Special Education ETDs

Publication Date

5-16-1973

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a feedback system on word recognition gain. The subjects were six primary students referred to the resource room for reading problems. A cross-age tutorial project was established in which the subjects were tutored, using flash cards, for two 15 minute sessions each day. The feedback system, in the form of daily rate measures and charts, included the manager, the tutor, and the subject. In the first session, Condition A, the subjects received feedback on a one minute rate sample of reading performance and were allowed to chart the number of words read correctly and incorrectly. The charted information was made available to the tutor and the manager. On reaching 25 words read correctly per minute for a second time, the subject was given a new set of cards. In the second session, Condition B, the subject was tutored in a similar manner. A one minute rate sample of performance was taken, but the results of the performance were charted without specific feedback given to the subjects, his tutor, or the manager. Once a new set of cards was presented in Condition A, a corresponding set of cards was presented in Condition B. A score was obtained for each session by subtracting the number of words read incorrectly from the number of words read correctly. If new cards were presented, two scores were obtained, one for the pretest (before instruction) and another for the posttest (after instruction). Gain was defined as the difference between one day's score and the next day's score (G = Sc2 - Sc1) or the difference between the pretest and posttest score (G = Scpt - Scp). The Sign Test (Siegel, 1956) was selected to analyze the data. The hypothesis that feedback has no effect on word recognition gain was rejected. The differences between the mean number of words gained in Condition A and Condition B revealed a probability of .016. It was demonstrated that the use of the feedback system using daily rate measures and charts can accelerate word recognition gain of primary students in a tutorial project.

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Special Education

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Special Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

James Samuel Everett

Second Committee Member

Glenn Van Etten

Third Committee Member

Billy Leslie Watson

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