Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

12-1-1972

Abstract

Statement of Problem

The purpose of the study was (1) to investigate the readability of seventy-five intermediate grade social studies topic-articles from eight sets of encyclopedias (1971 editions) with two readability techniques, and (2) to determine the suitability of individual encyclopedia articles for intermediate grade use from the resultant predicted readability scores.

Procedures

Twenty-five topics from each of the intermediate grades four, five, and six, were randomly selected from indexes of five intermediate social studies textbook series. A total of 600 topic-articles were evaluated from the eight "Best Quality" encyclopedias recommended by the American Library Association. A total of 1,200 scores was computed for these topic-articles by the use of the Dale-Chall readability formula and the Fry readability graph. Primary statistical techniques used to analyze the data were the product-moment correlation and the t test. As a superogatory measure twenty-four clozure tests were constructed from randomly selected topic-articles. These tests were administered March, 1972 to intermediate grade pupils of an elementary school in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Results

To fulfill the purpose of the study, solutions were sought for two major hypotheses.

1. There is no significant difference between the readability scores predicted by the Dale-Chall formula and the Fry readability graph.

A rank ordering of means of differences between Dale-Chall and Fry scores revealed that five of the eight encyclopedias had an average mean of differences between the two readability measures exceeding 2.00. The results of 24 t tests, computerized as a two-factor experimental design with repeated measures on one factor, showed a significant difference between the scores in 19 of the 24 tests at p < .01 and p < .05 levels. Product-moment correlations on topical data from encyclopedia to encyclopedia indicated a strong agreement among the encyclopedias as to the difficulty of readability of the 75 topic-articles. The computation of averages of the product-moment correlations by grade level, however, showed low moderate coefficients. The hypothesis was rejected.

2. There is no significant difference among the eight selected encyclopedias as to their suitability, i.e., collateral readability with students' graded reading levels, for intermediate grade use (grades four, five, six) with regard to the readability of seventy-five social studies topics evaluated.

Of the total 1,200 scores computed (600 with each readability technique) 672 scores, or 56 percent, were for sixth and below, seventh, eighth, and ninth grades. Tabulating these scores according to appropriate reading ranges for each grade revealed 406 scores, or 34 percent, were suitable for use in the three intermediate grades. Of these 406 scores 387, or 95 percent, were suitable for use with upper reading levels (high, above average, average). Only 19 scores, or 5 percent, of the 406 scores, were suitable for below average, low, and readiness levels of the intermediate grades. A total of 572 clozure tests was administered to 72 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade pupils. Only 20 scores from 572 tests were obtained that indicated satisfactory comprehension on these clozure tests. The second hypothesis was accepted.

Conclusions

1. The Dale-Chall readability formula and Fry readability graph showed a significant difference between their respective scores in 19 of 24 t tests computed from 600 pairs of matched scores.

2. The final tabulation of scores indicated that 95 percent of the suitable scores were appropriate only for upper reading levels of the intermediate grades. Thus it was concluded that none of the encyclopedias evaluated provided adequate collateral reading materials for all reading levels of the intermediate grades.

3. Superogatory data gathered from the administration of closure tests to intermediate grade pupils also supported the acceptance of the second hypothesis of this study.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Certificate in Curriculum and Instruction

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Miles Vernon Zintz

Second Committee Member

Richard D. Van Dongen

Third Committee Member

Mari-Luci Jaramillo

Fourth Committee Member

David Wayne Darling

Fifth Committee Member

Dolores Gonzales

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