Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
John Kellmayer
Committee Member
James R. Davis
Committee Member
Maryellen Maher
Keywords
achievement, attitudes, class participation, curriculum, daily instruction, data, dissertation, English, enjoyment, experimental groups, Grade 9, High School, hypotheses, interest in reading, intervention, learner-centered classrooms, motivation, New Jersey, Plainfield, Plainfield High School, posttest, pretest, progress reports, reading achievement, reading enjoyment, reading interests, reading scores, reading strategies, report cards, SSR, student achievement, student surveys, students, Sustained Silent Reading, teacher surveys, techniques
Abstract
This applied dissertation focused on the effects of a program of a Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) in Grade 9 English classes on reading achievement. In learner-centered classrooms, students are actively involved in reading as a vital part of their daily instruction. By providing students with a greater opportunity to read in a controlled classroom situation, the researcher hypothesized that student achievement and interest in reading would increase.
The subjects selected in this study were Grade 9 students enrolled in English classes at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, New Jersey. The classroom teachers were in-serviced on SSR techniques and were assigned to control and experimental groups. During a 16-week period, a SSR program was conducted with the experimental groups while the control groups followed the regular curriculum. Pre- and posttest results along with student and teacher surveys were used to gather supportive data. In addition, data were also obtained from progress reports and report cards.
As a result of the SSR intervention, 63% of the students in the experimental group increased their reading scores with 50% scoring 10% or better on the posttest. In addition, there was a 6% overall increase in class participation and a 22% gain in students’ interest in reading. The results of this applied dissertation substantiated the theory that SSR improved reading scores and motivated students.