Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Education

First Advisor

Bobbie Smothers-Jones

Second Advisor

Lori A. Wolff

Third Advisor

Jerilou Moore

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of single-gender grouping on the reading performance of fourth grade male students and explore the levels of use of research-based reading strategies for their influence on reading achievement of male students in single-gender and mixed-gender class settings. The study population consisted of 195 student participants, from 4 different schools in one mid-South school district, and 9 teacher participants of these students. The control group consisted of 98 students from two of the four schools in the study. Data was collected using the results from the Mississippi Curriculum Test, Second Edition (MCT2) assessment reading mean scores, the Teacher Questionnaire, and System to Enhance Education Performance (STEEP) test scores. The data was analyzed, at the .05 level of significance, using Levene's Test for Equality of Variances, Independent t-test of Means, frequency distributions, and clustered bar charts. Results of the data analysis shothat there were significant differences in the mean reading performance level scores between fourth grade male students in single-gender and mixed-gender classes. The frequency use of general reading strategies, the literature-based approach, and the technology-based approach was greater with teachers of single-gender classes. The frequency use of the basal-based approach and the language-based approach was equal among teachers in both class settings. The majority of the teachers surveyed used strategies to assess students' progress in reading at least twice a week or more. Hands-on activities, choice in text selection, and literature circles were three major themes that emerged from teacher narratives on one delivery method observed to be effective with boys.

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