The Impact of Mediated Cognitive Strategies on the Reading Comprehension Performance and Self-efficacy of Palestinian-Arab Middle School Students with LD

Abstract

The purpose of this mixed-methods research was to examine the impact of mediated cognitive strategy intervention on the reading comprehension and self-efficacy of Palestinian-Arab middle school students with learning disabilities. Eighteen seventh-grade students with LD who were placed in two self-contained special education classrooms and their two special education teachers participated in this experiment for eight weeks. A multi-cognitive strategy reading comprehension intervention (the Five Mediated Cognitive Strategies: 5MCS) based on existing cognitive strategy models was introduced. The two classrooms were divided into two conditions: a) an Extended Condition, in which students received the cognitive strategy instruction for the full length of the intervention while using culturally relevant texts at the fourth grade level, and b) the Reduced Condition where students received four weeks of traditional instruction followed by the cognitive strategy instruction combined with the same texts that were provided for the Extended Condition. All students were assessed for their vocabulary and comprehension at pre and post intervention using a standardized measure and researcher-made weekly tests for their comprehension. Further, the students were assessed for their self-efficacy in reading using self-report surveys at three times and focus group interviews at pre and post intervention. Repeated-measures ANOVA results indicate that both groups improved their vocabulary and comprehension from pre to post intervention on both standardized and researcher-made comprehension measures. However, the Extended Condition achieved statistically significant gains in comprehension at posttest, whereas, the Reduced Condition achieved significant gains in vocabulary at posttest. No significant differences were found between the two conditions by time. Mixed results were revealed for self-efficacy in reading comprehension. Students who were identified as good decoders reported an increase in their self-efficacy from pre to post intervention, whereas students with poor decoding abilities reported a declined self-efficacy at post intervention. Thematic analysis of interviews with the participating teachers revealed that they considered themselves and their students to have benefitted from the 5MCS intervention. Implications for the study are discussed and recommendations for further investigations are provided for policy makers and educators.