing, listening to the speaker and fulfilling individual responsibilities in group work improved. The teachers’ points of view also supported these findings.     

The effects of middle-school career intervention on students’ career readiness

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - The study examines the effectiveness of a career intervention in middle schools. The intervention was organized in eight...     

Consistent results with the consistency hypothesis? The effects of epistemic beliefs on metacognitive processing

We explored relations between students’ epistemic beliefs, metacognitive monitoring and recall performance in the context of learning physics through metaphor. Eighty-three university undergraduate students completed questionnaires designed to measure their epistemic beliefs and prior knowledge about Newtonian physics. Students were epistemically profiled as rational, empirical, or metaphorical in their approaches to knowing. Using a think-aloud protocol, students read a text on Newton’s First and Third Laws. The text included metaphors as examples of the various laws described. Results revealed that students profiled as metaphorical engaged in more metacognitive processing compared to students profiled as rational or empirical. Moreover, path analyses revealed that metacognitive monitoring positively predicted recall performance. Results challenge Muis’ (2008) consistency hypothesis; the ways in which knowledge is represented in text may be the linking factor for relations between metacognitive monitoring and epistemic beliefs rather than the underlying epistemology of the domain.     

The effects of teaching notetaking strategies on elementary students’ science learning

The research examined effects of notetaking instruction on elementary-aged students’ abilities to recall science information and their notetaking behaviors. Classes of eight to nine years old third grade students were randomly assigned to three treatment conditions: strategic notetaking, partial strategic notetaking, and control, for four training sessions. The effects of the notetaking instruction were measured by their performances on a test about science information, a long-term free recall of the information, and the number of information units recalled with or without cues. Students’ prior science achievement was used to group students into two levels (high vs. low) and functioned as another independent variable in analysis. Results indicated significant treatment effect in favor of the strategy notetaking instruction groups on cued and non-cued recall of the information units. Students with higher prior achievement in science performed better on cued recall and long-term free recall of information. The results suggest that students as young as those in third grade classes can be instructed to develop notetaking ability that promotes their learning.     

The influence of a game-making project on male and female learners’ attitudes to computing

There is a pressing need for gender inclusive approaches to engage young people in computer science. A recent popular approach has been to harness learners’ enthusiasm for computer games to motivate them to learn computer science concepts through game authoring. This article describes a study in which 992 learners across 13 schools took part in a game-making project. It provides evidence from 225 pre-test and post-test questionnaires on how learners’ attitudes to computing changed during the project, as well as qualitative reflections from the class teachers on how the project affected their learners. Results indicate that girls did not enjoy the experience as much as boys, and that in fact, the project may make pupils less inclined to study computing in the future. This has important implications for future efforts to engage young people in computing.     

The effects of POWERSOURCE© assessments on middle-school students’ math performance

This paper describes results from field testing of middle-school math formative assessments alongside professional development and instructional resources. We employed a randomised, controlled design to address the question: Does using our formative assessment strategies improve student performance on assessments of key mathematical ideas relative to a comparison group? This study also provided data on the instructional sensitivity of the assessments, which is part of the validation needed for formative assessments. Teachers were recruited from two districts and seven middle schools. Nineteen treatment and 17 comparison group teachers and their students were included in study analyses. Scores on extended response and short-answer questions indicated that students in the treatment group performed better than students in the comparison group who received the formative assessments alone. These findings demonstrate both the feasibility and value of including performance task-types in a brief assessment context.     

An analysis of Grade 11 learners’ levels of understanding of functions in terms of APOS theory

This article reports on a study of six Grade 11 learners’ levels of understanding of concepts related to the function definition and representation. Task-based clinical interviews were used to elicit the learners’ interpretations and reasoning when working with these function-related concepts. Indicators for Action–Process–Object–Schema (APOS) theory conception levels were formulated and used to categorise learners’ written and interview responses into conception levels of understanding of the function concept. According to the South African Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) curriculum, Grade 11 learners are expected to be operating at the object and schema levels after instruction. however, the results indicated that learners were operating at the action and process levels as their understanding was characterised by vague definitions of function-related concepts and memorisation of procedures for translating between symbolic and graphical representations.     

Positive effects of a programme on oral presentation skills: high- and low-proficient learners’ self-evaluations and perspectives

The study set out to facilitate tertiary learners’ development of oral presentation skills within the self-regulated-learning framework. A published, relatively comprehensive inventory of presentation (delivery) skills was adopted in this mixed methods study, which comprised pre- and post-programme self-evaluation questionnaires, post-programme interviews and field notes. The results demonstrated that the learners generally perceived both the three-month programme and the inventory to be conducive to their oral presentation skill development. Quantitative analyses revealed the higher number of areas of significant self-perceived improvement among the low-proficient learners (30 items) compared with that among the high-proficient learners (13 items); however, qualitative analyses unveiled the paradoxical phenomenon that the lower increment in high-proficient learners’ ratings suggests their reflective abilities to learn from observation and their greater awareness to identify areas for improvement. These substantiate that the programme and the inventory have benefited the low- and high-proficient learners in different fashions.     

Prediction/discussion-based learning cycle versus conceptual change text: comparative effects on students’ understanding of genetics

Background and purpose:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effects of a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle (HPD-LC), conceptual change text (CCT) and traditional instruction on 10th grade students’ understanding of genetics concepts.

Sample:

Participants were 112 10th basic grade male students in three classes of the same school located in an urban area. The three classes taught by the same biology teacher were randomly assigned as a prediction/discussion-based learning cycle class (n?=?39), conceptual change text class (n?=?37) and traditional class (n?=?36).

Design and method:

A quasi-experimental research design of pre-test–post-test non-equivalent control group was adopted. Participants completed the Genetics Concept Test as pre-test–post-test, to examine the effects of instructional strategies on their genetics understanding. Pre-test scores and Test of Logical Thinking scores were used as covariates.

Results:

The analysis of covariance showed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the favor of experimental groups after treatment. However, no statistically significant difference between the experimental groups (HPD-LC versus CCT instruction) was found.

Conclusions:

Overall, the findings of this study support the use of the prediction/discussion-based learning cycle and conceptual change text in both research and teaching. The findings may be useful for improving classroom practices in teaching science concepts and for the development of suitable materials promoting students’ understanding of science.     

Effects of cooperative learning on second graders’ learning from text

Two studies were conducted to investigate the effects of cooperative learning on second‐graders’ motivation and learning from text. In Study 1, students (n = 160) in cooperative learning groups were compared with their counterparts (n = 107) in traditional instruction groups. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with more favourable perceptions of teachers’ instructional practices and better reading comprehension in the instructional intervention groups than in the traditional instruction groups. In Study 2, 51 second‐graders participated in the instructional intervention programme. The results showed that students’ positive cooperative behaviour and attitudes were related to their motivation and reading comprehension. When students perceived that their peers were willing to help each other and were committed to the group, they tended to be more motivated and performed better in reading comprehension.