However, a gap often exists between, on the one hand, what theory and research indicate would be beneficial to learning and what actually is implemented and sustained in classrooms, on the other hand (Rodriguez-Trujillo, 1996). Despite the success stories mentioned in the preceding paragraph, sustained, well-run programs are more often the exception than the rule. Effective ER programs seem especially scarce for lower achieving students, as many educators express the view that such students lack the desire and skills to read extensively. Thus, further research is needed to develop and test situation-appropriate ER implementation with lower-achieving students. We now state the research questions used in the present study, one which investigated an attempt to engage a group of these lower-achieving pupils in ER. Then, the methodology used in the study will be described.
Research Questions
Two research questions were formulated:
1. Will there be a significant difference in the pre-test reading proficiency scores of the control group (students who do not participate in an ER program) and the experimental group (students who do participate in an ER program)?
2. Will there be a significant difference in the post-test reading proficiency scores of the control and experimental groups?
The second question was the one of interest. The first one was set in order to test whether the randomization procedures used before the study began had succeeded in yielding control and experimental groups that were indeed matched as to initial reading proficiency.
Method
Participants
Students at a public secondary school on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines participated in the study. The two-story school boasts clean, beautiful grounds, and has received an award for being the most effective secondary school in Region X. However, the school lacks a gymnasium and AV room, and the library is housed in a dilapidated building. School enrolment stood at more than 2800 for the 1997-1998 academic year, with an average of 52 students per class.
Ninety percent of the students at this school come from low-income homes where reading materials tend to be scarce. Many of them do not live with their own families. Instead, they live with other families who pay for their schooling in return for work around the house and elsewhere. Indeed, some students even support their families by working at night. For instance, they might sell "balut", eggs that are about to hatch. Thus, many have little time or energy after school for academic tasks, and without an in-class ER programme they are likely to do little reading.
Most classes last 40 minutes except for Science and for Technology and Home Economics which last 80 minutes. In addition to a bulletin board, every classroom is enlivened by various corners. The Filipiniana corner features displays on Philippines heroes, tourist spots, and folk dances. Other cornere study was conducted over a period of six months from September 1996 to January 1997. In September, 60 first-year students at the school, 30 females and 30 males, who were to be s focus on science and on drug prevention. Drug abuse is a problem among a small number of students including some who participated in the study.
Thassigned to remedial reading classes constituted the participants in this study. Their ages ranged from 12-18. Using a matched-pairs design, each student was first matched with another of similar IQ, sex, socio-economic status, reading level, and past achievement. Then, one member of each pair was randomly assigned to the experimental remedial reading class, and the other member was assigned to the control class, so as to achieve balance on the variables in the two remedial reading classes.