SSSR 2021 proposal Authors
Kim Van Ammel, Koen Aesaert, Hilde Van Keer Title
Implementing a reading intervention in authentic 9th-grade vocational classrooms: a study into the quality of implementation and its relationship with students’ learning outcomes
Abstract Purpose
Implementing reading interventions in authentic classroom settings is highly challenging. Therefore, the quality of teachers’ implementation should be investigated. In this study, we will
comprehensively report on the quality of implementation of our reading intervention ProjectExpert, study its relationship with the desired student learning outcomes and possible differential
relationships based on student characteristics.
Method
11 teachers and 198 of their 9th-grade vocational students participated. A pretest-posttest design was applied including three phases: a pretest, a six-week intervention period, and a posttest. During the pretest and posttest, students’ learning outcomes (i.e., reading comprehension, reading strategy use and reading motivation) were quantitatively measured. The quality of implementation was operationalized into the fidelity of implementation (i.e., adherence, quality, student responsiveness, and dosage) and adherence to the theoretical design principles of ProjectExpert. Final scores for each of these components were generated based on student and teacher self-report questionnaires, a teacher logbook, a lesson observation and a semi-structured teacher interview. Multiple regression analysis was adopted to study the relationship between the various components of the quality of implementation and students’ learning outcomes. Moreover, interaction effects with students’ initial level of reading comprehension and reading motivation were investigated.
Results
The results revealed significant relationships between various components of the quality of implementation and students’ learning outcomes. Furthermore, a differential effect based on students’ initial level of reading comprehension was detected.
Conclusions
This study highlights the value of comprehensively reporting on the quality of implementation and studying its relationship with the desired students’ learning outcomes.
