Current Search: adolescent literacy (x)
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- Title
- A MIXED METHOD STUDY ON THE ROLE OF THE IMAGINATION IN THE READING COMPREHENSION OF LOW-PROGRESS ADOLESCENTS.
- Creator
-
Puig, Enrique, Robinson, Sandra L., University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Founded on the importance of the imagination according to Greene (1995) and set by the Executive Summary of the 911 Commission Report, the mixed methods grounded theory study looks at a correlation between a set of instruction practices recognized by Egan (2008) for nourishing and developing the imagination and low-progress adolescent students' comprehension. Descriptive data are provided on the school, students, teachers, and district where the study was conducted to illustrate the...
Show moreFounded on the importance of the imagination according to Greene (1995) and set by the Executive Summary of the 911 Commission Report, the mixed methods grounded theory study looks at a correlation between a set of instruction practices recognized by Egan (2008) for nourishing and developing the imagination and low-progress adolescent students' comprehension. Descriptive data are provided on the school, students, teachers, and district where the study was conducted to illustrate the limitation and delimitations of the study. The study is limited to low-progress adolescent students as identified by the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and uses pre and post Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR) mandated and administered by Orange County to establish comprehension and determine statistical significance. Participant and non-participant observations are used to triangulate and co-triangulate data to determine the correlation between the frequency of select instructional practices and students' comprehending as evidence by their FAIR reading and Maze scores. Observation of student performance suggests that attention to the implementation of the instruction practices of using poetry, text sets, and sensory stimulation has potential in nurturing low progress adolescent students' imagination and strengthening their cognitive feed-forward mechanism. The data adds to the existing body of work on the interactive nature of reading (Rumelhart, 1994) by elaborating on low progress adolescent students' ability to predict and anticipate; concluding that convergent and divergent thinking, making inter-textual connections, and creating mental models are necessary sub-factors to nourish the imagination and need to be taken into account in instruction to assist low-progress adolescent students in comprehending and developing a defensible interpretation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003606, ucf:48850
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003606
- Title
- The Effect of a Metalinguistic Approach to Sentence Combining on Written Expression in Eighth Grade Science for Students who Struggle with Literacy.
- Creator
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Telesca, Lynne, Ehren, Barbara, Zygouris-Coe, Vassiliki, Kong, Anthony Pak Hin, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Recent data indicate that less than 50% of American secondary students are able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency in reading, writing, and science (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2007, 2011, 2012a, 2012b). Secondary students' are expected to develop advanced literacy skills, especially in writing, in order to be ready for college and careers. Students are expected to develop these advanced literacy skills, within all academic subjects. In other words, they are...
Show moreRecent data indicate that less than 50% of American secondary students are able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency in reading, writing, and science (National Center for Educational Statistics [NCES], 2007, 2011, 2012a, 2012b). Secondary students' are expected to develop advanced literacy skills, especially in writing, in order to be ready for college and careers. Students are expected to develop these advanced literacy skills, within all academic subjects. In other words, they are expected to develop disciplinary literacy skills. The statistics are alarming overall, but they are particularly alarming in the area of science. Students need strong literacy skills, including written expression, to be prepared for employment opportunities in science fields, which currently are being filled by graduates of other industrialized nations, who have a more advanced skill set. This loss of occupational opportunity poses a threat for the U.S. to remain globally competitive in science innovation and advancement, which ultimately secures economic prosperity. Despite these staggering concerns, there is little research conducted to evaluate effective instructional methods to develop complex writing skills in academic disciplines such as science.To address this critical issue, the present study examined the effects of a metalinguistic approach to the writing intervention of sentence combining with eighth-grade students who struggle with literacy. The researcher conducted the study in a typical science classroom in an urban American school setting. The focus of the intervention was to increase students' metalinguistic awareness of science text, to improve written sentence complexity in science, as well as the written expression and determination of comparison and contrast of science content. The study employed a quasi-experimental design. The participants consisted of an experimental group (two classes) who received the treatment during typical science instruction and a comparison group (three classes) who did not receive treatment, but participated in their typical science instruction. There were four participating teachers and 84 participating students. The researcher conducted the study over a period of seven weeks within regularly scheduled science classes. Twenty intervention sessions were conducted for a length of 20 minutes each, totaling 400 minutes or 6.6 hours. Hierarchical repeated measures ANOVA and hierarchical repeated measures MANOVA analyses revealed that the experimental group performed significantly better than the comparison group on their ability to determine similarities and differences (compare and contrast) related to science content, with a medium effect. The experimental group achieved a slightly higher marginal mean over the comparison group on their ability to combine sentences, with a small effect. Multiple statistical analyses revealed a trend of higher marginal means in favor of the experimental group over the comparison group on several measures of written sentence complexity on both the science compare and contrast writing prompt (small-medium effect) and the science expository essay (medium to large effect). One experimental class also demonstrated higher scores in their overall sentence correctness on science expository essay as compared to all the other classes. These findings suggest that sentence combining, utilizing a metalinguistic approach, may hold promise as an effective writing intervention in a content area classroom, for secondary students who struggle with literacy. Furthermore, the findings suggest that a metalinguistic approach to sentence combining can be successfully embedded within a content area class, which may result in increased concept knowledge and writing skills in that academic discipline. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005891, ucf:50897
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005891
- Title
- ADOLESCENT MOTHERS' IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE THEIR CHILDREN'S EARLY LANGUAGE AND EMERGENT LITERACY SKILLS.
- Creator
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Canty, Meredith C, Towson, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Previous studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent...
Show morePrevious studies have examined how the language skills of children with adolescent mothers differs from children of older mothers. However, there is limited information on what specific strategies adolescent mothers utilize to increase early language and emergent literacy skills in their children. The aim of the present study is to examine adolescent mothers' use of strategies to increase the early language and emergent literacy skills of their young children. A sample of 14 adolescent mothers enrolled in a teen parenting program were surveyed on their use of common strategies that are shown to facilitate early development of language and literacy skills in young children, and they provided a self-report of their child's language development using a norm-referenced tool. A researcher developed questionnaire was used to determine the frequency of strategies used by the adolescent mothers. The MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories were used to gather child language development data to compare with the frequency of strategy usage. The measures were analyzed with ANOVAs, Pearson Correlations and Spearman's rank-order correlations to determine the significance and relationship between variables. Adolescent mothers were found to generally score low on the Self-Assessment of Language and Literacy Implementation (SALLI), with deficits specifically in the areas of Directiveness and Home Environment. The CDIs showed that the children were reported to have below average language development, and their scores were significantly related to aspects of the adolescent mother's reported implementation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFH0000234, ucf:44677
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0000234
- Title
- Investigating a Mental Health Literacy Intervention Among Economically Disadvantaged Youth.
- Creator
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Mumbauer, Jayna, Barden, Sejal, Kelchner, Viki, Van Horn, Stacy, Williams, Nicola, Bai, Haiyan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Mental health is a critical and pervasive issue for children and adolescents in the United States, with one in five youth living with a diagnosable mental health condition (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Despite the increasing rates of mental health disorders, barriers to treatment are abundant and most young people do not receive appropriate treatment (Merikangas, 2009). Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs surrounding mental health that guide recognition,...
Show moreMental health is a critical and pervasive issue for children and adolescents in the United States, with one in five youth living with a diagnosable mental health condition (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Despite the increasing rates of mental health disorders, barriers to treatment are abundant and most young people do not receive appropriate treatment (Merikangas, 2009). Mental health literacy is the knowledge and beliefs surrounding mental health that guide recognition, management, and prevention (Jorm, 1997, p. 143). Mental health literacy is a particularly important framework for youth from economically disadvantaged backgrounds as they face increased vulnerabilities to mental health distress and barriers to treatment (World Health Organization, 2017). The aim of the present study was to investigate if an after school mental health literacy intervention changed adolescents' self-reported measures of mental health knowledge, mental health stigma, help-seeking, and hope across three waves of data collection: wave one (immediately before the intervention), wave two (immediately after the intervention), and wave three (one month post-intervention) as measured by: (a) Mental Health Knowledge and Attitude Survey [MHKAS] (Kutcher, McLuckie, (&) Weaver, 2014), (b) General Help Seeking Questionnaire [GHSQ] (Wilson, Deane, Ciarrochi, (&) Rickwood, 2005) 2005), (c) Children's Hope Scale [CHS] (Snyder et al., 1997).; and Self-Stigma of Mental Illness-Short Form [SSMIS-SF] (Corrigan et al., 2012). Main findings of the investigation included a significant difference for multivariate analysis between wave one and wave two (Pillai's Trace = .546, F(4, 56) = 16.816, p (<) .001, partial ?2 = .546). There was a statistically significant positive change in mental health knowledge (p (<) .001; d = 1.992) and help-seeking attitudes (p = .025; d = .934) and a significant negative change in personal mental health stigma (p (<) .001; d =.582) across wave one and wave two. There was no statistically significant change in hope (p = .904; d = .000) across wave one and wave two. Moreover, there was a statistically significant change from wave one to wave three for multivariate within subjects analysis (Pillai's Trace = .604, F(4, 27) = 10.297, p (<) .001, partial ?2 = .604), indicating changes were maintained at one-month follow-up. Specifically, there was a statistically significant positive change in mental health knowledge (p (<) .001, d = 1.960) and help-seeking attitudes (p = .007; d = 1.210) and a significant decrease in mental health stigma (p = .002; d = 1.210). There was no significant change in measures of hope from wave one to wave three (p = .467; d = .271). Results of the study are reviewed and compared to similar studies. The researcher discusses implications of findings for counseling, counselor education, and public policy.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007506, ucf:52648
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007506
- Title
- DIALOGIC READING WITH ADOLESCENT MOTHERS.
- Creator
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Abarca, Diana L, Towson, Jacqueline, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching dialogic reading (DR) strategies to adolescent mothers as measured by DR strategy use during shared book reading with their children. The secondary purpose was to determine the impact of adolescent mothers' implementation of DR strategies on their preschool children's single word vocabulary. A single subject multiple baseline across behaviors research design was implemented with one adolescent mother and her twin boys....
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching dialogic reading (DR) strategies to adolescent mothers as measured by DR strategy use during shared book reading with their children. The secondary purpose was to determine the impact of adolescent mothers' implementation of DR strategies on their preschool children's single word vocabulary. A single subject multiple baseline across behaviors research design was implemented with one adolescent mother and her twin boys. Based on visual analysis of graphical representation of the data, it was determined there was a moderate to strong functional relation between educating an adolescent mother on DR and her implementation of DR strategies during shared book reading, depending on the DR strategy. Receptive and expressive scores on the individual book assessments decreased from baseline to intervention. These results provide preliminary evidence that adolescent mothers have the potential to implement new strategies during shared book reading when provided with direct support. Future research with this population should strive towards developing an intervention for adolescent mothers and their children to enhance children's language and literacy development.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFH2000277, ucf:45821
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000277
- Title
- Nutrition Literacy and Demographic Variables as Predictors of Adolescent Weight Status in a Florida County.
- Creator
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Damato-Kubiet, Leslee, Sole, Mary, Bushy, Angeline, Conner, Norma, Berman, Steven, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Problem: In recent years, childhood obesity has increased to epidemic proportions across the United States (U.S.) in parallel with adult obesity, which often reflects poor dietary choices and bad nutritional habits. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parent and adolescent nutrition literacy expressed as nutrition knowledge and skills, with total household income and parent level of education, as predictors of weight status in adolescents that live in a...
Show moreProblem: In recent years, childhood obesity has increased to epidemic proportions across the United States (U.S.) in parallel with adult obesity, which often reflects poor dietary choices and bad nutritional habits. Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parent and adolescent nutrition literacy expressed as nutrition knowledge and skills, with total household income and parent level of education, as predictors of weight status in adolescents that live in a Florida community. The secondary purpose of this study was to examine the implications for nutrition literacy levels within parent/adolescent dyads to identify public health initiatives aimed at adult and adolescent populations.Methods: A descriptive, correlational design was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 110 parent-adolescent dyads recruited from a free physical exam event hosted by a local health care facility. Three instruments were completed by each dyad: 1) demographic survey, 2) Nutrition Literacy Survey (NLS; knowledge), and 3) Newest Vital Sign (NVS; skills). Physiologic measurements for the study included anthropometric measurement of the adolescent child's height (cm) and weight (kg) without shoes and BMI scores were calculated. In addition to actual value, BMI was categorized as low/normal and overweight/obese for analysis. Paired t-tests were used to compare means for the NLS and NVS survey in parent-adolescent dyads. Bivariate correlation scores were computed between the two variables of parent/adolescent NLS and NVS scores. Lastly, regression models for examining adolescent BMI were compared with the independent variables of the study.Results: The sample of adult participants (n =110) comprised males (n = 30, 27%) and females (n =80, 73%) ranging in age from 34 to 55 years (M= 41.9, SD= 4.77). Adolescent participants (n=110) comprised males (n = 61, 55%) and females (n = 49, 45%) ranging in age from 13 to 17 years (M = 15.1, SD = 1.43). Adolescent male participants had higher BMI (27 + 3.48) than females (24 + 2.90), t (108) = 4.83, (p = (<) .001). Adolescent males were categorized more overweight/obese than females (67.2% versus 24.5%). The parent NLS mean score (M=19) indicated low overall levels of general nutrition knowledge whereas the adolescent NLS mean score (M=21.7) demonstrated greater aptitude for nutrition knowledge than parent scores. The parent NVS mean score (M=4.1) suggested adequate levels of nutrition skills. Likewise, the adolescent NVS mean score (M= 4.1) suggested adequate nutrition skills, similar to scores in the adult population. Spearman rho correlations yielded positive correlations between parent/adolescent nutrition knowledge, (rs = .224, p = .019), and parents' nutrition knowledge and skills (rs = .596, p (<) .001). Positive correlations were also noted between adolescents' nutrition knowledge and parents' nutrition skills (rs = .257, p = .007) and adolescents' nutrition knowledge and nutrition skills (rs = .260. p = .006). Three regression models were calculated to examine adolescent BMI with the independent variables of the study. Analysis of regression coefficients for each model indicated that none of the variables demonstrated significance as a predictor of adolescent BMI.Discussion/Implications: The results of the study suggest that parents and adolescents may have similar amounts of nutrition literacy when examining the constructs of nutrition knowledge and skills; however, BMI is not solely dependent on these skill sets. Examination of the factors that influence parents and adolescent children's weight status are important elements in shaping families adoption of sound dietary habits and improving health outcomes.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0005154, ucf:50685
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005154
- Title
- The Effect of Question-Answer Relationships on Ninth-Grade Students' Ability to Accurately Answer Comprehension Questions.
- Creator
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Stafford, Tammy, Zygouris-Coe, Vassiliki, Xu, Lihua, Boote, David, Wilson, Nance, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This experimental research study examined the effects of the Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) taxonomy on ninth-grade students' ability to answer comprehension questions. Participants included 32 incoming ninth-grade students who were required to attend summer school due to poor attendance, grades, and/or standardized test scores. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Experimental group participants received one week of initial strategy instruction...
Show moreThis experimental research study examined the effects of the Question-Answer Relationships (QAR) taxonomy on ninth-grade students' ability to answer comprehension questions. Participants included 32 incoming ninth-grade students who were required to attend summer school due to poor attendance, grades, and/or standardized test scores. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Experimental group participants received one week of initial strategy instruction followed by three weeks of maintenance activities. Results indicated that the strategy had a negative effect on students' question-answering ability and raised questions regarding comprehension instruction, length of interventions, and the role of scaffolded support for a target population of adolescent readers. Discussion of the results revolves around interventions, QAR instruction, reading ability, and motivation of the participants.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004605, ucf:49921
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004605
- Title
- Effects of a Reading Strategy with Digital Social Studies Texts for Eighth Grade Students.
- Creator
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Doan, Melissa, Ehren, Barbara, Little, Mary, Kent-Walsh, Jennifer, Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Recent data indicate that only 34% of American eighth grade students are able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency with academic reading tasks (NCES, 2011). The staggering nature of statistics such as this is even more profound when considering that high level literacy skills combined with mastery of digital texts have become practical requirements for success in secondary education, post-secondary education, and virtually all vocational contexts. Despite this incongruent scenario, little...
Show moreRecent data indicate that only 34% of American eighth grade students are able to demonstrate grade-level proficiency with academic reading tasks (NCES, 2011). The staggering nature of statistics such as this is even more profound when considering that high level literacy skills combined with mastery of digital texts have become practical requirements for success in secondary education, post-secondary education, and virtually all vocational contexts. Despite this incongruent scenario, little research has been conducted to evaluate instructional methods and reading comprehension strategies with digital texts.To address this critical issue, the present study examined the effects of a metacognitive reading comprehension instructional protocol (STRUCTURE Your Reading [SYR]; Ehren, 2008) with eighth grade students using digital texts in a standard social studies classroom in an urban American school setting. The focus of the protocol was on teaching strategies and self-questioning prompts before, during, and after reading. The study employed a randomized controlled design and consisted of three conditions with a total of 4 participating teachers and 124 participating students. The study was conducted over 25 instructional days and two instructional units with 13.83 treatment hours within the standard, social studies classes. Hierarchical ANCOVA analyses revealed that when controlling for pre-test measurements, the comparison and experimental groups performed significantly better than the control group with instructional unit test scores (Unit 2), reading strategy use in all stages of reading (before, during, and after), and self-questioning prompts during reading. Comparison and experimental groups did not significantly differ in these gains, indicating that this instructional protocol is effective with both paper and digital text. These findings suggest that the SYR instructional protocol is effective with secondary students in content area classrooms when using digital text. Furthermore, they suggest that metacognition and reading comprehension strategy instruction are able to be successfully embedded within a content area class and result in academic and metacognitive gains. Clinical implications and future research directions and are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004244, ucf:49537
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004244
- Title
- Deconstructing Differences in Effectiveness of Reading Teachers of Ninth Grade Non-Proficient Readers in One Florida School District.
- Creator
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Wysong, Jason, Taylor, Rosemarye, Murray, Barbara, Baldwin, Gordon, Doherty, Walter, Zugelder, Bryan, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to identify specific instructional and professional differences between the most effective and least effective teachers of ninth grade students enrolled in intensive reading courses in one Florida school district. Teachers from eleven schools were invited to complete a survey that included categorical, Likert, and open-ended response items. Principals and assistant principals at these schools were also invited to complete a similar survey. Teacher...
Show moreABSTRACT This study was undertaken to identify specific instructional and professional differences between the most effective and least effective teachers of ninth grade students enrolled in intensive reading courses in one Florida school district. Teachers from eleven schools were invited to complete a survey that included categorical, Likert, and open-ended response items. Principals and assistant principals at these schools were also invited to complete a similar survey. Teacher respondents were then divided into three effectiveness groups based on the percentage of their students who met 2011-2012 FCAT performance targets established by Florida's value-added learning growth model. Inferential statistics were used to identify specific attributes that differed among the most and least effective teachers. These attributes included years of classroom teaching experience, status of Florida Reading Endorsement, belief in collaboration with others as a source of effectiveness, valuation of classroom strategies including teaching students to self-monitor their progress and cooperative learning activities, and frequency of use of reading strategies including sustained silent reading and paired/partner student readings. School administrators and the most effective classroom teachers reported similar beliefs about valuation and frequency of use of the four aforementioned classroom strategies. Analysis of responses to open-ended response items resulted in the identification of three instructional themes(-)importance of building positive relationships with students, student practice, and student self-reflection(-)and three resource needs(-)increased access to technology, print resources, and professional learning.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004963, ucf:49571
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004963
- Title
- Exploring Repurposing Across Contexts: How Adolescents' New Literacies Practices Can Inform Understandings about Writing-Related Transfer.
- Creator
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Mitchell, Cynthia, Wardle, Elizabeth, Rounsaville, Angela, Vie, Stephanie, Scanlon, Elizabeth, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This project examines how middle school students engage in new literacies practices and how they repurpose across contexts. With the use of screencast software and interviews, this project analyzes six case study participants' new literacies practices and the way they use and change ideas and strategies across physical and digital contexts.Drawing from transfer methodology, this project looks at how broadening conceptions of transfer and contexts to include repurposing increases the...
Show moreThis project examines how middle school students engage in new literacies practices and how they repurpose across contexts. With the use of screencast software and interviews, this project analyzes six case study participants' new literacies practices and the way they use and change ideas and strategies across physical and digital contexts.Drawing from transfer methodology, this project looks at how broadening conceptions of transfer and contexts to include repurposing increases the possibilities for finding transfer in literacies practices. Applying new literacies theory, this project explores how literacies practices that are chronologically and ontologically new (Lankshear (&) Knobel, 2006) are often repurposed across contexts. In addition, employing rhetorical invention and arrangement theories, this project examines how contemporary invention is repurposing and how arrangement aids in meaning making in new literacies practices. It also explores concerns over increased repurposing across collapsed contexts for literacies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006145, ucf:51160
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006145