Chapter one introduction (minimum 3 pages)
Chapter One should include the following:
- The topic and scope of the research investigation
- An explanation of the importance of the topic to the field of education
- At least three sources cited with a clear connection to the research question
- Statement of interest to engage the reader (narrative hook)
- Definition of terms and the scope of the problem investigated- organized in a logical sequence
- Statement of the research question connecting to the Program Essential Question in the concluding paragraph
- Past tense
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2
EFFECTIVE READING STRATEGIES
Components of the Capstone Paper:
Capstone Paper Cover Page (Page 1)- Use APA 6th edition format for Capstone paper
· Dedication- (Page 2)
· Acknowledgments- (Page 3)
· Table of Contents (Page 4)- Use template designed for Capstone paper found in Blackboard’s Course Materials folder
· Abstract (Page 6)- A one-half page summary of the contents of the Capstone paper To include the following:
· Topic
· Purpose
· Brief summary of sources
· Keywords (limit to 4-5 words)
· Conclusions
· Past tens
Chapter one introduction (minimum 3 pages)
Chapter One should include the following:
· The topic and scope of the research investigation
· An explanation of the importance of the topic to the field of education
· At least three sources cited with a clear connection to the research question
· Statement of interest to engage the reader (narrative hook)
· Definition of terms and the scope of the problem investigated- organized in a logical sequence
· Statement of the research question connecting to the Program Essential Question in the concluding paragraph
· Past tense
Chapter Two: Literature Review (minimum 15 pages)
A written narrative synthesizing and summarizing information from the selected research studies to develop a response and answer to the research question proposed in the Introduction. This should not be a list of separate studies or annotated bibliography, rather it is a detailed overview of the existing research that attempts to answer the proposed research question. The review will be a minimum of 15 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources; that may include, journal articles, online resources, and conference/summit papers. Must use APA format and citations.
Please identify the following information for each source:
· Type of study (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, case study, or other)
· Number and age/grade level of the participants and other demographic/socioeconomic status information that provides the context for the study
· The methodology (interviews, surveys, observations, pre-post test data, experimental/control groups, etcetera
· Key findings that are related to your research question
· Limitations mentioned in the study, and any other limitations that you noted
· Chapter includes an introduction and conclusion with transition into the following chapter
· Past tense
Chapter Three: Research Summary and Conclusions (minimum 3-4 pages)
A succinct and precise summary, and a synthesized conclusion of the Introduction and Literature Review.
This section must include the following:
· A review of the proposed problem (research question) that was investigated
· The importance of this topic
· A paraphrased summary of the findings from the research studies that were examined in the Literature Review with a synthesized conclusion of how the findings answer the research question
· Past tense
This is a concise chapter that clearly identifies the findings of the studies that were discussed in the Literature Review and syntheses the research in relation to the research question. This chapter also includes an introduction and conclusion with transition into the following chapter.
Chapter Four: Discussion/Application/Future Studies (minimum 4 to 5 pages)
This chapter includes the following:
· A summary of the insights gained from the research that will lead to improved instructional practice
· Specific application examples of how the research will inform instructional or educational practices
· A minimum of three suggestions for possible future studies
· A strong conclusion, as it acts as the conclusion for the entire paper
· Present and/or future tense
References: An alphabetical listing of resources cited in the paper, with correct citations per APA – 6th Edition.
PAGE
2
EFFECTIVE READING STRATEGIES
Components of the Capstone Paper:
Capstone Paper Cover Page (Page 1)- Use APA 6th edition format for Capstone paper
· Dedication- (Page 2)
· Acknowledgments- (Page 3)
· Table of Contents (Page 4)- Use template designed for Capstone paper found in Blackboard’s Course Materials folder
· Abstract (Page 6)- A one-half page summary of the contents of the Capstone paper To include the following:
· Topic
· Purpose
· Brief summary of sources
· Keywords (limit to 4-5 words)
· Conclusions
· Past tens
Chapter one introduction (minimum 3 pages)
Chapter One should include the following:
· The topic and scope of the research investigation
· An explanation of the importance of the topic to the field of education
· At least three sources cited with a clear connection to the research question
· Statement of interest to engage the reader (narrative hook)
· Definition of terms and the scope of the problem investigated- organized in a logical sequence
· Statement of the research question connecting to the Program Essential Question in the concluding paragraph
· Past tense
Chapter Two: Literature Review (minimum 15 pages)
A written narrative synthesizing and summarizing information from the selected research studies to develop a response and answer to the research question proposed in the Introduction. This should not be a list of separate studies or annotated bibliography, rather it is a detailed overview of the existing research that attempts to answer the proposed research question. The review will be a minimum of 15 scholarly, peer-reviewed sources; that may include, journal articles, online resources, and conference/summit papers. Must use APA format and citations.
Please identify the following information for each source:
· Type of study (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, case study, or other)
· Number and age/grade level of the participants and other demographic/socioeconomic status information that provides the context for the study
· The methodology (interviews, surveys, observations, pre-post test data, experimental/control groups, etcetera
· Key findings that are related to your research question
· Limitations mentioned in the study, and any other limitations that you noted
· Chapter includes an introduction and conclusion with transition into the following chapter
· Past tense
Chapter Three: Research Summary and Conclusions (minimum 3-4 pages)
A succinct and precise summary, and a synthesized conclusion of the Introduction and Literature Review.
This section must include the following:
· A review of the proposed problem (research question) that was investigated
· The importance of this topic
· A paraphrased summary of the findings from the research studies that were examined in the Literature Review with a synthesized conclusion of how the findings answer the research question
· Past tense
This is a concise chapter that clearly identifies the findings of the studies that were discussed in the Literature Review and syntheses the research in relation to the research question. This chapter also includes an introduction and conclusion with transition into the following chapter.
Chapter Four: Discussion/Application/Future Studies (minimum 4 to 5 pages)
This chapter includes the following:
· A summary of the insights gained from the research that will lead to improved instructional practice
· Specific application examples of how the research will inform instructional or educational practices
· A minimum of three suggestions for possible future studies
· A strong conclusion, as it acts as the conclusion for the entire paper
· Present and/or future tense
References: An alphabetical listing of resources cited in the paper, with correct citations per APA – 6th Edition.
Running head: EFFECTIVE READING STRATEGIES 1
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EFFECTIVE READING STRATEGIES
The Effect of Motivation on Students Performance
The action of motivation is crucial with students in order to help them do better when it comes to reading. Motivation can support the students to achieve and accomplish a high level of performance. Huang (2012) illustrates that “In general sense, motivation can be defined as the dynamically changing cumulative arousal in a person that initiates, directs, coordinates, amplifies, terminates, and evaluates the cognitive and motor processes whereby initial wishes and desires are selected, prioritized, operationalized and successfully or unsuccessfully acted out” (pg. 1755). Educators can support students through motivation and by using different kinds of strategies. Barrot (2016) believes “The term ‘reading strategy’ has been part of teachers’ everyday vocabulary in reading classrooms”. Barrot (2016) continues “Reading strategies are ‘‘deliberate, goal-directed attempts to control and modify the reader’s efforts to decode text, understand words, and construct meaning of text” (pg. 885). In light of what is known about children and educational policy and practice, what are some strategies teachers can do to motivate students to read?
In this paper, the writer will review articles that discuss different strategies which have been used by different researchers. Similarities and differences can be found in the literature in how the authors use different kinds of strategies and how data, evidence, and findings are obtained and provided in the studies. The articles that the writer will review include: Impacts of Comprehensive Reading Instruction on Diverse Outcomes of Low-and High-Achieving Readers by Guthrie, McRae, Coddington, Klauda, Wigfield and Barbosa (2009). Does Johnny’s Reading Teacher Love to Read? How Teacher’s Personal Reading Habits Affect Instructional Practices Written by McKool and Gespass (2009). Action Research on Motivation in English Reading by Huang (2012). ESL Learners’ Use of Reading Strategies Across Different Text Types Written by Barrot (2016). Context-Specific Motivations to Read for Adolescent Struggling Readers: Does the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire Tell the Full Story? Written by Neugebauer (2014).
Number of participants
Most of the participants of the studies were chosen randomly. Barrot (2016) chose the participants to be a combination of male and female English second language (ESL) learners who had at least 10 years of prior formal instruction in English and had an intermediate level reading proficiency. Huang (2012) also chose 156 participants female and male non- English major undergraduates. Neugebauer (2014) outlines the research which included one hundred and fifteen fifth graders who were administered the Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ), an in-school reading motivation daily log, a demographic survey, and standardized reading assessments. However, McKool and Gespass (2009) selected the participants to be female teachers in order to investigate the relationship between teachers’ personal reading habits and their instructional practice. According to McKool and Gespass (2009), these teacher participants were willing to distribute and collect the surveys.
Background and demographics of participants
Huang’s participants (2012) had English reading classes both intensive and extensive and have mostly reduced of the influence of the previous education like junior and senior high school and are accustomed to the college curriculum. They have been studying English for at least 8 years and have formed a set of relatively fixed learning patterns, especially in English reading. Guthrie, et al. (2009) selected grade 5 students from three schools in the Mid Atlantic region. According to McKool and Gespass (2009) sixty-five elementary school teachers who taught reading as one of several subjects taught during the school day. The average age of the teachers was 38 years with 10 years of experience. All of the participants were female and 23% held master’s degrees.
Barrot (2016) describes that the participants had been taught a plethora of reading strategies (e.g., recognizing discourse structure, contextual guessing, brainstorming, concept mapping, activating background knowledge, predicting and previewing, note-taking, skimming, and recognizing fallacies) during their basic education. The participants were also significantly exposed to different text types which include narrative, descriptive, process, expository, comparison– contrast, cause–effect, problem-solving, and argumentative/persuasive texts. The participants came from various socioeconomic classes and linguistic backgrounds which are typical of a university-level English class.
Neugebauer (2014) conducted his research in the fifth grades of two elementary schools in the Northeast of the United States. A fifth-grade sample is well-suited for an analysis of reading motivation, because the late elementary school period marks a shift in children’s reading development. Fifth graders are immersed in more sophisticated curricular materials that are difficult for struggling readers, and they are expected to use academic language that may be unfamiliar. Of the 152 students recruited for the study, a total of 119 (78%) participated.
Methods used in the studies
The researchers provided numerical data, tables, scales, and comparisons within the research results, clearly indicating that data from the studies were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. According to McKool and Gespass (2009) quantitative data sources were analyzed through descriptive analysis methods, while grounded theory methods were used to analyze the short written responses. These written responses were examined by both authors and then categorized using the technique of “constant-comparative analysis” in which pieces of information were compared against other pieces of information across all subjects. Through this methodology, the concepts of relationships among the pieces of information were not only generated but they were also provisionally tested. The researchers perfectly described the demographics of the participants that had been chosen.
Findings of the studies
Barrot (2016) claimed that ESL learners generally applied a wide range of strategies consistently when reading different text types. From a practical perspective, these findings lend support for an integrated approach to teaching and learning reading strategies. This means no matter what the text type is, teachers may need to simultaneously teach and expose learners to various reading strategies. Educators can do this by explicitly incorporating strategy instruction into their instructional materials and other teaching activities. Theoretically, the findings allow us to have a deeper understanding that reading strategy use is a result of interaction between the learners and the text; that is, it is influenced by learners’ schema and reading proficiency level as well as structural complexity of the text.
After a series of statistical analyses of the correlation between the reading proficiency and the motivation, Huang (2012) reached the following findings:
1. The majority of the English students have a strong motivation towards English reading;
2. Female students show a stronger intrinsic and extrinsic motivation than male students, which indicates that gender is a very important variable in English learning;
3. The correlation between general motivation and reading is significant;
4. The correlation between students with higher score and lower score is significant.
McKool and Gespass (2009) indicated that teachers who are readers themselves are more likely to engage in instructional practices that model their passion for reading. McKool and Gespass (2009) also found by reading out loud to the students, reader teachers engage in conversations with the students about books and model specific reading strategies. Those educators give students greater choice in reading materials. Moreover, those teachers give students frequent time to read during the school day more than teachers who report that they do not read for pleasure regularly. In this study, researchers realized how it is important to understand personal reading attitudes and beliefs do influence instructional practices in the classroom.
Neugebauer (2014) found that the MRQ did not significantly predict reading performance on a standardized reading comprehension measure. The MRQ shows that students with good reading abilities, in the absence of motivation to read in school, resembled their less literate unmotivated peers. However, poor readers who were highly motivated in school performed, on average, did worse than their peers who were not highly motivated to read in school with comparable reading skills.
Limitations
According to Barrot’s study (2016), the current study has several limitations. First, the study remains a self-report study. It would be useful to use a qualitative and/or a mixed method design in future studies to provide more generalizable results. Second, the study examined reading strategies of a limited sample of university students with intermediate reading proficiency. It is, therefore, interesting to replicate the study by increasing the number of participants of varying reading proficiency level from different universities and background to make the findings more conclusive and interpretation more meaningful. Third, since the strategies included in the study were delimited to those that are included in the syllabus, students might have used other strategies that were not included in the list. Finally, since this study was conducted in a private university in the Philippines, the findings may not be applicable to other learning contexts and should be interpreted with caution.
Neugebauer (2014) research has several limitations. The researcher used primarily self-reported data, which may increase the absolute reported motivation for reading. A possible solution to these reporter biases for future research on this topic is to triangulate student self- reports with both parent and teacher reports, as well as classroom observations. The MRQ study focused on in-school reading motivation; however, both are equally important and will be an analysis of the contribution of outside-school reading motivations, which may explain additional variation in reading performance. Neugebauer (2014) states that the analytic focus of this study was on motivations to read in school. Understanding the interchange between task and context will be a crucial subsequent area of study. Collecting data on reading tasks was judged to be too taxing for participants and would have required multiple daily administrations to record all reading activities and their concurrent reading motivations.
McKool and Gespass (2009) realized the limitations of their study by indicating the small size of the sample they had. McKool and Gespass (2009) chose to use only fourth- through sixth- grade teachers because the schools that they used were all intermediate grade schools which included fourth and fifth grades or fourth through sixth grades. A second limitation is that the data that were collected were self-reported by the teachers. McKool and Gespass (2009) reported due to the previous limitations, these data and the findings should be viewed as exploratory rather than research findings that could be generalized.
Conclusion
Motivation is one of the most important aspects of affecting student’s performance in reading. Teachers should motivate and train integrative and intrinsic motivation. Educators should give learners who are lacking in motivation initiative feedback for their endeavor and stimulate their extrinsic motivation in order to let them enjoy learning. Furthermore, it is useful if students develop themselves by using reading strategies effectively. These studies illustrate the importance of the use of strategies for motivating students to read.
References
Barrot, J. (2016). ESL learners’ use of reading strategies across different text types. The
Asia Pacific Education Researcher, 25(5), 883-892.
Guthrie, J., Mcrae, A., Coddington, C., Lutz Klauda, S., Wigfield, A., & Barbosa, P. (2009).
Impacts of comprehensive reading instruction on diverse outcomes of low- and high
achieving readers. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42(3), 195-214.
Huang, Q. (2012). Action research on motivation in english reading. Theory and Practice in
Language Studies, 2(8), 1755-1761.
McKool, Sharon S., & Gespass, Suzanne. (2009). Does Johnny’s reading teacher love to read?
how teachers’ personal reading habits affect instructional practices. Literacy Research
and Instruction, 48(3), 264-276.
Neugebauer, S. (2014). Context-specific motivations to read for adolescent struggling
readers: does the motivation for reading questionnaire tell the full story? Reading
Psychology, 35(2), 160-194.