A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO IMPROVING STUDENTS' READING COMPREHENSION IN A NURSING COURSE: THE INTEGRATED SKILLS REINFORCEMENT APPROACH (NURSING STUDENTS).
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 164
Subjects: Education, Higher.; Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Reading.
Description: This study evaluated students' reading comprehension in a nursing course following the implementation of a teaching/learning strategy--Integrated Skills Reinforcement, aimed at improving reading comprehension and students success in a course. The study determined that Integrated Skills Reinforcement (ISR) improved students comprehension and ability to manage reading materials through activities aimed at promoting reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. The primary focus was on the interrelatedness of reading and writing to improve comprehension. Two instructional guides were developed for use in this study, a learner's guide, and an instructor's guide.

Thirty baccalaureate nursing students enrolled at a private, inner-city university, participated in the study. Fifteen students comprised a comparison group, these students had completed the course in the previous semester. The treatment group consisted of fifteen students (total enrolled in the course), who were registered in the course in the fall 1991 semester. Reading comprehension was enhanced through weekly on-going vocabulary, reading assignments, guide statements or questions, oral presentations, and brief writing assignments, to promote expression of thoughts and understanding of major concepts.

Study findings revealed a significant difference between pre and post-test reading scores for the treatment group, on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test. This suggest a positive relationship between ISR and reading comprehension, also, a significant difference between the mean scores of the unit examinations for the comparison and treatment groups. These findings also indicated that ISR improved students' success in the course as indicated by higher scores and letter grades in the course, for the treatment group. Findings also revealed that students did not consistently use strategies learned in ISR in other courses they took.

Findings suggest that the ISR teaching/learning strategy is an effective method for assessing students academic needs, for helping students develop areas of weakness, and for evaluating students progress in subject area courses. The ISR strategy can be a useful framework for promoting literacy and critical thinking across the curriculum, while transferring students from passive to active learners. Further study is needed in regards to the relationship between cultural characteristics and learning styles of students.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-12, Section: A, page: 4372.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1992.

School code: 0055.