The Impact of Evidence-Based Practices on Students’ Reading Achievement

Abstract

This study explored the extent to which the assessment of students’ achievement data within a professional learning circle, as foundational to evidence-based practice, raises the reading achievement outcomes of a Year 9 cohort who were at high risk of literacy failure. The ability to read concerns the preparation of students being life long learners and to some extent, the need to experience success not only in reading, but also in general. This comes with an understanding that when students enter their secondary or high schooling experience, they are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to engage in curriculum specific subjects and become critical thinkers and learners. However, what is understood and experienced by many students and teachers is that this is simply not the case. Reading affects all aspects of life and is critical for all students entering secondary or high school, hence the reason for such a study. The research draws on a mixed methodology approach that was a combination of quantitative and qualitative procedures and was considered as being suitable for this inquiry of reading. The insights of both approaches were required to get a good understanding of reading as a complex issue. A quasi-experiment was deemed appropriate, as there was a need to make comparisons between two groups: Target Group and Control Groups. Multiple assessment tools were used, e-asTTle and STAR for gathering data purposes. The Teacher inquiry and knowledge-building cycle from Best Evidence Synthesis: Iteration on Teacher Professional Learning and Development, was as an approach that guided the pedagogy of teaching reading. Underpinning this approach were the premises of knowing what the learners need to learn in order to read better and what the teachers need to learn in order to teach the students more effectively. The inquiry did not only promote valued student outcomes, but served as a tool to guide teachers in their pursuits for the much-needed professional learning and development to enhance their teaching capacity and capability for poor reading students. The results of the Target Group performance as well as the two Controls Groups support the claim that the use of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) contributes to the increase in the reading achievement of the students, especially when incorporating the use of reading assessment data within the approach. The findings suggest that for students, the need to clarify expectations and to make reference to text that was relevant and of interest to them was key to significant increases in their reading levels. For teachers, the findings suggest that when they had used student reading assessment data to make decisions concerning the necessary changes to their teaching strategies and reading programmes, they had experience success with their students. In part, this was the case as the researcher was able to guide teachers with interpreting the data and providing the necessary support for the design and implementation of programmes. This lead to transformation in teachers thinking about what they could do with students and justification of their actions and decisions. Teachers’ perceptions of this method proved to be a motivating experience and encouraged critical self-reflection and professional dialogue. It is hoped that discussions from this study will generate further dialogue in this area in order for change to occur for students and teachers.