Improving Reading and Interpretation in Seventh Grade: A Comparative Study of the Effects of Two Different Models for Reading Instruction

Abstract

This article investigates the potential for developing advanced reading and interpretative skills in Swedish secondary school. Over six weeks, four separate study groups in seventh grade participated in an intervention study. The purpose was to gather more knowledge about how different teaching strategies affect students’ development of advanced reading skills. Data were collected from written assignments and an experiential questionnaire. The study attempts to provide empirical corroboration of previously theoretically founded propositions. The findings indicate that the choice of teaching strategy plays a significant role in students’ learning. However, in order to make normative judgments on the advantages of one teaching model over another, further evidence is necessary. Moreover, studying the implementation and effects of instructional change is a challenging field of research which requires an array of sophisticated methods that combine qualitative and quantitative analyses.