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Improving Reading Comprehension and Summarising Skills in Primary School: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Antonio Calvani, Antonio Marzano, Lorena Montesano, Marta Pellegrini, Amalia Lavinia Rizzo, Marianna Traversetti, Giuliano Vivanet

Abstract


MIGLIORARE LA COMPRENSIONE DEL TESTO E LE CAPACITÀ DI SINTESI NELLA SCUOLA PRIMARIA: UNO STUDIO QUASI-SPERIMENTALE

Abstract

The paper reports the results of the evaluation of a programme aimed at improving reading comprehension and summarising skills of fourth graders through a quasi-experimental study conducted with 671 students (421 in the experimental group and 250 in the control group) in Italian schools. Students assigned to the experimental group received three months of the intervention while students in the control group continued with regular teacher practice. Results showed a statistically significant difference between the two conditions on reading comprehension and summarising skills. Students included in the experimental group outperformed students in the control group in both the measures used (dppc2 = 0.32 in the Summarising Test and dppc2 = 0.54 in the Summary Qualitative Assessment). No differences were found between students with different proficiency vocabulary levels in the experimental group. The implications for research practice and limitations of the study are discussed.


Keywords


Primary school; Quasi-experimental design; Reading comprehension; Reciprocal teaching; Summarising skills; Capacità di sintesi; Comprensione del testo; Disegno quasi-sperimentale; Scuola primaria

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.7358/ecps-2023-028-calv

Copyright (©) 2023 Antonio Calvani, Antonio Marzano, Lorena Montesano, Marta Pellegrini, Amalia Lavinia Rizzo, Marianna Traversetti, Giuliano Vivanet – Editorial format and Graphical layout: copyright (©) LED Edizioni Universitarie

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Journal of Educational, Cultural and Psychological Studies (ECPS)
Registered by Tribunale di Milano (19/05/2010 n. 278)
Online ISSN 2037-7924 - Print ISSN 2037-7932

Research Laboratory on Didactics and Evaluation - Department of Education - "Roma Tre" University


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