The effectiveness of explicit strategy instruction on the top level structure of a text

Abstract

Two intermediate geography classes were used to study the effects of explicit strategy instruction on the top level structure of a text. One group of Grade 7 and 8 students participated in the explicit strategy training about the top level structure of a text, while the other group used a more traditional method of questioning and answering when reading and writing. Specifically, comparisons were made between students' reading abilities, writing abilities, metacognitive awareness, standardized reading test scores and in class performance scores to see whether changes occurred as a direct result of explicit strategy training. It was hypothesized that explicit strategy training would improve students' reading and writing abilities. At the end of the program, however, the data did not support this hypothesis. There were some significant main effects for time. The students in both groups showed improvement over time. The te~cher's journal indicated that by the end of the study the students in the experimental condition had not yet mastered the strategy. Concerns about the readiness level of the students also arose from the teacher's journal.