The purpose of this quasi-experimental one group study was to (a) ascertain the vocabulary acquisition of low-achieving language students in grades 9-11 (n = 14), and (b) to determine if implementation of a program of explicit instruction would lead to a significant improvement of the volume of knowledge of a controlled list of vocabulary words. Results revealed that all participants showed positive change in the number of vocabulary items answered correctly from initial pretest to final posttest (M = +15 items), with an average 97% improvement. The time to acquire one new vocabulary word was approximately 10.6 minutes. Implications for teaching secondary students who are low achieving in vocabulary skills are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this quasi-experimental one group study was to (a) ascertain the vocabulary acquisition of low-achieving language students in grades 9-11 (n = 14), and (b) to determine if implementation of a program of explicit instruction would lead to a significant improvement of the volume of knowledge of a controlled list of vocabulary words. Results revealed that <em>all</em> participants showed positive change in the number of vocabulary items answered correctly from initial pretest to final posttest (M = +15 items), with an average 97% improvement. The time to acquire one new vocabulary word was approximately 10.6 minutes. Implications for teaching secondary students who are low achieving in vocabulary skills are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lange, Susan L."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A. in Learning Disabilities","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Urban, Stanley"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-05-19T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-05-19T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:14:25Z","subjects":["Vocabulary--Study and teaching (Secondary)","Disability and Equity in Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1334","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Urban, Stanley"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lange, Susan L."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-05-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.A. in Learning Disabilities"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Vocabulary--Study and teaching (Secondary)","Disability and Equity in Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1334"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this quasi-experimental one group study was to (a) ascertain the vocabulary acquisition of low-achieving language students in grades 9-11 (n = 14), and (b) to determine if implementation of a program of explicit instruction would lead to a significant improvement of the volume of knowledge of a controlled list of vocabulary words. Results revealed that all participants showed positive change in the number of vocabulary items answered correctly from initial pretest to final posttest (M = +15 items), with an average 97% improvement. The time to acquire one new vocabulary word was approximately 10.6 minutes. Implications for teaching secondary students who are low achieving in vocabulary skills are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Effective vocabulary development for secondary students in weekly small-group sessions"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Urban, Stanley"],"dc:creator":["Lange, Susan L."],"dc:date.available":["2016-05-09T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this quasi-experimental one group study was to (a) ascertain the vocabulary acquisition of low-achieving language students in grades 9-11 (n = 14), and (b) to determine if implementation of a program of explicit instruction would lead to a significant improvement of the volume of knowledge of a controlled list of vocabulary words. Results revealed that all participants showed positive change in the number of vocabulary items answered correctly from initial pretest to final posttest (M = +15 items), with an average 97% improvement. The time to acquire one new vocabulary word was approximately 10.6 minutes. Implications for teaching secondary students who are low achieving in vocabulary skills are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/1334"],"dc:subject":["Vocabulary--Study and teaching (Secondary)","Disability and Equity in Education"],"dc:title":["Effective vocabulary development for secondary students in weekly small-group sessions"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.A. in Learning Disabilities"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:14:25Z"}