Effects of a peer-mediated phonological skill and reading comprehension program on reading skill acquisition for middle school students with reading disabilities

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a peer-mediated instructional approach on the teaching of phonological skills and reading comprehension for middle school (sixth- to eighth-grade) students with reading disabilities. All students (n = 38) were identified as having learning disabilities and reading at the third-grade level or below. One group was taught using a peer-mediated phonological skill program, Linguistics Skills Training (LST), and a peer-mediated reading comprehension program, Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). The contrast group was taught in the more traditional whole-class format using a widely implemented remedial reading program. The results showed significant differences between conditions, with students receiving the LST/PALS instruction outperforming the contrast group on Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement-III. Furthermore, large effect sizes for growth were found on Letter-Word Identification, Word Attack, and Passage Comprehension for the LST/PALS treatment group. No differences were found between conditions for reading fluency. Findings are discussed in regard to instruction delivery format (peer tutoring vs. whole class) with respect to best practices for middle school students with reading disabilities.     

Explicit Nature of Science and Argumentation Instruction in the Context of Socioscientific Issues: An effect on student learning and transfer

The purpose of the study was two-fold: to (a) investigate the influence of explicit nature of science (NOS) and explicit argumentation instruction in the context of a socioscientific issue on the argumentation skills and NOS understandings of students, and (b) explore the transfer of students' NOS understandings and argumentation skills learned in one socioscientific context into other similar contexts (familiar and unfamiliar). Participants were a total of 121 seventh grade students from two schools. The treatment involved an eight-week unit about the water usage and safety, which was taught by two teachers for two intact groups (Treatments I and II). Explicit NOS instruction was integrated for all groups. However, only the Treatment I groups had the additional explicit argumentation instruction. Participants were pre- and post-tested using an open-ended questionnaire and interviews about two socioscientific issues to assess their learning and transfer of argumentation skills and NOS understandings. Results showed improvements in the learning of argumentation practice and NOS understandings for Treatment I group participants. Similarly, there were improvements in the learning and transfer of NOS understandings for Treatment II group participants with only some improvements for the argumentation practice. Further, some of the Treatment I group participants made connections to argumentation when explicating their NOS understandings by the end of the study. Findings were discussed in light of classroom practice that utilizes an explicit approach, contextual approach, as well as an approach that integrates NOS and argumentation simultaneously.     

Systematic modeling versus the learning cycle: Comparative effects on integrated science process skill achievement

This study assessed the effectiveness of the systematic modeling teaching strategy on integrated science process skills and formal reasoning ability. Urban middle school students received a three-month process skill intervention treatment from teachers trained in either the use of systematic modeling or the learning-cycle model. A third, control group received traditional science instruction. The analysis of data revealed that (a) students receiving modeled instruction demonstrated a significant difference in their achievement of process skills when compared to either of the control groups. (b) Students taught by teachers who had received special process skill and strategy training demonstrated a significant difference in their process skill achievement when compared with the control group. (c) Students at different cognitive reasoning levels demonstrated significantly different process skill ability.     

A Pilot Study of Classroom‐Based Cognitive Skill Instruction: Effects on Cognition and Academic Performance

Cognitive skills are associated with academic performance, but little is known about how to improve these skills in the classroom. Here, we present the results of a pilot study in which teachers were trained to engage students in cognitive skill practice through playing games. Fifth‐grade students at an experimental charter school were randomly assigned to receive cognitive skill instruction (CSI) or instruction in geography and typing. Students in the CSI group improved significantly more than the control group on a composite measure of cognitive skills. CSI was more effective for students with lower standardized test scores. Although there was no group effect on test scores, cognitive improvement correlated positively with test score improvement only in the CSI group. Beyond showing that cognitive skills can be improved in the classroom, this study provides lessons for the future of CSI, including changes to professional development and challenges for scalability.     

The Effects of Formative Evaluation and Remediation on Mastery of Intellectual Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test Gagne’s hypothesis that attention to prerequisites should be more effective than repeated practice of a final task when learning intellectual skills. Ninety eighth-grade general science students studied self-instructional materials on the construction and interpretation of graphs. After each of three lessons each subject took a diagnostic test covering the objectives of the instruction. Subjects in Group 1 received additional instruction on prerequisites as remediation. Subjects in Group 2 received additional practice items as remediation, and subjects in Group 3 received no remedial activity. Students receiving remedial instruction did significantly better than those receiving only main-line instruction. Students receiving additional instruction on prerequisites did significantly better than those receiving additional practice items as remediation.     

Effects of group size,gender, and ability grouping on learning science process skills using microcomputers

What are the effects of group size (individuals, pairs, and quads of students), gender, and ability grouping of 245 seventh- and eighth-grade students on achievement within an environment that uses microcomputers as tools in learning science process skills? A split-plot, multivariate factorial design was used to analyze the above factors and interactions among the factors. Analyses indicated that the only statistically significant result was a main effect on ability for the two response variables measured in the study. Major conclusions included: (1) teams of two and four members working together solved problems as effectively as individuals, (2) the lessons and procedures implemented in the manner described generated a gender-neutral achievement outcome in science, and (3) microcomputer, using a file-management program and structured activities, can be used as a tool to promote student learning of science process skills.     

The concept map as an advance organizer

The objective of this study was to determine if a concept map used as an advance organizer can improve the science achievement of eighth-grade students. Eighty-two eighth-grade students in four science classes participated in this study. The experimental group completed the concept map at the beginning of the science unit under the teacher's supervision. At the end of the two-week unit a science test was administered to the experimental and the control group. The results of a one-tailed t test indicated that there was a significant difference between the two groups. The effect size is 0.40. It appears that the concept map can provide the classroom teachers with a meaningful and practical structured approach for using advance organizers in their classes.     

Exploring Middle School Students’ Understanding of Three Conceptual Models in Genetics

Genetics is the cornerstone of modern biology and a critical aspect of scientific literacy. Research has shown, however, that many high school graduates lack fundamental understandings in genetics necessary to make informed decisions about issues and emerging technologies in this domain, such as genetic screening, genetically modified foods, etc. Genetic literacy entails understanding three interrelated models: a genetic model that describes patterns of genetic inheritance, a meiotic model that describes the process by which genes are segregated into sex cells, and a molecular model that describes the mechanisms that link genotypes to phenotypes within an individual. Currently, much of genetics instruction, especially in terms of the molecular model, occurs at the high school level, and we know little about the ways in which middle school students can reason about these models. Furthermore, we do not know the extent to which carefully designed instruction can help younger students develop coherent and interrelated understandings in genetics. In this paper, we discuss a research study aimed at elucidating middle school students’ abilities to reason about the three genetic models. As part of our research, we designed an eight-week inquiry unit that was implemented in a combined sixth- to eighth-grade science classroom. We describe our instructional design and report results based on an analysis of written assessments, clinical interviews, and artifacts of the unit. Our findings suggest that middle school students are able to successfully reason about all three genetic models.     

The effects of testing on science process skill achievement

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of testing on the achievement of students using self-instructional materials to learn science process skills. In one section of an undergraduate science method class, students were paced through a programmed textbook and were given short quizzes in class after each of the process skill lessons was assigned, while in another section, students worked at their own pace and were held responsible for completing the lessons by the end of the semester. Students taking the quizzes throughout the semester were expected to attain a higher level of process skill proficiency because previous studies have shown that taking a test immediately after learning leads to better retention of the material. Results indicated that taking frequent quizzes did not differentially affect process skill acquisition.     

Preparing Students to Take Online Interactive Courses

Electronic communication and World Wide Web skill levels for graduate students entering a Master of Science in Education degree program with online components were examined before and after completion of an introductory technology skills course. Results indicated that students can identify their weaknesses and can subsequently develop skills for using electronic communication, the World Wide Web, and related activities through an online course designed to prepare them for success in taking subsequent online courses. The findings support views that Web-based courses require some skills that may be new for the student, and that students will require varying degrees of instruction in how to deal with technology-based learning.     

What is your prediction? Teaching the metacognitive skill of prediction to a class of sixth- and seventh-grade students who are deaf

The development of the metacognitive skill of prediction in deaf students in a middle school social studies classroom was explored in an action research study (Riel, 2006). After observation of this group of learners and assessment of current skills, a unit was developed that integrated the teaching of prediction into their study of the American Revolution. It was found that these students were already using some metacognitive skills in their social studies class, but through direct instruction they were able to make more and better predictions related to the content being studied. The study demonstrates how the social studies curriculum provided an opportunity for students to learn and implement metacognitive skills that helped them to understand the cause-and-effect relationships in history and eventually to become more active readers during a reading task.     

Relationship between Instructional Context and Views of Nature of Science

The study investigated the relationship between instructional context (integrated and non‐integrated) that explicitly teaches about nature of science (NOS) and students’ view of NOS across different disciplines. Participants were three teachers and their students, which comprised six classes of 89 ninth‐graders and 40 10th/11th‐graders. Each teacher taught two intact sections of the same grade level within a specific science discipline. The treatment for all groups involved teaching a 5–6 week unit that included the science content and NOS. The two intact groups learned about same content; the only difference was the context of NOS instruction (integrated or non‐integrated). An open‐ended questionnaire, followed by interviews, was used to assess change in participants’ views. Results showed improvement in students’ NOS views regardless of whether NOS instruction was embedded within the content. Therefore, it was not possible to make claims about whether one instructional context is more effective than another in general terms.     

The Effects of an Intervention on the Gross and Fine Motor Skills of Hispanic Pre-K Children from Low SES Backgrounds

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a motor skill intervention on gross and fine motor skill performance of Hispanic pre-K children from low SES backgrounds. One hundred and forty-nine pre-K children were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n?=?74) and control group (n?=?75). All children were assessed on fine and gross motor skills using the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-2 before and after a 16-week intervention. The children in the experimental group received 800 min of skills-based instruction to target gross and fine motor skills. The control group children received 800 min of play-based lessons with no instruction provided. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the experimental and control group children on stationary and visual-motor subtests after the 16-week intervention. These results suggested that children in the treatment group benefited from a planned motor intervention program on their gross and fine motor skills. The findings of this study have implications for delivery of instruction for motor skills for young children. Educators and practitioners should provide structured lessons with feedback to promote the development of these important skills.     

Examining the potential of web-based multimedia to support complex fine motor skill learning: An empirical study

Research on the utilization of the Web for complex fine motor skill learning that involves whole body movements is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the introduction of a multimedia web-based learning environment, which was targeted at a rhythmic gymnastics routine consisting of eight fine motor skills, into an undergraduate course in a physical education department, as a complementary tool to campus-based instruction. The impact was evaluated in terms of: acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills by students, improvement of students’ ability to execute the routine, and students’ responses to the environment. The study followed a pretest/posttest experimental design and involved 76 students randomly split into two groups: The Multimedia Web-based Learning Group (MWLG) students (N?=?38), who attended campus-based instruction on the routine and also used the environment in their own space and time, and the Traditional On-site Instruction Group (TOIG) students (N?=?38), who only attended campus-based instruction. The research data were gathered through student questionnaires and ratings of students’ performances. It was found that the use of the environment as a supplement to campus-based instruction increased the effectiveness of this instruction as regards the cognitive component of motor skill learning (i.e. acquisition of knowledge regarding the routine skills) and was well-accepted by the students, although it did not have any significant contribution to the physical component of motor skill learning (i.e. performance of the routine skills). These findings partially support the future wider adoption of multimedia web-based learning environments within physical education and other academic disciplines that involve complex fine motor skill learning. Relevant implications are discussed.     

Sex of teacher and referral frequency of sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade children

This investigation studied whether frequency of referral for special education services was dependent upon the sex of the teacher. The referrals for special education services for sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students of one school system were reviewed. The results indicated that male teachers referred proportionately significantly fewer students than did female teachers. Possibilities for the cause of this difference include different cultural expectations for both sex teachers and students, different abilities of male and female teachers, and the manner in which referrals are perceived by other school staff members.     

The efficacy of reciprocal teaching in fostering the reading literacy of students with intellectual disabilities

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of strategy instruction on the reading literacy of students with mild and moderate intellectual disability. Students aged 15–21 with intellectual disability (n=35) participated in 24 sessions of literacy strategy instruction (experimental condition) or remedial literacy‐skill acquisition‐ lessons (control condition). The main objective of strategy instruction was to foster comprehension monitoring. Through shared dialogues, students were trained to generate questions about text, to summarise what was read, to clarify difficult words and to make predictions. The strategies were taught using the reciprocal teaching method developed by Palincsar and Brown. This method involves provision of support adjusted to students’ difficulties and peer teaching of strategies. Control subjects were exposed to direct instruction of basic reading skills that were presented sequentially and practiced solitarily by the students. Opportunities were given to respond to questions and to summarise but no strategy instruction was provided to foster comprehension monitoring. Two different measures of comprehension and a measure of strategy use were administered to test for variation across different methods of instruction. Findings on all measures provide support for the claim that strategy instruction is indeed superior to traditional remedial methods of skill acquisition in fostering reading literacy comprehension. These findings challenge the common perception that literacy is an organic impossibility for people defined as intellectually disabled. Moreover, the results add to recent research in sociocognitive instruction that supports the need to modify prevailing methods of reading curriculum and suggests a reconceptualisation of the comprehension process and its instruction to students with intellectual disabilities.     

Children's alternative frameworks: Should they be directly-addressed in science instruction?

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of in-depth, conceptually integrated instruction delivered via a videodisc program in eliminating children's alternative frameworks in science. Prior to instruction, pupils in two eighth-grade science classes, one of higher ability and one of lower ability, were interviewed to document their alternative frameworks (informal knowledge) for explaining two science phenomena. Interviews after instruction showed that students of both ability groups did not retain their alternative frameworks. This contradicts other research findings that children's alternative frameworks are extremely resistant to change and must be directly addressed during instruction for conceptual change to occur. A well-designed science curriculum that was intelligible, plausible, and fruitful, but did not directly address alternative frameworks during instruction, changed 92% of the alternative frameworks held by students to scientific understandings.     

Designing Learning Environments for Critical Thinking: Examining Effective Instructional Approaches

Fostering the development of students’ critical thinking (CT) is regarded as an essential outcome of higher education. However, despite the large body of research on this topic, there has been little consensus on how educators best support the development of CT. In view of some of the controversies surrounding the teaching of CT skills in higher education, this study examined the effects of embedding CT instruction systematically in domain-specific courses (Immersion vs. Infusion) on the acquisition of domain-specific and domain-general CT skills and course achievement. First-year university students (N = 143) enrolled in an introductory physics course were assigned to one of three instructional conditions: Immersion, Infusion, and control. The Immersion and Infusion conditions followed lessons designed systematically based on the First Principles of Instruction model, whereas the control condition followed a regular instruction. Results showed that participants in the Immersion and Infusion conditions significantly outperformed those in the control condition on domain-specific CT proficiency and course achievement. However, neither the Immersion nor the Infusion condition was helpful in fostering the acquisition of domain-general CT skills. The findings generally demonstrated that embedding CT instruction systematically in domain-specific courses requires greater clarity about what set of CT skills could be targeted in domain-specific instruction, how specific subject-matter instruction could be designed considering CT as an integral part of domain-specific instruction, and how best CT outcomes be assessed. Some considerations for the design of CT-supportive learning environments are discussed.     

An investigation of the Iowa tests of basic skills for sex bias: A developmental look

Results of the Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Concepts subtests for third-, sixth-, and eighth-grade students who took Form 5 of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills in the 1976 school year were analyzed for sex bias. Statistical significance was found for each subtest for all of the grade levels. Follow-up analyses considered skill classification, sex-stereotypicalness, and item location of the items contributing to the statistical significance. No trends for these factors were found within each grade level for the four subtests considered. For all subtests, fewer items are identified at the third-grade level than for sixth or eighth grade, and these items, in general, favored boys. For the older students, when items are found to function differently for boys and girls, nearly half favor each sex. On the whole, little evidence for sex bias was found for the four subtests and three grade levels examined.     

Third graders' use of writing to facilitate learning of engineering concepts

Incorporating engineering instruction into the elementary curriculum is not without challenges. Traditionally, researchers investigated using engineering design to promote students learning science concepts. More recently, researchers have conducted qualitative investigations to measure students' learning of engineering concepts after engaging in engineering design. In this study, we extended work on elementary engineering instruction by implementing an integrated engineering and writing unit with 58 third-grade students. Using stratified random assignment based on pre-intervention engineering vocabulary assessment scores, we assigned students to treatment (n = 28) or comparison (n = 30). During a 10-day unit, all students participated in design challenges, emulated the practices of actual engineers, and used writing to support and document their learning, as they designed and authored their own five-page pop-up books. Students in the treatment condition participated in additional writing during 8 of the 10 unit lessons. During this time, they responded to journal prompts related to lesson objectives. At the same time, students in the comparison condition participated in small-group discussions during which they discussed journal prompts orally. We found that all students made statistically significant gains from pre- to posttest on an engineering vocabulary assessment; total words written, number of different engineering concepts used, and depth of understanding of engineering concepts in a written essay response; and number of different engineering concepts used in an oral interview response, regardless of their incoming writing skills and regardless of whether they participated in additional writing or small-group discussion of lesson objectives. This study is the first to quantitatively document the effectiveness of a combined elementary engineering and writing intervention for promoting students' learning of engineering concepts in multiple ways (rote recall, written representation, and oral representation). We argue that literacy, particularly writing, provides an effective and feasible method for incorporating engineering instruction into the elementary curriculum.