Hampson-Jones, Frances Elsie; (2014) Reciprocal teaching: investigation of its effectiveness as a method of whole class reading comprehension instruction at Key stage two. Doctoral thesis , UCL Institute of Education.

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Abstract

Reciprocal Teaching (RT) is a metacognitive training programme that was found to improve reading comprehension during the 1980s (Palincsar and Brown, 1984). Four strategies: predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarising are taught, then students gradually assume control of teaching within a heterogeneous small group until they are actively involved in constructing meaning from text. A review of the literature revealed that there is “very little” research on RT in the UK (Brooks, 2013), little research worldwide in whole class settings, and little evidence that RT is effective for children under twelve (Cain, 2010). Three intervention studies presented here investigated the effectiveness of RT in whole class UK settings with young readers, and the effect of incorporating visualisation as an additional strategy (RTV). Study 1 was delivered by the researcher with three Year 5 classes (N=50). Results revealed a significant improvement in comprehension scores for the RT groups over a normal instruction group after ten hours of training, but no difference between the RT and RTV groups. A second mixed-methods study (Study 2) involved Year 3 children (N=12) with ten weeks of RT instruction, followed by ten weeks of RTV, delivered by the class teacher. Think-aloud protocols and interviews revealed an increase in strategy use. There was a significant improvement in reading comprehension scores immediately after the intervention, and a one year follow-up assessment showed improvement close to significance (p=.09). The third study (Study 3) in a different school with Year 3 children (N=28), replicated the results from Study 2, but with a significant increase in reading comprehension scores at the one-year follow-up assessment. Overall, the results revealed that RT was effective in three different whole class settings, with children as young as seven. Qualitative measures indicated that the instruction worked by increasing strategy use.

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