Relationships between inquiry behaviour and intermediate children's reading and listening skills

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dc.contributor.authorBriggs, Dorothy Charmian Anneen_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-13T00:06:06Z
dc.date.available2024-08-13T00:06:06Z
dc.date.copyright1973en_US
dc.date.issued1973
dc.degree.departmentFaculty of Education
dc.degree.departmentDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study was to determine the effect of inquiry training upon the reading and listening skill development of grade five children. In the theoretical framework, it was postulated that the inquiry process begins with the perception of an unusual stimulus which induces conceptual conflict, and that conflict reduction through language reception activities results in new learning. Influences affecting initial perception of stimuli were described in relation to cultural heritage, capacity for curiosity, mind set, and level of learning. Inquiry through language was discussed in terms of both objective and subjective dimensions. The objective dimension posited convergent, propositional, logical thought processes. The subjective dimension posited divergent, suppositional, intuitive thought processes. These processes were described in relation to the Barrett-Clymer (1968) taxonomy: literal comprehension, reorganization, inferential comprehension, evaluation, and appreciation of oral and written material. The postulated relationship between inquiry behaviour and reading and listening skill development was also defined. The following procedures were implemented during the treatment in an attempt to increase inquiry behaviour: a) introduction of unusual stimuli to induce conceptual conflict, b) introduction of epistemic, critical, and suppositional questioning in games, role play, creative drama, discussion, and oral or silent reading , for the purpose of conflict reduction; and c) encouragement of individual approaches, methods, and responses to given tasks. An inductive/deductive curriculum design was followed, and various strategies were tested in a pilot study. Evaluation of the pilot study indicated that children could learn and enjoy inquiry strategies in many contexts. A sample of 135 children in six classes was randomly selected and assigned to one of two groups: treatment or control, three classes per group. Inquiry training was undertaken by the treatment group in March and April, 1973. Reading and listening achievement tests were administered to both groups in February, April, and June, 1973. Since homogeneity of variance could not be assumed, due to observed differences between the two groups in pretest achievement and socio-economic status, the data were analyzed by analysis of covariance using pretest achievement and socioeconomic status as covariates. Results were interpreted as partially supporting the hypothesis that inquiry training affects both listening and reading skill development; however, it should be noted that significant differences were not consistent across all subtests. Test findings also indicated that significant differences inconsistent in degree and direction were present within each group, and that substantial positive relationships existed between reading and listening subskills. From the analyses of the results it was concluded that inquiry training tends to affect the least complex listening behaviours first; and when administered over a short period of time, it appears to have a restricting effect on reading achievement. It was recommended that further research was needed to devise an adequate instrument to measure the effect of inquiry; to devise reading materials that use inquiry strategies as a basis for developing comprehension; to determine the relationship of socioeconomic status and intelligence to inquiry behaviour; to ascertain the effect of long-term, skill-specific training on reading and listening skill development, and to determine the effect that teachers skilled in questioning strategies have upon children's inquiry practices.en
dc.format.extent132 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/17086
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.titleRelationships between inquiry behaviour and intermediate children's reading and listening skillsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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