Promotion of reading competence in elementary school: Theory-driven evaluation of the effectiveness and intervening mechanisms of a strategy-based and peer-assisted intervention.

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Experts in the field of research methodology have repeatedly pointed out the necessity of evaluating the processes and intervening mechanisms of intervention programs (Beelmann, Malti, Noam & Sommer, 2018; Chen, 2005; Donaldson, 2001; Patry & Perrez, 2000). Unfortunately, this issue has been ignored for the most part. Remarkably, the vast majority of reading interventions are (1) not based on a theoretical model (2) and research on potential intervening mechanisms is lacking. Therefore, the aims of the present study are:1. To evaluate a theory-based reading intervention targeting more basal (reading fluency, vocabulary) as well as higher-level (reading strategies) reading competencies. 2. To test the effectiveness of the intervention in a switching replications design (pre-post-follow-up) and using continuous data on students’ performance development (progress monitoring). 3. To review the hypothesized mechanisms of the intervention by using a complex mediation model. 4. To test the mechanisms of peer support in the intervention using process data (videos of the interaction between students). The intervention program is based on a theoretical mediation model of reading comprehension (Völlinger, Spörer, Lubbe & Brunstein, 2018), which can also be used for statistical testing of the program’s effectiveness. Therefore, the research questions of the planned study focus on (1) the overall effectiveness of the intervention program and (2) which variables mediate the effects of the intervention on the target variable of reading comprehension. To evaluate the overall effectiveness of the program, students’ reading competence assessed in a pre-post-follow-up test study design as well as students’ performance development assessed continuously using curriculum-based measurements will be analyzed with multilevel analysis (see also Völlinger, Supanc & Brunstein (2018) for the use of multilevel analysis of single-case experimental designs). This study design allows for an outcome evaluation of training effects as well as for testing the performance development of students by means of slopes and single-case effect sizes. The analysis of potential mediators of the training effects will focus on training components (reading comprehension mediators) as well as on the effects of peer assistance in small-group work (group process mediators). For the analysis of expected group process mediators, students will be videotaped while reading a text together. The focus will be on feedback and interaction processes in the groups as well as on the quality of strategy application when reading cooperatively. The videos will be evaluated using a quantitative content analysis. For the statistical analysis, multilevel mediation models will be used (Preacher, Zyphur & Zhang, 2010; Schünemann, Spörer, Völlinger & Brunstein, 2017).