The Effects of Cultural Schemata on Reading Processing Strategies

Abstract

A study examined the relationship between cultural schemata and the reading process to identify the strategies proficient readers employ to develop their understanding of culturally familiar and unfamiliar passages and to examine those strategies in relation to the cultural backgrounds of the readers and the cultural perspectivss of the reading materials. Subjects, 30 American and 30 Palauan eleventh grade students (from the Paulau Islands) identified by Cleir teachers as proficient readers, read and responded to a passage concerning funeral rites of the other culture. The subjects' think-aloud protocols and post-reading retelling were analyzed in four phases: (1) phase 1 produced a taxonomy of 22 processing strategies and five categories of strategies; (2) phase 2 determined statistically significant differences in the frequency with which subjects used these strategies when reading culturally familiar and unfamiliar passages; (3) phase 3 identified three patterns in the manner in which individual subjects used the strategies to construct their interpretations of the passages; and (4) phase 4 revealed statistically significant differences in the number of idea units, elaborations, and distortions which appeared in the subjects' retellings. Results indicated that cultural schemata influence the processing strategies readers employ and the level of comprehension they achieve, and that comprehension monitoring strategies seem to provide the strategic scaffolding readers require to develop a unified meaning of text when they lack sufficient background knowledge. (Four tables of data are included; 41 references, the taxonomy of processing strategies, and two .ppendixes of data are attached.) (RS) 30000000000000EXXN300000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000E X Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 300000000000000000000000EX3000000000000EX3000000000000000000000000000000a PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS BEEN Abe TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Othce ot Educahona: Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERtC) D Tms document has been reproduced as recewe0 tram me person or organuabon onginatmg d. MotOr chanties have been made to unprov e reproduction Quaidy POentS (Awes./ 0 OP mons stated .nth CIOCtr ment do not necessarily represent °Moat OERI pond on or POhcY The Effects of Cultural Schemata on Reading Processing Strategies