Category: Effective Teaching Approach

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Primary School Education

Reviewing ed tech’s impact on literacy: It’s a win!

Educational technology tools and programs proliferate the elementary classrooms where children are learning to read, but the evidence supporting these tools lags behind their implementation. Silverman and Colleagues collected and reviewed the results from 119 studies that examined the impact of educational technology interventions on literacy outcomes between 2010 and 2023.

The study found medium to large positive impacts of educational technology on literacy across four outcome domains: decoding (ES = + 0.33), language comprehension (ES = +0.30), reading comprehension (ES = +0.23), and writing proficiency (ES = +0.81). Looking closer at these impacts, effects were smaller on standardized outcome measures (such as state tests), compared to researcher-created measures. Most of the analysis of which intervention and design features mattered was inconclusive, but the authors did find constructivist approaches were more beneficial for language comprehension. One notable limitation of the research was the inclusion of only peer-reviewed studies (including dissertations) – which may have led to more positive results than is observed in studies overall given the bias in publishing for both positive and significant findings.

 

Source: Silverman, R. D., Keane, K., Darling-Hammond, E., & Khanna, S. (2024). The effects of educational technology interventions on literacy in elementary school: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 00346543241261073. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543241261073… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Kindergarten Language Development

Enhancing early literacy: Evaluating the impact of the TELL Curriculum in preschool settings

High-quality preschool programs are pivotal in enhancing literacy outcomes and bridging the achievement gap among children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Early childhood education not only supports cognitive and social development but can also play a crucial role in preparing children for future schooling. A recent study published by Gray and colleagues evaluated the efficacy of Teaching Early Literacy and Language (TELL), a universal whole-class curriculum, in enhancing the oral language and early literacy skills of preschool children from low-SES backgrounds.

The study employed a three-cohort randomized controlled trial design with preschool teachers from the Phoenix area randomly assigned to either the TELL or business-as-usual (BAU) condition, stratified by agency/school district. The TELL curriculum included a year-long sequence of instruction, books, lesson plans, and language-rich activities. Despite challenges including COVID-19 disruptions, 58 teachers (30 TELL, 28 BAU) completed the study, with over 300 students (174 TELL, 150 BAU) included in the final analysis.

The findings showed significant effects in favor of TELL on experimenter-created curriculum-based measures, particularly on print awareness, letter naming, and phonological awareness. These foundational skills are critical predictors of future reading success and were systematically taught throughout the curriculum. However, for more distal measures, such as the Woodcock–Johnson IV Tests of Oral Language and PELI assessments of vocabulary and comprehension, the effects were not significant. This discrepancy highlights ongoing debates regarding the appropriateness of different assessment tools in early childhood education and intervention research.

 

Source: Gray, S. I., Wilcox, M. J., & Reiser, M. (2024). Efficacy of the teaching early literacy and language curriculum with preschoolers from low-income families. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 55(3), 696–713. https://doi.org/10.1044/2024_LSHSS-23-00140… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Primary School Education

SRCD Plus shows impacts with 1st and 2nd graders

Low proficiency levels in essential reading and writing skills continue to spur research into how to best teach these areas. There is no consensus about how early to start, however, and whether reading and writing practice might overwhelm younger learners. In this study, Harris and colleagues tested the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) Plus model, which focuses on close reading of informational texts to write informative essays supported by practice in transcription and oral language, by randomly assigning ninety-three 1st and 2nd graders in one southeastern US high-poverty school to either SRSD Plus or “business as usual” (writers workshop).

The study found that SRCD had a positive impact on most measured outcomes: writing quality (ES=+1.02), writing productivity (ES=+0.82-1.39), spelling (ES=+1.18), vocabulary (ES=+2.29), sentence proficiency (ES=+0.29), and discourse knowledge (ES=+0.43). No effects were found on handwriting fluency and there were no explicit reading comprehension measures. The study also reports in detail the skills SRSD Plus particularly helped to develop, such as planning writing and referring to source texts. Larger effects were found for second graders (compared to first) and for girls (compared to boys). Additionally, the authors tracked implementation and reported that SRCD Plus was implemented with high fidelity.

Important to note when reviewing these findings is the small sample (one school, less than 100 students) and reliance on many researcher-created outcome measures. Both of these factors may have led to effect sizes that are greater than they would be in a larger, more diverse sample, on more standardized measures.

 

Source: Harris, K. R., Kim, Y.-S., Yim, S., Camping, A., & Graham, S. (2023). Yes, they can: Developing transcription skills and oral language in tandem with SRSD instruction on close reading of science text to write informative essays at grades 1 and 2. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 73, 102150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102150… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Higher Education Maths and Science Learning

Examining the effects of AI assistance on student agency in higher education

While AI-powered learning technologies are increasingly used to automate and support learning activities, often with positive outcomes, their impact on student agency is under-explored. Student agency refers to students’ capacity to actively regulate learning actions, make responsible decisions, and navigate various learning contexts, which is essential for lifelong learning. A recent randomized controlled experiment explored the impact of AI assistance on student agency in higher education, addressing three research questions: Do students learn from AI assistance? After an initial period of time, can AI assistance be replaced with self-monitoring checklists? Would complementing AI assistance with self-monitoring checklists enhance student performance?

The study involved 1625 undergraduate students across 10 courses from various disciplines in 2020. During the initial four-week period, students provided peer-reviewed comments to each other, guided by AI features to enhance their feedback. Over the following four-week period, they were divided into four groups: a non-AI-assisted group, an AI-assisted group, a self-monitoring group without AI assistance, and a self-monitoring group with AI assistance. The study used six measures to evaluate student agency from different perspectives of students’ reviews: rate of reviews that needed revision, similarity to previous comments, relatedness to reviewed resources, review length, time spent on reviews, and helpfulness ratings from other reviewers.

Results showed that AI assistance significantly improved the quality of students’ reviews, but the influence declined after AI assistance was removed. This suggests that while AI can effectively scaffold learning, students tend to rely on it rather than learn from it. Additionally, after using AI assistance for some time, students can still benefit from self-monitoring checklists even without AI assistance. However, combining AI assistance with self-regulation strategies did not lead to significant improvement in student performance. The authors attribute the insignificant improvement to two possible reasons. First, when supports of varying strengths interact, the stronger one may overshadow or diminish the impact of the weaker one. Second, learners have limited cognitive resources, which can be overwhelmed if the cognitive load exceeds their capacity, so the higher load from AI assistance might have reduced their capacity to effectively use self-monitoring checklists. The authors concluded that while AI-powered learning technologies present many benefits, they should be used with caution, taking into account pedagogical factors and meticulously balancing potential benefits against possible drawbacks.

Source (Open Access): Darvishi, A., Khosravi, H., Sadiq, S., Gašević, D., & Siemens, G. (2024). Impact of AI assistance on student agency. Computers & Education, 210, 104967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104967… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

Can improving reading skills bolster math proficiency?

Prior research has shown that engagement with mathematics-related literature, such as books on numbers and geometry, can improve the corresponding math skills in young children. However, the impact of reading material not directly related to mathematics on primary school students remains less well-understood. A quasi-experimental study by Zhang and colleagues examined the effects of a math-unrelated reading intervention on the mathematical performance of second-grade students.

The study involved 134 participants from three second-grade classes at a public primary school in a town within Chongqing, China. The classes were randomly allocated to one of three groups: a math-unrelated reading intervention group (n=44), a math-related reading intervention group (n=45), and a control group (n=45). The same experimenter who was a graduate student administered both types of reading intervention, each with twice-weekly 40-45 minute sessions for 4 weeks supplementary to regular classes while control group attended classes as usual. Outcomes were measured by a standardised test (Chinese Children and Adolescents Mathematical Achievement Test) compiled by Beijing Normal University.

The reading materials for the intervention groups were picture books with text, with math-related books covering topics like probability and division, and non-mathematical books focusing on cognitive and social themes. An emphasis on vocabulary was common to both interventions, with instructors using various techniques to highlight key words and phrases. Techniques included putting words into sentences, linking the words with the contexts, using dramatic gestures, using voices, and changing speaking speed. Results indicated that:

  • Both reading intervention groups significantly outperformed the control group, with no differences between the math-related and unrelated conditions.
  • Gender, baseline math ability, and general cognition did not moderate these effects.

The authors posit that improving vocabulary and reading comprehension through either intervention may have enhanced mathematical performance, as the assessment involved word problems. However, limitations of research method preclude strong conclusions. Further research utilizing more rigorous methodologies could help clarify the mechanisms by which reading and math skills interact over developmental stages.

 

Source: Zhang, L., Jia, Y., Xue, X., & Wang, W. (2023). Can mathematics-unrelated reading intervention improve children’s mathematical performance? Educational Psychology, 43(10), 1144–1159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2285231.… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

Teaching the concept of equivalency in math class

Research studies have shown that American children have difficulty with the concept of equivalency more than their international peers. Less than 20% of American 7-11 year olds are able to solve a math problem involving equations on either side of an equal sign (example: 3+8+4 = 3 + _) because they do not recognize that the problem is asking them about a concept (equality) rather than a calculation. Improving Children’s Understanding of Equivalence (ICUE) is a supplementary math intervention that targets this problem using four strategies: (1) introducing the equal sign before arithmetic, (2) nontraditional arithmetic practice, (3) concreteness fading exercises, and (4) comparison and explanation. It is delivered in 32 lessons over 16 weeks, twice a week for 15-20 minutes, in addition to regular math lessons.

In order to build its evidence base, ICUE conducted a cluster randomized trial in public second grade classrooms in California. 132 second grade teachers in 53 schools in 7 districts were randomly assigned to use either ICUE (n=69E) or non-traditional arithmetic practice alone (n=63C) in addition to their business as usual instruction. Non-traditional practice consisted of presenting problems in non-traditional formats (ex: __= 9+8), using “is the same as” or other phrases instead of the equal sign, and organizing problems into sets based on equivalent values (ex: 3+4= ; 5+2=). Students were tested using both researcher-made and independent measures. Because research shows that researcher-made measures inflate effect sizes, only the results for independent measures are reported in this summary. Using performance tasks from the Mathematics Assessment Resource Service (MARS), results from 2259 students (n=1131E, 1128C) showed an advantage for the ICUE students (g=+0.20). Researchers also looked at the effects of equivalency training on students’ computational skills. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups on the independent ITBS, meaning that learning about equivalency did not hinder children’s learning addition/subtraction.

 

Source: Davenport, J. L., Kao, Y. S., Johannes, K. N., Hornburg, C. B., & McNeil, N. M. (2023). Improving children’s understanding of mathematical equivalence: An efficacy study. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 16(4), 615–642. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2022.2144787… Read the rest