Strategies for Identifying the Main Idea of Expository Passages: An Experimental Study

The goal of this study was to test the relative effectiveness of instructional interventions designed to teach remedial reading students to identify the main idea of expository passages. These interventions were based upon research in cognitive psychology and task analysis, and were implemented via a computer-assisted instruction program. The study randomly assigned students to treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial design. The Strategy Training intervention taught students strategies for identifying the topic and main idea of expository passages. This treatment also taught students metacognitive skills for checking the appropriateness of these main idea hypotheses. The Classification Skills intervention taught students to classify words, phrases and sentences under the appropriate topic. The Control students received practice answering main idea questions, much like main idea instruction in basal reading series.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Stevens, Robert James

• Education, Curriculum and Instruction

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8410053

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/68919