Reciprocal Teaching Strategy and Adult High School Students.

Abstract

Reciprocal teaching, a type of metacognitive strategy, has been found to be an effective method in improving comprehension in schoolaged students; however, little research exists on using reciprocal teaching with adult high school students. This study investigated the efficacy of using the reciprocal teaching method to improve reading comprehension, promote independent learning, and improve the quality of discussions within an adult high school English course. Fifteen students of mixed abilities and ethnicities, ranging in age from sixteen to fifty, participated in the 5-week study in a lower socio-economic area. Written assignments, group discussions, and surveys of the students' opinions about using reciprocal teaching were analyzed. Of the students surveyed, 90% reported benefits from using reciprocal teaching and would prefer it to traditional instruction; 40% claimed reciprocal teaching improved their reading comprehension. Using the reciprocal teaching method gave students a tool they could use independently to organize their ideas; it provided students the opportunity to think about their own understanding. Two appendixes contain the reciprocal teaching survey and a list of materials. (Contains 95 references.) (Author/RS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY