A Meta-Synthesis of Qualitative Research on Reading Intervention Classes in Secondary Schools

Background/Context: In the past two decades there have been at least 10 quantitative reviews, syntheses, or meta-analyses focused on literacy interventions in secondary schools. To date, much of this research has focused on quantifiable outcomes such as reading test scores, and few efforts have been made to synthesize studies of adolescent literacy interventions that attend to how students themselves experience those interventions and what mediates their experiences, which previous adolescent literacy research suggests should be considered alongside other outcomes. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This meta-synthesis of qualitative research highlights additional factors that are overlooked when evidence of effectiveness is defined predominantly through assessment outcomes. It contributes insights from two decades of research on reading intervention classes (RICs), which are a long-standing approach to adolescent literacy intervention. We define RICs as compulsory, yearlong courses that supplement content-area classes with the goal of improving adolescents’ reading. Grounded in sociocultural theories of literacy and learning, our research question was: How do students experience and perceive RICs? Research Design: We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis of 21 studies published between 2000 and 2020 that (1) focused on secondary (grades 6–12) RICs in the United States and (2) included data related to students’ experiences and perspectives. Data Collection and Analysis: We followed best practices in qualitative meta-synthesis, including assembling an author team composed of researchers with expertise in RICs, identifying a research meta-question, conducting a comprehensive search, selecting and appraising relevant studies, and coding and presenting findings using qualitative techniques. Findings/Results: We found that youth’s own diverse understandings of themselves as readers and writers, combined with the extent to which they viewed their RICs as relevant, agentive, and facilitative of relationships, mediated students’ experiences and perceptions of their RICs. In addition, students across studies described placement policies and practices as confusing, frustrating, and embarrassing. Conclusions/Recommendations: By providing a perspective that extends beyond test scores, the findings highlight some of the consequences of intervention placement policies and practices for adolescents. They also address the need for educational stakeholders to expand definitions of what counts as evidence of effectiveness to inform the future development of re-mediated literacy learning opportunities for adolescents that (1) rethink curriculum and instruction to affirm students’ literacy identities, histories, and capacities, and (2) reposition youth as literacy knowers and doers.

Communicating Elevated Academic Expectations: Positioning Students as Thinkers with Ideas to Share

The focus of this qualitative study is upon 15 Grade 12 students situated in an English Communications (ECM) classroom in rural Nova Scotia and the impact a daily classroom circle had upon their academic engagement. ECM is intended for students who may require further support to develop their skills as readers, writers, and language users as they enter the job market or community colleges. There is no formal curriculum for ECM, and often the demographics of such classrooms are comprised of some of the province’s most vulnerable populations. In this paper, we demonstrate the impact the daily classroom circle had upon late adolescents’ understanding of themselves as thinkers with ideas to share. Overall, we see this study as significant for teachers in high-poverty contexts, particularly the importance of using a classroom circle as a consistent space to communicate elevated expectations for students who have experienced academic struggles. Keywords: adolescent literacy; circle routines; qualitative case study; restorative practices

Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Percentage of Teenage Mothers and Youth Female Literacy Rate

BackgroundIn the past few years, maternal mortality rate has been a growing area of research interest in Africa. It is also noteworthy that teenage mothers are on the rise. This study is aimed at assessing the relationship between maternal mortality rate (MMR), the percentage of teenage mothers, and literacy rate among female adolescents in different regions of Africa.MethodSecondary data on maternal mortality rate, percentage of teenage mothers and youth female literacy rate, originally compiled by United Nations Population Division, was obtained from World Bank data and analyzed using a regression model. The average values were estimated for MMR and youth literacy and the relationship was determined for each region.ResultsThe West African region had the highest average maternal mortality rate while North Africa had the highest mean literacy rate and the highest mean teenage mother rate. A 10% rise in adolescent literacy rate was shown to reduce MMR across all regions, although the extent of reduction differed across each region. A reduction in MMR was observed as well in varying proportions, following a hypothetical 10% increase in youth literacy rate over some years.ConclusionThe study shows that low literacy rates were associated with child marriage which increases the risk of maternal mortality. Efforts need to be further intensified in improving the educational level of females in developing countries, especially African nations, in order to reduce maternal mortality in the region.

Equity in the Driver’s Seat: A Practice-Driven, Equity-Centered Approach for Setting R&D Agendas in Education

Education research is too often based on gaps in published research or the niche interests of researchers, rather than the priority challenges faced by schools and districts. As a result, the education studies that researchers design and publish are often not applicable to schools’ most pressing needs. To spur future research to address the specific equity goals of schools and districts, Digital Promise set out to define and test a collaborative process for developing practice-driven, equity-centered R&D agendas. Our process centered on convening a range of education stakeholders to listen to and prioritize the equity-related challenges that on-the-ground staff are facing, while considering prominent gaps in existing research and solutions. We selected two challenge topics around which to pilot this approach and create sample agendas (adolescent literacy and computational thinking).