ERIC ED393091: Effect of Formal Study Skills Training on Sixth Grade Reading Achievement.

7 Pages·1996·0.35 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 012 409
ED 393 091
Udziela, Theresa
AUTHOR
Effect of Formal Study Skills Training on Sixth Grade
TITLE
Reading Achievement.
PUB DATE
[96]
NOTE
7p.
Research/Technical (143)
PUB TYPE
Reports
MFOI/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Academic Achievement; Comparative Analysis; Grade 6;
DESCRIPTORS
*Instructional Effectiveness; Intermediate Grades;
Middle Schools; *Reading Achievement; Reading
Research; Student Development; Student Improvement;
*Study Skills
Illinois (Chicago Suburbs); Illinois Goal Assessment
IDENTIFIERS
Program
A study examined whether sixth grade students taught
formal study skills would obtain significantly higher readir.g
achievement than those not taught these skills. Study skills can be
broken down into ten or more skill areas including: study habits,
time management, test taking, lecture notetaking, reading
comprehension, vocabulary, test anxiety, textbook reading, reading
speed, and memory. Subjects of the study were 181 sixth-grade middle
school students from a Chicago suburb. Of these, 79 students had
part:cipated in formal study skills training prior to the Illinois
Goal Assessment Program (IGAP) test and 88 had not. From each of the
2 subgroups, 30 students were randomly selected. Results from the
1995 IGAP Reading Scores were used. A t-test (p<.05) for independent
samples was done on these 2 sets of scores to determine if there was
a statistically significant difference in reading between the 2
groups. Results revealed that the means for both groups were within
11 points. Results indicated that teaching students formal study
skills had no visible effect on their academic achievement. These
results contrast with earlier studies done by J. Fisher (1986).
Further research is recommended at middle school and elementary grade
(A table of data is included; contains 13 references.)
levels.
(CR)
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ED CATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL
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HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
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Theresa Udziela
Points ol view or opinions stated on Ohs
8
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
document do not necessarily represent
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
official OERI position or policy
been an increasina amount of
For the past
there has
25 yearq
concern that students are lacking in basic study skills. With the
advances in our society. onr students must also advance. Students
are learning more information at an earlier age. The expectations
are hiaher and yet seemingly the only formal guidance they are
given is when they are in late middle school. secondary school or
While research at the middle and
Post-secondary edueation levels.
c)
study skills
elementary grades
the
minimal,
formal
so
is
is
instruction. With late from other studies showing academic gains.
directly related to same form of formal
study skills training
schools ran develop and
the gain.
regardless
the
qize
ot
ot
LL.1
implement formal inoiyiduaLizeo study skills programs to help their
students.
For individuals to be successtul in their academic and
professional careers. they must possess basic skiils ot learning
Since the 1970's educators have called for a "return to the
reading. writing and
the basics are the 3R's
To most
basics."
arithmetic, skills dealing mainly with communication and
More recently, Burkle 119891 suaaests that many
computation.
state Departments of Education and the Colleae Board, have agreed
inr'Ilded when speakina or +he basic
skills shmi(d h
that
The importance of study skills to student learning, and
skills.
academic achievement and success, has increased dramatically
since 1981 as teachers and administrators realize how essential
this instruction is tor their students. While research on formal
study skills programs is minimal. identification and evaluation
of particular skills is more prevalent.
Study skills can be broken down into ten or more skill areas.
Those areas include but are not limited to: study habits, time
manageMent, test takina, lecture notetaking, reading
comprehension. vocabulary, test anxiety, textbook readina,
reading speed, and memory. It is felt by many that these are the
Formal study skills
skills that are at the heart ot education.
programs teach these skills as a separate content area in the
Learning strateaies are procedures and processes
curriculum.
that will help students develop particular stuAy skills such as
imagery for vocabulary and the SO3R technique tor +extbook
reading and comprehension. Due to the construct nature of these
skills, they are also difficult eo measure. Evaluation must then
occur based on the frequency that a particular skill is used to
determine a need tor additional intervention. Three forms of
1) student questionnaire, 2) analysis of
evaluation can be used;
classroom work. and 3) analysis of test scores. The student
questionnaire will determine need or non-need areas as related to
study skills where as analysis ot ctassr7nm work will show a
transfer and usaae of skills that in turn should effect the test
scores in a Positive manner. Readina achievement scores will be
used from the 1995 Illinois Goal Assessment Proaram (IGAP) lists.
The issue that many teachers and administrators face is actually
developing the perception that a need for study skills exists. In
a study of student and faculty nerceptions regarding study
0
skills, Kailas (1992), found several areas that students and
teachers hoth a.rr,-ea ln and even larger areas wnere there was
disagreement. In regards fo student performance on tests, both
-mrients were more surcessrill
.,r1 multiple
grouns agreed l-flar
choice questions and had areater difficulty with till in the
rhern also was aareement that students do not
blank questions
get enough sleep, record homework assianments or have a regular
!leven Areas of disagreement ranae tram time
study time F.ar:h
1.,07
management and organization, to student responsibilities.
te.i tor study
not
vini,)n vhat tnere
Students were ,0
*he
i
skills training. where teachers have determined there is a need
for skills inter'rent,,,n
Lobay (1993), studied the correlation between binder skills and
level and round no
academic achievement at the middle school
significant correlation for students in regular education
classes. A positive correlation was identified for students with
special needs. overall the study snowed that having the correct
school supplies is directly relevant to student arades. Although
Lobav (1993) defined having proper supplies in one place binder
it could ne arailed fhat organization is truly the skill
skills,
the students have demonstrated that has effected their
achievement
Study skills are skills that must be practiced. Student textbooks
have begun including these "skill units" as early as third arade:
although teachers have begun a variety of skills training much
earlier with their students. As the students progress, they are
With this
more capable of the higher order thinking processes.
teachers,
there is an increase in the expectations of parents
and administrators. The flaw is this is that as students do
particular
Progress, they often rail to make the transfer of a
A study
skill lor many skills), to the content areas necessary.
entitled "Learning Strategies in the School: What happens from
theory to instructional practice?" conducted by Brown, (1992).
clearly showed *hat regardless ot the ability to discuss and
to
determine the need for skills strateaies, students were unable
implement their own procedures/strategies in the area necessary.
to the
As a possible result of this outcome, Brown (1992) alluded
functions of learning strategies in the secondary school not as
In a
serving educational needs, but more political needs.
contrasting study by McWhorter. (1993) obtained results that
learning strategies had a positive influence on student
postsecondary Performance. The degree of increase in the
performance varied amona subject and difficulty. It was stated
however, that the learning strateaies underlying proresses do not
have a long term effect on student performance.
Education, and Welfare. Office of
The Department of Health
Education, recognized "ESEA Title II and The Right to Read" in
issue of Notable Reading Proiects. These
their March 1972
No.
7.
basis
projects suggest that the formal reading instruction is the
for education. not just for readina in elementary grades, but
social studies, science. and other areas in the senior high
school wnere subjects are taught bv content areas, including
but
study skills. The projects included developing reading skills
also incornoraten rtner skills sucn as listening. questioning,
The research on formal study skills
analyzing and focusing.
oarti.:ular
proarams is far from extensive vet when lookina at
learning strategies themselves, there is a variety of information
3
conducted a study on imagery ana study
available. Wark (19860
skills. This study focused on now nicfnres and graphics in notes
the scade;ois snhiect
,arning perrsrmanee
or te-et do imprsve
that showed the hiahest gains was science. Wark (1.9861 observed
visual recall was rar greater snan woros in both
that victure
students and adulf-.74.
Learning Strategies such as *he SQ3k method have been researched
soted is oer :tusss "The
tor over torty years. Fisher
19ut,)
SQ3R: A Classroom Model" that +he critics don't often aaree on
yet most would consider tsy3R an
the validity rt csr-s7n stnsies
excellent system to follow tor study. There are several elements
that Fisher (198st noisted mut :-rom sne particular 917.I that are
necessary for the nroaram to OP effective. The
innivi dualised, inciuse sustainen practice over
nroaram must tie
relate to student work. and students must see
a period of time
're important :lements ts sonsider
value in their ettnsts.
thes-,
in any program.
Assessment is not restricted to the United States. Eacn Year
dss,=ssment= In various urades and
France condusts
subjects similar to the United States. Study skills have also
become a concern in l.rance as Grisav f19941 pointed ont in her
study "Effective and Less Effective Ju- sr Schools in France* A
Lonaitudinal Study on the School Envires..ent Variables
Influencing the Students Academic Achievement, Study Skills, and
There are no formal evaluations of
Socio-Affective Development.
being one
a variety of construct behaviors, study skills
included. Out of each one hundred schools included in the survey.
the eighty randomly selected students were administered pretests
seventh, and
upon entering sixth grade. post-test at the end or
another test after four years of secondary school. While the
girls' study skills scores seeminaly increased, tne boys did not.
Overall results showed no increase in the study skills scores.
The limited research on icirmal study sicills programs dm the
middle school level is not surprisina. Although the movement for
the nest 25 years has progressed to skills training. mhere are
few formal programs in oneration. The programs that are currently
the
runctionina on not show any sianiticant improvemeut_7 in
achievement of their students. Those programs that link study
with
skills to academic stndies nn a reaular hasis in soniunction
Due to the
learning strateaies have recorded successful gains.
variance in results it is not Possible to say conclusively that
It
study skills will positively influence academic achievement.
is evident that t-here continues to be a need tor study skills
training. More research is needed at the lower elementary levels
to identify skill areas as the need tor intervention becomes
Therfore it is hypothesized that
evident.
obtain
sixth grade students tauaht tormal ctudy skills will not
significantly higher reading achievement scores than those not
tauaht formal study skills.
Procedures
Porulation/sample
The population of this study will include 181 sixth grade
f.rcm the 181
ffliddie class suburb or chicago
students from -1
sixth grade students, 79 students participated in formal stuiy
skills prior to she rGAP test, 68 had not. Thirty students were
4
Rach spring
randomly selected from each of the two subgroups.
51SPRAMPW' PreIrTram t.i.s's are sdministered to
Two samples were irientified from
Illinois district schools
Skills
students who hau 1ece3ved 19rmdl
schooi records r,!
the IGAP
training and those who had not. The reading results of
chooi vear will oe used
test administered luring 'lie 1ta94-)Q9
employed.
in this study. The post-test only control group will be
resr. 1199I averaae
The Illinois Goal AFsessment Program (fGAP)
Reading Achievement Scale score for Illinois is 260. The
is i.n4 to 296.
comparison score bani tor the District and school
with the averaae scale score beina 280. The Illinois Board ot
it.s
Education PVRIllat',-'s each school hv the total percentages ot
performance
IGAP scores, not students, that fall into the three
The
meets or exceeds the states qoals
levels--does not meet
findings.will be tabulated in terms of means and standard
deviations. The +-test will be employed at the 5 level ot
significant
confidence to determine if there is any statistically
difference between the mean scores.
Findings cf +he Study
from G.
The samples tor +he study included sixth grade students
hacn spring the stndents -ire administered
Kerstra
sixth
the Illinois Assessment Proaram (IGAP) rests. From these
one uroup that had
arade students two subpouulations were rormed
that had not
received formal study skills training and one aroup
randomly
received anv formal trainina. Thirty students were
IGAP
selected from each subpopulation. Results from the 1995
.051 tor independent
A t-test fp <
Reading Scores were used.
if
samples was done on these two sets of scores to determine
there is a statist1cal1v significant difference in reading scores
training and
of those students who have had formal study skills
summarize the statistical analysis.
those who have not. Table
I
Table 1
Experimental Group
Means Standard Devlatlons and t-tests tor the
and control (.4ronn tor Reading Achievement Scores
I t-score
'Control
I Experimental
45
1305
M
I 294
1
r
i
1
99
92
SD
1
1
1
1
1
1
30
30
N
1
1
1
Sianitirt at
05 ivcbl.
1
P >
.45
DF = 58
Table I indieates that formal study skills instruction die not have a
rhis ata lead
statistical siunt,.ant eitect nit
1G4P 1-eading soores.
to the acceptance of the null hypothesis and the rejection ot the
students tauant torma)
research hypothesis that staLes
araci
study skills will obtain higher reading achievement scores than those
not taught formal studs/
Summary
The purpose of this study was to determine whether formal study skills
Both tne
training had Hn effect on reading achievement scores.
experimental and control group had a considerably large range of
Regardless ot the
scores which explains *he sarge deviations
This
deviations, the means tor both groups were within eleven points.
data supports the null hypothesis in that there is no statistical
difference in academic achievement scores between students who had
formai study SKilis and tnost, who had not.
Conclusions
The study shows that formal study skills training had no visible
These tinaiegs contrast
effect on students academic achievement.
Fisher (1986) and her evaluation of Robinson's (1961) Effective Study
where students were ahle to transfer study skills learned an a tormai
The review of literature showed both
setting to academic classes.
significant and insignificant findings in regaros to study skills and
The variety of results can be attributed to the
academic achievement.
Post-secondary populations
differences in pnpulations of the studies.
In the
tended to make a more successful transfer than secondary.
middle school level. more directly relevant, the research is minimal
Lobay (1993)
at best regarding formal study skills training.
concentrated on binder skills as related eo academic achievement in
the middle school and concluded that there is a correlation for
students with special needs and binder skills, but no significant
correlation could be found in regular education students.
Implictions
The significance of this study shows the need for further research to
It is at the
be conducted at the middle school and elementary levels.
levels where study skills begin to develop that needs to be examined
In addition, what other variables can affect student
morP closely.
Class size, parental involvement, gender, and self-
achievement?
When students
concept. are variable that were not quantified here.
are given guidance and direction early on their academic :_areers they
can form a foundation of good study skills to base the rest of the
education on instead of trying to undo old habits in the secondary and
post secondary years.
Recommendations
Recommendations for further research.
Extended research at Elementary grade levels.
1.
Extraneous variables need to be quantified as to what effect
2.
they have on study skills and academic achievement aria to
what extent.
Expand population to be included in the study.
3.
eV'
Brown, Elaine qober+a
M Wd
fea,:111i-v 4no =ttilden.- nerr'eption or
1-11Ov
skills utilization". Masters Abstracts,
11 4:
100.
1993,
p.
Burkle, Candace Reaan: Marsiak, Oavid. "hm Study Skills Proaram, Level
One". National Association ot Secondary School Principals.
1989.
D.
316.
1.1 and The Right and Read. March
DHEW Pub. No. 72-123, ESEA Title
'ERIC ED 102 303)
1972:
7.
Calvary Lutheran School, Silver Spring, MD.
Man7ano and Sandia High Schools
Senior Humanities Proaram
Albuquerque. N. Mexico
Albuquerque Public Schools
-olleve and Aduli Headina 'ill: The Thirteenth
Fisher. Joseph A.
Ed
265. 'ERTC
Yearbook ot theNorth centrai Peaoing Association
1,186 n
"ED 218 9961
The SO3R:A Classroom Model.
Fisher, Kay E. Simpson College
Mourguet, Janine M. The Wayne State University Study Skills
Inventory: A Criterion Related Validation Study.
David M. "Imagery and Study Skills"
Wark
Goers, Betty Phillips. "A Study To Train Remedial Elementary Students
To Become More Sensitive To Context clues". Dissertation Abstracts
International_. 54 6
160.
1993
pg.
Grissay, Aletta. Effective and Less Effective Junior Schools in
France: A Longitudinal $tudv on the School Environment Variables
Influencing the Students Academic Achievement, Study Skills, and
1994 fERIC ED 330 8641
Socio-Affective Development
Kallas, Karen Marie. "Faculty and student perception of study skills
utili7ation". Masters Abstracts. 1993, 31 4: pg. 100.
Kuepper. Joan Eklund. Homework Helpers: A Guide For Parents Offering
Assistance. 1987, pg. 154 (ERIC ED 346 307)
Lobay. Elizabeth Ehm. "Middle School Study Skills: The Correlation
Between Binder Skills and Academic Achievement". Masters Abstracts,
No 4: pg. 84.
1993, Vol.
:il
McWhorter, Janice Yevette, Ed.D. "The effects of postsecondary
learning strategy use on performance". Dissertation Abstracts
International, 1993. 54 6A. pg. 2069.
7