3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Working memory and reading : a developmental study(2016) Adan, Marilyn JeanModels of reading comprehension using the working memory paradigm have been formulated from studies using adult readers. Although there appear to be differences in working memory skills between beginner and mature readers, and normal and reading disabled children, the exact role of working memory in reading is still unclear. This study examined the role of working memory in the development of reading in children. A study ~v Baddeley, Logie, Nimmo-Smith, and Brereton (1985) was modified for this purpose to accommodate factors relevant to reading development in childrenItem Impact of aircraft noise and language on primary school learners' reading comprehension in KwaZulu-Natal.(2013-03-26) Kasimonje, Bahati M.Today’s world is a fast developing world, with the transportation sector being one of the fastest developing sectors (Goldschagg, 2007). Through technologies such as an aircraft, one is able to travel across the globe in shorter periods of time. Unfortunately such progress often comes with environmental hazards; one such hazard being environmental noise (Stansfeld et al., 2005). However there has been little attention given to the effects of environmental noise, with much research focusing on aspects such as lead and air pollution on people’s wellbeing (Stansfeld et al., 2005). Yet environmental noise particularly aircraft noise is increasingly becoming an inevitable part of people’s world and has consequences on health, cognitive development and overall quality of life. Consequently this study investigates the impact of aircraft noise on a crucial component of learning (Reading Comprehension). Primary school learners in KwaZulu- Natal (N=834) scores on a test measuring Reading Comprehension (Suffolk Reading Scale2) were compared across a control group and an experimental group. Furthermore because Reading Comprehension involves language acquisition, in addition to investigating the impact of aircraft noise the impact of having English as an additional language on Reading Comprehension was also investigated. Learning in South Africa is predominantly facilitated in English while South Africa has eleven official languages with nine of them being indigenous languages. English for many learners may only be a second or even third language. Significant results were observed for both aircraft noise and language on reading comprehension as well as an interaction effect.Item Mental imagery and reading comprehension proficiency in English second language learners : an exploratory study.(2013-02-19) Ashton, Aleksandra A.Reading comprehension proficiency is vital for learners to be successful in their academic career, however, South African studies have revealed that reading comprehension skills are severely underdeveloped in secondary school learners. Local research has investigated many contributing factors such as multilingualism and deficits with the national curriculum standards. Far fewer studies have examined the cognitive underpinnings that differentiate between English second language (ESL) learners who are proficient in reading comprehension and those who are not. Certain multi-coding theories assert that the integration of visual mental imagery and verbal information is essential for the formation of a comprehensive mental model, which forms the basis of reading comprehension. This study explored the relationship between visual reasoning ability and the reading comprehension proficiency in a group of 83 ESL learners from two urban Gauteng schools. One school represented learners who are proficient readers whilst the second group represented learners who are developing readers. The Non-Verbal Reasoning and the 3D Spatial Manipulation subtests from the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT) battery were used to explore the learners’ ability to reason using visual-object and visual-spatial mental imagery. The Verbal Reasoning test was used to establish a baseline for the learners’ language skills. The items of the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test battery (SDRT-RC) were evaluated for textual factors that contribute toward word concreteness effects. The relationships between the DAT subtests and the SDRT-RC Mixed, Abstract and Concrete Items subtests were discussed in light of multi-coding models of reading comprehension.Item Effectiveness of metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension among intermediate phase learners : its link to the PASS theory.(2012-07-05) Moonsamy, SharonExplicit metacognitive instruction is hypothesised to have positive consequences for the cognitive processing skills of learners, resulting in improved academic performance. Such instruction is likely to be beneficial across the curriculum, but particularly for reading, as low literacy levels are reported in South Africa. A paradigm shift in instruction appears necessary to enhance the current literacy levels in South African schools. This study examined the impact of a Cognitive Enrichment Advantage (CEA), metacognitive intervention on reading comprehension in 83 Grade six learners in two mainstream government schools in Gauteng. Its theoretical and conceptual basis was informed by Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development and Feuerstein’s theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability. The study utilised a pre-and post-test, mixed methods, quasi-experimental and cross-lagged research design. The metacognitive intervention was presented to two groups within the experimental school, each with 28 learners, who received the intervention over two phases in the school year (Group one in Term 1 and Group 2 in Term 2). The control school received only regular classroom teaching and served as a comparison against which the experimental school could be measured. Standardised quantitative data was collected from the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) and the Joint Education Trust (JET) reading comprehension test. Qualitative data was collected from semi-structured interviews, sentence completion tasks, focus groups and feedback from the teacher and parents, pre- and post-intervention. The results indicated that the learners in the experimental school did not show any statistically significant differences in their reading comprehension or CAS scores following the intervention, when compared to the control school. However, the qualitative data revealed increased awareness of the effects of the metacognitive instruction on reading in particular and on learning in general. The intervention also provided opportunities for the learners to reflect on their thinking processes through group discussions, as well as individual tasks. Transfer of skills taught in the intervention could not be confirmed, as post-test results may reflect application when assessed immediately following the intervention, but may not necessarily indicate precise or sustained transfer. Nevertheless, increased learner, parent and teacher metacognitive awareness was evident in the qualitative responses following the intervention and this provides an indication for how educational pedagogy in South Africa could be adjusted. Metacognitive instruction promotes reflection, evaluation and monitoring of thinking and learning processes which may not be observed on the quantitative measures over the duration of this study, but may need a longer period to become consolidated and transfer to other areas. This study contributed to the knowledge base regarding cognitive education, by demonstrating the qualitative value of explicit metacognitive instruction in reading comprehension.Item The application of the Suffolk Reading Scale (2) on South African learners.(2011-05-23) Ramaahlo, MariaThe field of psychometrics in South Africa faces many challenges. Among these are, that practitioners in the field of psychology do not always have access to standardised assessments for the South African context. Imported assessments pose various biases to South Africa’s multilingual and multicultural situations, hence the need for test adaptation. The Suffolk Reading Scale (2) (SRS2) is an English proficiency assessment that measures reading comprehension. English, being the language of learning and teaching in most South African schools, makes the SRS2 a significant gain to practitioners and the field of psychometrics. Consequently, this research aimed to narrow the gaps in this area of knowledge and contribute to it by evaluating the applicability of the SRS2 as a measure of reading comprehension for South African learners. Primary school learners in Kwa-Zulu Natal were administered the SRS2. The purpose of the study was to ascertain the degree of reliability of the SRS2. Of the 338 participants, 51.9 percent (n=140) of the sample were female, and 48.1 percent (n=130) were male. Sixty-six percent (n=164) of the participants spoke English as an Additional Language (EAL), while thirty-four percent (n=83) spoke English as a first language (EFL). Results indicated a significant difference in performance between EFL and EAL learners, whereby EAL learners performed lower than EFL learners. However there was no difference in performance between female learners and their male counterparts on individual items of the SRS2. The SRS2 proved to have a suitable internal consistency; however questions of bias do arise.Item Subgroups of working memory deficits and reading comprehension.(2011-05-19) Irons, DianeRationale : Investigating the relationship between working memory and reading comprehension will lead to an improved understanding of the nature of working memory and will reveal how working memory contributes to reading comprehension failure. A pattern of working memory deficits will determine if ‘signature’ working memory profiles exist which will assist in the diagnosis and treatment of children with reading comprehension difficulties. Aims : (1) To explore the relationship between working memory and reading comprehension to determine if there are ‘signature’ working memory profiles that distinguish subgroups of Grade 5 English language learners with different comprehension capabilities. (2) To determine if a domain-specific or general working memory system is implicated in reading comprehension. (3) To explore the particular role played by the episodic buffer zone in reading comprehension. Method : Eighty Grade 5 English learners were tested on the GORT-4, AWMA and CELF- 4 Recalling Sentences Subtest. Based on their accuracy/decoding and comprehension scores on the GORT-4, participants were assigned to one of four reading ability groups: Skilled Reader Group; Reading Disabled Group; Poor Comprehender Group; or Poor Fluency Group. Comparison of mean standard scores determined how the four reading ability groups fared on the five memory components. Correlation and regression methods investigated the relationships between the five working memory variables and reading comprehension across the four reading ability groups. Results : Working memory plays a role in reading comprehension. The Skilled Reader group displayed intact working memory profiles, whilst the Reading Disabled group performed in the low average range on four working memory variables and below average on the fifth viz. sentence recall. The Poor Comprehender group’s working memory performance resembled that of the Skilled Reader group on two working memory variables. The Poor Fluency group performed below average on visuo-spatial short-term memory. These findings gave evidence of the inter-play between domain-specific and domain-general components of working memory during the complex task of reading comprehension. In addition, the findings highlighted the predictive role of sentence recall, as well as that of verbal working memory in reading comprehension. The episodic buffer was shown to play an important binding function between fluid and crystallised knowledge. The results suggested that reading comprehension was affected by a learner’s working memory capacity, however, working memory alone did not account for variations in performance. Lower-order and higher-order cognitive processes, as well as the interaction between fluid and crystallised knowledge appear essential to authentic reading. This has ramifications for prevention and remediation of reading comprehension deficits and underscores the important role of the speech therapist in literacy promotion.Item Modes of processing influencing errors in reading comprehension.(2010-11-12) Rogers, Shawn CatherineLearner’s processing styles may play a vital role in their approach to learning, more specifically; the ability to make inferences plays an important role in all areas of language and learning and may contribute to difficulties learners are experiencing at school. It is therefore that the research was directed at investigating a possible relationship between the left hemispheric analytical and right hemispheric holistic processing styles and the types of errors inferential versus literal, made in reading comprehension tasks. The hemispheric processing styles were operationalised as the approach taken to the Rey- Osterreith Complex Figure (ROCF) and the types of errors made on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) across two levels of educational development. The sample consisted of grade 4 and grade 10 model C learners from the same schooling district. The data obtained from both assessments were subjected to correlation analyses, chi squared tests, analyses of variances (ANOVAs) and logistic regressions. Finally the results and associative conclusions indicated that there were only modest positive relationships between the predominant hemispheric processing styles and the error types on reading comprehension tasks and the demographics of the learners were the main contributors and accounted for the results discovered in the study as opposed to general hemispheric processing. Thus there is a need to understand the unique dynamics within the country and to explore alternatives to teaching practices to account for the variations evident in the classrooms.Item Selection for remedial intervention: The validation(2007-02-23T13:04:14Z) Dockrat, ShafeekaThe Academic Proficiency Assessment battery evaluates language and study skills. This study focused on the internal consistency reliability and predictive validity of this battery for Information Technology students. In terms of reliability, the Time management, Note-taking skills, and Debilitating stress scale on the achievement anxiety questionnaire were found to be internally consistent. However, the items in the English proficiency, Reading comprehension, Memorisation skills, concentration skills and motivating stress scale on the achievement anxiety questionnaire require modification or replacement. Intercorrelations across questionnaires necessitate further streamlining. In terms of predictive validity, a significant negative relationship was found between Note-taking Skills and academic performance (R2 adj = 8,3%). Matric results remain the best predictor accounting for 11% of the variance in CGPA. Cumulatively, Matric results and Note-taking skills accounted for 13,34% of the variance. None of the biographical variables significantly predicted CGPA. Despite the apparent lack of relationship between individual predictors and the criterion, a discriminant function analysis indicated that all the academic proficiencies, with the exception of English proficiency, correctly predicted pass or failure in 72% of the cases. The lack of relationship between English proficiency and pass/failure can be accounted for in terms of the type of courses studied as part of an Information Technology programme.Overall, the results would suggest that Matric results remain the best predictor of academic performance in Information Technology courses, but at a very low level. Given the lack of reliability in the majority of the subtests of the Academic Proficiency Battery, the use of the APA battery for selection for remedial intervention for Information Technology students is not yet justified.