Title: Content-Based Reading Instruction for Generation 1.5 Students
Audience: College
Summary:
Does content-based reading instruction work? This presentation reports results of an empirical study conducted in a content-based adjunct reading course paired with a university-level biology course. Descriptions of the reading adjunct course and biology class will be briefly presented along with the study design and results. Implications of the study will be discussed. This presentation will conclude with consideration of the impact of the study’s findings on other ESOL contexts.
Abstract:
Does content-based reading instruction work? This presentation reports results of an empirical study conducted in a content-based adjunct reading course paired with a university-level biology course. Final course grades in both reading and biology as well as other behaviors, including doing extra-credit work, attending class and lab sessions, visiting instructors during office hours, and attending exam help sessions, were compared for both the target group (the biology students attending the reading support course) and the comparison group (the biology students who did not attend the reading support course). The results indicate that the students in the adjunct course achieved higher final biology course grades than the comparison group. These results suggest that (a) programs designed to support immigrant students cannot succeed if students in the programs have low levels of academic motivation, (b) with the proper support and curriculum, motivated immigrant students can produce academic records that exceed those of their native English-speaking classmates, and (c) students’ academic motivation and behaviors are critical to overcoming the obstacles associated with language difficulties in college. Descriptions of the reading adjunct course and biology class will be briefly presented along with the study design and results. Implications of the study will be discussed. This presentation will conclude with consideration of the impact of the study’s findings on other ESOL contexts.
