Acceso usuarios
Annika Ohle-Peters
, Erdal Papatga, Nele McElvany
Vocabulary is an important prerequisite for reading comprehension and therefore for learning in all subjects. For this reason, the present study examines digital context-based and explicit approaches to vocabulary promotion in an experimental intervention study in fourth grade. Furthermore, students’ reading comprehension and intrinsic reading motivation were investigated as predictors of their vocabulary. Some students read tablet-based texts with unknown words (target words), whose meanings should be derived from context, supported by different modes: (A) written, (B) oral or (C) visual explanations, or (E) no additional explanations (context-based conditions). Other students received (D) explicit explanations only and still others only read the (F) texts with synonyms. In an experimental study design with pre- and post-surveys, N = 254 students were randomly assigned to the different groups within each of N = 18 classes. Student demographics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and intrinsic reading motivation were assessed digitally, using standardized instruments. ANCOVA results showed that students in the explicit condition (D) gained significantly more vocabulary than students in the context-based conditions (A, B, C, and E). Furthermore, there were no significant differences between groups A, B, and C, indicating that the mode of additional explanations made no difference for vocabulary acquisition. Additionally, students’ reading comprehension was a positive predictor of their vocabulary in the post-test. The study showed that it is possible to foster students’ vocabulary with a short-term digital intervention. Moreover, the results contribute to the growing body of research on digital approaches to vocabulary promotion in elementary school.
