Effects of a text structure intervention for reading and writing in grades 4-5: a mixed methods experiment

Abstract

This mixed methods experimental study investigated the effects and social validity of a text structure intervention in grades four and five. Eleven teachers in three elementary schools were randomly assigned to deliver a text structure intervention or a comprehension intervention. Quantitative data sources included pretest and posttest measures of students’ text structure awareness, reading comprehension, and writing quality. Qualitative interviews were conducted after the intervention period to understand teachers’ perceptions of the social validity of each intervention. Quantitative measures were analyzed using three-level hierarchical linear modeling. Qualitative data were analyzed typologically. Results were integrated to understand the acceptability of the text structure intervention for upper elementary grades. Quantitative results indicated that the text structure group outperformed the comprehension group on a measure of text structure awareness, a graphic organizer task, and use of ideas and details in informative writing. Qualitative findings revealed that teachers perceived the goals, procedures, and effects of both interventions as socially valid. Integrated results suggest that teachers found the text structure intervention acceptable for teaching text structure and writing, and they were able to implement the intervention consistently and with fidelity. This study contributes to existing research by evaluating the effects of a classroom-based text structure intervention on both reading and writing outcomes compared with an alternative treatment and understanding teachers’ perceptions of its social validity and acceptability.