A comparative study of reading attitudes, self-concept, and achievement between students of two reading programs

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the differ ences among reading attitudes, self-concept, and reading achievement when considering sex and intelligence of fourth and fifth grade students enrolled in either a developmental reading program or a computer managed reading program, and to determine if there were any correlations among reading attitudes, self-concept, and reading achievement during the school year in which the study was undertaken. A secondary purpose of the study was to develop an instrument which was designed for the purpose of measuring the attitudes toward read ing of the students who were involved in learning to read by either of the two methods of instruction in use in the classroom during the study.

The subjects included the total population of fourth and fifth grade students in Kingsport, Tennessee during the school year 1982-83. Complete data were collected on 600 students. The Metropolitan Achievement Tests, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and the Hoover Reading Attitude Inventory were administered to all students as both pre- and post-tests. The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test was used to place students in groups of high, average, or low ability. Several statistical analyses were conducted. These included: a multivariate analysis of variance, the Duncan Multiple Range Test, and a multiple correlation analysis. Conclusions drawn from this study included:

1. It cannot be concluded from this study that either the developmental reading program or the computer managed reading program was better in improving self-concept or reading achievement.

2. It can be concluded from this study that reading attitudes were improved through the use of the computer managed reading program.

3. It can be concluded from this study that females improved more than males in both reading achievement and reading attitudes regardless of the instructional program followed.

4. It can be concluded from this study that high ability students consistently achieved greater gains than did average and low ability students in the areas of self-concept, reading achievement, and reading attitudes regardless of the instructional program followed.

5. It can be concluded from this study that grade level appeared to make no difference in reading attitudes, self-concept, or reading achievement regardless of the instructional program followed.

6. It can be concluded from this study that high ability students improved reading achievement through the computer managed reading program; however, the average and low ability students improved reading achievement through the developmental reading program.

7. It can be concluded that only high ability males and low ability females improved reading attitudes through the computer managed reading program.