Date of Award/Publication

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS in Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education

Abstract

This study utilized lesson study to improve content area reading comprehension. One area of concern regarding content area literacy is students' lack motivation to read. Three Living Environment teachers, including the author, from a suburban school district and their students participated in this study to increase students' motivation to read and thereby increase reading comprehension levels. The teachers utilized literacy strategies from the literature paired with hands-on activities to increase motivation to read. Teachers used lesson study, a cyclical refinement process, to assess and improve the strategies. Data from midterm analysis demonstrated that the authors' students, who were exposed to both studies, scored higher on novel reading comprehension questions than the average student in the district. This suggests that either the hands-on activities intrinsically motivated students to read or the reading strategies demonstrated in class were transferred to the novel situation.

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