The effects of structure strategy instruction on reading comprehension and self-efficacy: mediation and moderation analysis
Open Access
- Author:
- Zhao, Hui
- Graduate Program:
- Educational Psychology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- February 18, 2020
- Committee Members:
- Pui-Wa Lei, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Bonnie J Meyer, Committee Member
David Lee, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- structure strategy instruction
reading comprehension
self-efficacy
structure equation modeling
mediation
moderation - Abstract:
- Text structure strategy can help readers identify the organization of expository texts, encode information strategically, construct elaborated mental representation and boost reading comprehension. Consistent evidence has been shown that learners across age and language could benefit from structure strategy instructions on researcher-designed and standardized reading outcomes (Hebert, Bohaty, Nelson, & Brown, 2016); however, few studies assessed the instructional impacts on motivational outcomes such as self-efficacy, and the few that included reading comprehension and self-efficacy outcomes did not explore how or for whom structure strategy instruction was effective (Meyer et al., 2002; Wijekumar et al., 2014). Self-efficacy, one’s appraisal of capability in performing designated skills, can influence cognitive functioning, effort, persistence, affection, and selection of activities (Bandura, 1989). As such, self-efficacy is an essential educational outcome in and of itself. Moreover, self-efficacy has been found to be predictive of reading outcomes (e.g., Anmarkrud & Bråten, 2009; Solheim, 2011), and they might influence each other in a reciprocal manner (e.g., Hornstra, Van Der Veen, Peetsma, & Volman, 2013; Shell, Colvin, & Bruning, 1995; Sitzmann & Yeo, 2013). However, previous research on their directional influences or reciprocal relationships yielded mixed results (e.g., Andreassen & Bråten, 2010; Bråten, Ferguson, Anmarkrud, & Strømsø, 2013; Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999; Guthrie et al., 2007), likely due to domain mismatch of self-efficacy measures to reading and/or use of cross-sectional designs that could not provide strong evidence for directional relations. This study intends to extend previous studies to provide more nuanced understandings of the effect of structure strategy instruction on reading comprehension and self-efficacy by addressing the how (mediation) and for whom (moderation) questions. First, we examined the effect of a web-based Intelligent Tutoring program for the Structure Strategy (ITSS) on self-efficacy as well as how and to what extent this effect is mediated or moderated by reading comprehension. Second, we explored the effect of ITSS on reading comprehension, with an emphasis on the extent ITSS impact is mediated or moderated by self-efficacy. By analyzing secondary data from a large-scale cluster randomized control trial (RCT) of ITSS with pretest and posttest design, results from this study are also expected to shed light on the directional effects of reading comprehension and self-efficacy. The analysis sample for this study consisted of 131 fourth-grade and 128 fifth-grade classrooms in the Northeastern U.S. In the original RCT, classrooms were randomly assigned to ITSS intervention or business-as-usual groups within schools by grade level. Students completed standardized reading tests and survey questions about structure strategy self-efficacy, reading self-efficacy, and learning self-efficacy before and after the intervention. Results from structural equation modeling suggested no significant treatment effect of ITSS instruction on self-efficacy regardless of grade. However, ITSS appeared to improve fifth-grade students’ structure strategy and reading self-efficacy indirectly through its effect on reading comprehension performance. Furthermore, prior reading comprehension moderated the treatment effect on reading self-efficacy. Specifically, students with lower prior reading skills gained more on reading self-efficacy from the instruction. Implications and limitations are discussed accordingly.