Doctoral Dissertations

Terry Lake

Date of Award

5-1990

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Curriculum and Instruction

Major Professor

J. Estill Alexander

Committee Members

C. Glennon Rowell, Lester Knight, James Black

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to hypothesize how students use their cognitive abilities to decode words in context. Two cognitive theories. Schemata Theory and Piaget Theory of Intellectual Development were used as the foundation of the hypothesis. To investigate this statement, two cognitive theories of learning. Schemata Theory popularized by David Rumelhart and Jean Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development were analyzed. The two theories were selected by the researcher because they were similar, The study addressed several questions that relate to decoding words in context. Schemata Theory, Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development, and implications for classroom practices. They were: 1. How are children cognitively able to decode words at various stages of development according to Schemata Theory and Piaget's Theory of Intellectual Development? a. What are the similarities and differences in the two theories as they relate to decoding words in context? b. Is Schemata Theory a duplicate of Piaget’s Theory of Intellectual Development? 2. Do these theories presently hold strong implications for classroom practices in the area of decoding words? 3. Can either or both theories be applied to explain the process of decoding words in context? According to the hypothesis formulated by the researcher, students need to possess and use the skill s listed below to decode words in context. The student should: 1. possess an adequate foundation. 2. possess the words in his/her speaking, listening, and/or reading vocabulary. 3. be active cognitively. 4. tune, restructure or assimilate and accomodate the words. 5. establish a stable equilibrium. 6. encounter text appropriate for his/her cognitive or intellectual level. 7. have an awareness of the syntax and semantics of the language read. 8. arrive at logical conclusions.

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