THE EFFECTS OF SMALL GROUP AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED INFERENCE TRAINING PROGRAMS ON FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION OF IMPLICIT CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS
Abstract
One factor that may cause problems for students while they read is the comprehension of implicitly stated causal relationships (Irwin, 1979). However, it had not been determined whether fifth-grade students can be taught to make these inferences. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is utilized effectively in many reading classrooms. It was hypothesized that CAI would be an effective tool for teaching this skill. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to investigate the effectiveness of small group and computer-assisted instruction for teaching fifth-grade students to comprehend implicit causal relationships. A researcher-developed selection test was administered to 82 fifth-grade students to determine which students were in need of this type of training. It was found that 30 students were in need of the training. These students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: experimental/small group, experimental/CAI, or control. The students in the experimental/small group and the experimental/CAI group were instructed for approximately 30 minutes three times a week for four weeks. They made use of materials developed by the researcher. The experimental/small group was instructed by the researcher. At the end of the instructional period, the students were given a researcher-developed posttest. Both the selection test and the posttest had been extensively field-tested for their reliability and validity. The data were analyzed through the use of a one-way ANOVA. The independent variable was treatment; the dependent variable the score on the posttest. When significant differences between the treatment means were found, the Newman-Keuls was used to make post hoc comparisons. The results indicated that there was significant differences between both groups receiving inference training and the control in terms of their understanding of the implicitly stated causal relationships on the posttest. It appears that fifth-grade students can be taught to better understand implicit causal relationships by either the small group instruction or the computer-assisted instruction used in this study. No significant differences were found between the experimental groups. Thus it appears that CAI may be as effective as traditional instruction in teaching students to make causal inferences.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Literacy|Reading instruction
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