Long-term Effects of Male Reading Tutors, Choice of Text and Computer-based Text on Boys’ Reading Achievement

Laura Sokal

doi:10.20360/g27p42

Abstract

Sixty-two inner-city Canadian boys identified as struggling readers participated in a 22-week intervention that examined the effects of male reading tutors, computer-based texts, and choice of reading materials. Immediately after the intervention, boys demonstrated between-group changes to reader self-perceptions and gendered views of reading but no between-group differences in achievement. Two years after the intervention’s completion, the boys’ reading comprehension achievement scores were again examined and compared to 62 non-participating boys matched at the time of the study’s onset. Results showed no significant differences between the two groups. Of the boys who participated in the intervention, working with male reading tutors and with computer-based texts did not result in higher achievement than working with female reading tutors or with print-based texts. However, boys who were not given a choice in their reading materials demonstrated reading achievement six months ahead of the boys who were given a choice.

Highlights

National and international test findings support anecdotal observations by teachers that boys‟ performance on tests of reading is lower than that of girls (Council of Ministers of Education Canada, 1999, 2001; Statistics Canada, 2003)
Male Teachers Numerous large-scale and international studies have demonstrated that male students do not perform significantly better for male teachers than they do for female teachers
Results showed there were no differences in current Comprehensive Assessment Program (CAP) reading comprehension scores between children who worked with a male RT (n =30) and those who worked with a female RT (n =32), F(1,61)= .07, p.=

Summary

Introduction

National and international test findings support anecdotal observations by teachers that boys‟ performance on tests of reading is lower than that of girls (Council of Ministers of Education Canada, 1999, 2001; Statistics Canada, 2003). Researchers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are quick to point out that other qualities, such as socio-economic status and minority ethnicity, play an important role in nuancing the category of boys (Alloway, 2007; Alloway & Gilbert, 1997; Francis & Skelton, 2005; Luke, Freebody & Land, 2000; Martino & Kehler, 2007) and advocate moving away from essentialist approaches to addressing boys‟ reading needs.

Methods

Results

Conclusion