The Effects of Reciprocal Teaching on Third and Fourth Grade Students’ Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Attainment

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study was focused on a specific strategy, reciprocal teaching (RT). During RT, students were explicitly taught how to predict, summarize, clarify, and question through teacher modeling. Through scaffolding, students independently used RT. For one school year, a third grade class and a fourth grade class used RT as the primary strategy for instruction while other classes used strategies from a textbook. Two research questions provided the framework for the study. Research question one addressed the difference in the change in reading comprehension between students who used RT and those who did not. Results from a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed there was no difference in reading comprehension. Research question two addressed the difference in the change in vocabulary attainment between students who used RT and those who did not. Results from a MANOVA revealed there was a significant difference in vocabulary attainment between students who used RT and those who did not. Students who used RT had a lower vocabulary attainment average than those students who did not use RT. The results of this study can be used in determining further action as a school district and as a teacher. While the extensive literature provides evidence that RT is effective in improving students’ reading abilities, the results of this study raise questions as to whether it is effective compared to other reading instruction. Given the contrary results of this current study, further research on the effects of RT, perhaps even replication of the study, may be necessary.