Abstract
This study was primarily concerned with whether Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC), which uses cooperative learning with an integrated language arts program, had a greater impact on student achievement than an integrated language arts program which uses non-cooperative learning procedures. Of further interest was the effect on student achievement of teachers' fidelity of implementation of CIRC and their concerns while implementing this new methodology. This quasi-experimental study involved 310 students of 24 teachers at grade three and 320 students of 18 teachers at grade five. Student achievement was measured by the subtests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, and language of the Metropolitan Achievement Test, Sixth Edition, Form L. Fidelity of implementation for the CIRC and comparison groups was measured by questionnaires developed from Innovation Configuration Checklists for each treatment. Teacher concerns were measured by the Stages of Concern Questionnaire. The latter instruments are components of Gene Hall et al.'s Concerns-Based Adoption Model. An analysis of covariance using prior achievement as the covariate was conducted. The differences in achievement between the two groups within each grade level were compared, and effect sizes were used to interpret significant differences. Statistically significant results were found in the following areas: (1) the implementation of CIRC resulted in greater achievement in vocabulary at grade three; (2) the implementation of the district's integrated language arts program resulted in greater student achievement in reading comprehension and language at grade five; (3) CIRC teachers with high degrees of implementation had a greater impact on student achievement in language at grade three; and (4) CIRC teachers with both high degrees of implementation and high Stages of Concern had a greater impact on student achievement in language at grade three...
Skeans, Sharon Elizabeth Sicinski (1991). The effects of cooperative integrated reading and composition, fidelity of implementation, and teacher concerns on student achievement. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -1282552.