ERIC Number: EJ830389
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Jun
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0959-4752
EISSN: N/A
Prior Knowledge, Reading Skill, and Text Cohesion in the Comprehension of Science Texts
Ozuru, Yasuhiro; Dempsey, Kyle; McNamara, Danielle S.
Learning and Instruction, v19 n3 p228-242 Jun 2009
This study examined how text features (i.e., cohesion) and individual differences (i.e., reading skill and prior knowledge) contribute to biology text comprehension. College students with low and high levels of biology knowledge read two biology texts, one of which was high in cohesion and the other low in cohesion. The two groups were similar in reading skill. Participants' text comprehension was assessed with open-ended comprehension questions that measure different levels of comprehension (i.e., text-based, local-bridging, global-bridging). Results indicated: (a) reading a high-cohesion text improved text-based comprehension; (b) overall comprehension was positively correlated with participants' prior knowledge, and (c) the degree to which participants benefited from reading a high-cohesion text depended on participants' reading skill, such that skilled participants gained more from high-cohesion text.
Descriptors: Reading Comprehension, Prior Learning, Biology, Reading Skills, Language Skills, Science Materials, College Students, Correlation, Reading Processes, Content Area Reading, Text Structure
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A