Classroom Talk for Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction - Essay Example

Research Problem: The research being analyzed is d “ room Talk for Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction” published in 2005 as part of the journal Reading Psychology. The research investigated “ the primary relationship between the nature of classroom talk and the degree of rigor of the reading comprehension lesson”. Although many theoretical models supports the relationship between classroom talk and learning, there have been very few studies that pursued establishing the relationship between classroom talk and enhancing learning in reading comprehension. The hypothesis being tested is : Would a certain discussion type have a significant influence on rigorous instruction? The study adapted the concept of Academic Rigor as a means of measuring reading comprehension. This was specifically used since the researchers believed that Academic Rigor is one of the Principles of Learning that engages active use of knowledge among learners. The researchers learning expectations were quite high since they wanted to observe critical thinking among participants. Literature Review Among the literature review, the study cited Brown’s collaborative dialogue. Brown’s theory is often used in what we call collaborative classrooms” wherein knowledge is shared between teachers and students. Teachers do not only use skill but “also value and build upon the knowledge, personal experiences, language, strategies, and culture that students bring to the learning situation” ( Tinzmann, et.al, 1990). The study also mentioned the concept of Academic Rigor which is often misunderstood. Actually , a good definition of academic rigor is “ sufficient time be devoted to a topic or unit of study and that students would have an opportunity to explore it in depth, developing questions as they go along” ( Chapter 7:A-4, state.gov., 2005). Apparently, a lot of educators today have the wrong perception of this term resulting to unmet expectations in classroom learning. The study also presented Applebee’s study on the importance of discussion-based activities. However, Adler st.al ( 2003) emphasized that discussion is effective if it is monologic wherein the teacher does not confine the lesson through lecture and seatwork. Discussion-based is not a new concept anymore but a more important thing is how it is being implemented in the classroom. In short, the literature review emphasizes the importance of collaborative dialogue, types of classroom talks that can enhance learning and the applicability of Academic Rigor in promoting critical thinking among students. The results of the study by Applebee 2003 showed that: Overall, the results suggest that students whose classroom literacy experiences emphasize discussion-based approaches in the context of high academic demands internalize the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in challenging literacy tasks on their own ( abstract, 2003). The purpose of this study is to complement Applebee’s research in establishing discussion–based approach applicability in reading comprehension tasks. This research study is situated in Research on Teaching Method since it tries to establish a particular method ( discussion-based ) as a means of enhancing learning in reading comprehension. Research Design: The research is a qualitative type that used observation as primary method for gathering data. Data was collected using Instructional Quality Assessment ( IQA) tool which was developed by the University of Pittsburg. It is believed that this study was used to implement such tool. According to the study, the tool focused only on four major aspects of student’s learning, namely: 1) accountable talk in the classroom 2) academic rigor of the lesson 3) clear expectations 40 the student’s self-management of learning. The said toolkit had 16 rubrics used for observed lesson; however, the study only focused on data from Accountable Talk and Academic Rigor Rubrics since its primary aim was to only study the relationship between classroom talk and rigor of lessons observed. Findings The findings revealed that teachers were still the ones who initiated the discussion in the classroom followed by student’s responses. This is a normal situation wherein educators prime the classroom environment so learners would participate. However, the study revealed interesting findings such as “ the talk moves regarding knowledge or reasoning “(p.23). The students began to reformulate or revoice the opinion of other students. Apparently a community was developed inside the classroom during discussions. The study ( through regression analyses) revealed that good talk was positively correlated with the level of rigor in the lesson. Also, it can be deducted that high-level tasks required “quality talk moves” (p.24). In short, the researchers concluded that student’s participation plays a key role in determining the rigor of a lesson. Nevertheless, the study also emphasized that the way the teacher’s lead the talk is crucial in producing student’s responses. Teaching strategy is one factor that must be considered in planning lessons with this type of instructional method. Indeed, collaboration between educator and student is critical in ensuring good quality talks that can result to effective learning in high-level tasks. Outcomes of the research The correlation analysis on Table 4 showed that “accountable talk moves had significant relationship with rigor of the lesson”. This finally tested the hypothesis of the study and established the significant role of talk in academic rigor. The findings of the research proved valuable in further exploring the effectiveness of discussion-based learning in other content areas such as mathematics and science. Also, the research have many implications in the field of education particularly in developing teacher’s effectiveness inside a classroom. However, the research has some limitations as the researchers noted. One, the quality of talk depends on the grade-level of the students. It is important to consider the age group of students since each grade level has certain amount of mental abilities. Talk from middle-school students would be different from talk generated from elementary students. Perhaps, this type of study cannot be applied to students below grade 3. The second limitation of the study was sample size. Further studies can pursue large populations to increase reliability of the research. As an educator, this study gave me valuable insights which I can later apply into practice. First, teachers are the key facilitator of learning regardless of instructional method employed inside the classroom. Because of this, an educator must continually strive to update his skills and practice continuously until a level of expertise is achieved. Also, an educator must try to innovate ways of teaching so that he can adjust to the changing needs of the learners. Last, gaining knowledge is not the end of learning , it is just a way to further gain understanding a broader social context such as understanding the world around us. References: Adler, M., Rougle, E., Kaiser, E., & Caughlan, S. (2003). Closing the Gap between Concept and Practice: Toward More Dialogic Discussion in the Language Arts Classroom A University-School Partnership Worked to Increase Student Achievement by Enabling Teachers to Identify and Use More Dialogic Methods for Discussion in Middle School English Language Arts Classrooms. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 47(4), 312+. Retrieved February 8, 2010, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5002441926. Applebee, A.N., Langer ,J.A., Nystrand m. and Gamoran, A. ( 2003 ) Discussion based approaches to developing understanding : Classroom instruction and student performance in middle and high school English. American Educational Research Journal. Vol. 40, No. 3, Retrieved from http://aer.sagepub.com/cgi/ content/ abstract/40/3/685 on 5 Feb 2010. Tinzmann ,M.B., Jones B.F., Bakker J., Fine C., Pierce J. ( 1990)What Is the Collaborative Classroom?. Retrieved from http://www.arp.sprnet.org/Admin/supt/collab2.htm on 1 Feb 2010. U.S. Department of State. Chapter 7: A-4. Relevance and academic rigor of content. April 19, 2005. Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/44875.htm on 5 Feb 2010. Wolf, M., Crosson, A., Resnick , L.( 2005) Classroom talk for Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction. Reading Psychology 26-27: 53. Read More