Will collaborative strategic reading promote conceptual understanding in 6th grade science vocabulary?

Abstract

This study researches whether a Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) strategy promoted conceptual understanding of vocabulary in a sixth grade science classroom. Eighty 6th grade middle school students, ages 11 – 12 and split fairly even by gender participated in this study. These students were 51% Caucasian, 38 % Hispanic / Latino, and 10% of African American descent. The CSR strategy was implemented as a supplement to the traditional teacher-designed lesson plans, in order to compare two chapters with the traditional approach to instruction and two using the CSR to lead instruction. Each of the four chapters was assessed with an eight-question multiple choice vocabulary quiz including two short answer questions and a chapter test. The mean score of the quiz and tests of each class were calculated. Using this data for each class, the study determined that the CSR strategy did not produce overall higher achievement on the chapters in which the CSR was implemented compared to the chapters using the teachers’ traditional approach. During the four chapters covered, the quiz and test grade average for three out of four classes ranged from 71% - 88%. The remaining class did much worse as their scores ranged from 51% - 65%. The CSR strategy produced better average test scores for most classes, while the teachers traditional approach demonstrated better average quiz scores for most of the classes. In this study the CSR strategy did not produce results that indicated the CSR promoted conceptual understanding in the sixth grade science vocabulary.