The Role of Knowledge Retrieval in Inference-making

NCT ID: NCT05692973

Last Updated: 2023-06-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 316 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-05-31
• Study Completion Date: 2027-08-31

Brief Summary

This project will (a) examine the relationship between knowledge retrieval and inferencing; (b) determine the effectiveness of an intervention that improves knowledge retrieval and inferencing among struggling readers; and (c) expand research opportunities for undergraduates. The research design uses 316 struggling readers in grades 4-6 of diverse backgrounds. The effects of knowledge retrieval (accuracy and speed) on inferencing will be modeled without dichotomizing the distribution. Linear mixed effect models will be fit to determine whether reader characteristics make unique contributions to inferencing across the posttest and follow-up data collection time points. First, several structural models will be considered as students may be nested in teachers, schools, and tutors. Unconditional models will estimate the intraclass correlation for each level of the study design. If significant interclass correlations emerge, multilevel models will be fit to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention while controlling for covariates such as pre-test performance on inference-related measures and child-attributes such as English learner status. The primary analysis plan assumes an intent-to-treat model in which the efficacy of two intact conditions will be tested. Effect sizes will be estimated to report the magnitude of difference between the two conditions. Expected outcomes include (a) the identification of a method that effectively facilitates knowledge retrieval and the application of relevant knowledge to form inferences among elementary struggling readers from diverse backgrounds; (b) the validation of an intervention that teaches struggling readers how to activate, retrieve, and interweave relevant knowledge with information in the text and accurately form inferences while reading that can be broadly implemented in general education classrooms; and (c) expansion of undergraduate research opportunities, particularly among students from diverse backgrounds who have been historically underserved.

Detailed Description

Theory and research suggest that inferencing serves as a critical aspect of comprehension and that inferencing fails when readers do not possess sufficient background knowledge or slowly retrieve and integrate knowledge from memory or text when reading. Research suggests that readers fluently retrieve and use knowledge that is well-connected to form inferences while reading. Further, inferencing among skilled comprehenders depends considerably on knowledge retrieval, thus implicating the important role knowledge plays in inferencing. Yet, very little research has examined how inferencing changes as a function of changes in knowledge. Understanding how inferencing adapts as a function of knowledge acquisition and knowledge use provides a necessary mechanism for refining how to improve this learning process, especially for older students with reading comprehension difficulties. This project fills this critical need. This project's goal is to determine if knowledge retrieval is a mechanism for improving inferencing among middle grade struggling readers attending rural schools. The central hypothesis is that knowledge is malleable, with fluent retrieval of relevant knowledge associated with improved inferencing. This hypothesis will be tested with the objective to evaluate knowledge retrieval methods and then test the effectiveness of an intervention that facilitates knowledge retrieval and inferencing among middle grade struggling readers attending rural schools. This proposal is scientifically important because it informs theory by determining whether fluent retrieval of relevant knowledge enables inferencing among struggling readers. It is practically important because it identifies the learning strategies struggling readers need to retrieve knowledge to make inferences. The rural context also becomes critically important here. Long-standing disparities in educational access exist for students of minority backgrounds, English-learners, and children at risk for learning disabilities who attend rural schools. However, fully powered randomized control trials rarely occur in rural settings and existing literature of studies in rural schools commonly contains methodological limitations. These gaps in the literature will be addressed through the following Aims.

Aim 1: Evaluate the relationship between knowledge retrieval and inferencing. This Aim will examine whether retrieval practice - a powerful and proven technique for enhancing knowledge retrieval, inferencing, and transfer among skilled adult readers - also improves knowledge retrieval and inferencing among rural, middle grade, struggling readers. Past research conducted in the middle grades shows that retrieval practice is associated with improved end-of-unit performance in content area classrooms. But no study has examined how, why, when, and for whom knowledge retrieval works and under what conditions for struggling readers. The primary hypothesis is that fluent retrieval of relevant knowledge facilitates inferencing. The expected outcome is the identification of a method that effectively facilitates knowledge retrieval and the application of relevant knowledge to form inferences among rural, middle grade, struggling readers.

Aim 2: Determine the effectiveness of an intervention that improves knowledge retrieval and inferencing. No intervention study has used knowledge retrieval techniques to help struggling readers retain new knowledge or retrieve and use relevant knowledge to form inferences while reading. The primary hypothesis is that changes in inferencing are associated with changes in knowledge retrieval; however, knowledge retrieval and inferencing must be explicitly taught and sufficiently practiced for inferencing to occur with the same regularity as skilled comprehenders use it. The expected outcome is the validation of an intervention that teaches rural, struggling middle grade readers how to activate, retrieve, and interweave relevant knowledge with information in the text to accurately form inferences while reading. Furthermore, very few reading intervention studies have occurred with middle grade struggling readers attending rural schools. The rural setting is important; existing practices do not consider the cumulative effects of rural poverty on general knowledge development and reading achievement or the long-term impact of limited access to academic support services. Additionally, only one inference intervention study has included English Learners. The English Learner population has increased substantially in rural communities, but past research shows that generalizing vocabulary and knowledge building interventions designed for monolinguals have not proven effective.

Aim 3. To expand undergraduate research opportunities by integrating undergraduate students on the research team with the knowledge and skills to successfully implement these randomized controlled trials.

Conditions

Reading Disability; Reading Problem

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Variable Test

Students will be taught a knowledge base comprised of 18 facts about Egypt. After learning the knowledge base to criterion, students will practice retrieving the knowledge base across four testing sessions spaced 24 hours apart. Students will receive different questions across testing sessions. Next, students will read 6 passages about Egypt and then answer literal and inferential questions about the passages. Immediately after reading the passages, students will get re-tested on their retention of the knowledge base and use of the knowledge base to form inferences. They will also get retested one week and one month later to examine students' long-term retention of the knowledge base and use to make inferences.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Role of Knowledge Retrieval

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Students will learn a new knowledge base to perfect mastery. Following the attainment of mastery students will read passages on the topic and answer questions that prompt the literal recall of key facts and the formation of inferences.

Inference Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will pre-teach students a set of 20 essential facts about Egypt. Students will interact with expository and narrative texts. Students will practice using a text clue strategy to activate and integrate prior knowledge, will make in-text connections, connections across the 3 intervention texts, and connections between text and knowledge, and will make inferences about character motives and author intent. The tutor will ask students to justify connections and evaluate how these connections enhance understanding. Students will answer inference questions that require using text and background knowledge. A simple graphic organizer will support and scaffold inferencing. Throughout the intervention, students will practice retrieving the 20 essential facts about Egypt from memory using flash cards, completed in pairs with students providing each other feedback.

Repeated Test

Students will be taught a knowledge base comprised of 18 facts about Egypt. After learning the knowledge base to criterion, students will practice retrieving the knowledge base across four testing sessions spaced 24 hours apart. Students will receive the same questions repeated across testing sessions. Next, students will read 6 passages about Egypt and then answer literal and inferential questions about the passages. Immediately after reading the passages, students will get re-tested on their retention of the knowledge base and use of the knowledge base to form inferences. They will also get retested one week and one month later to examine students' long-term retention of the knowledge base and use to make inferences.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Role of Knowledge Retrieval

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Students will learn a new knowledge base to perfect mastery. Following the attainment of mastery students will read passages on the topic and answer questions that prompt the literal recall of key facts and the formation of inferences.

Inference Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will pre-teach students a set of 20 essential facts about Egypt. Students will interact with expository and narrative texts. Students will practice using a text clue strategy to activate and integrate prior knowledge, will make in-text connections, connections across the 3 intervention texts, and connections between text and knowledge, and will make inferences about character motives and author intent. The tutor will ask students to justify connections and evaluate how these connections enhance understanding. Students will answer inference questions that require using text and background knowledge. A simple graphic organizer will support and scaffold inferencing. Throughout the intervention, students will practice retrieving the 20 essential facts about Egypt from memory using flash cards, completed in pairs with students providing each other feedback.

Placebo

Students will be taught a knowledge base comprised of 18 facts about Egypt. After learning the knowledge base to criterion, students will re-read the passages. They will not receive any questions. Next, students will read 6 passages about Egypt and then answer literal and inferential questions about the passages. Immediately after reading the passages, students will get re-tested on their retention of the knowledge base and use of the knowledge base to form inferences. They will also get retested one week and one month later to examine students' long-term retention of the knowledge base and use to make inferences.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Role of Knowledge Retrieval

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Students will learn a new knowledge base to perfect mastery. Following the attainment of mastery students will read passages on the topic and answer questions that prompt the literal recall of key facts and the formation of inferences.

Inference Intervention

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will pre-teach students a set of 20 essential facts about Egypt. Students will interact with expository and narrative texts. Students will practice using a text clue strategy to activate and integrate prior knowledge, will make in-text connections, connections across the 3 intervention texts, and connections between text and knowledge, and will make inferences about character motives and author intent. The tutor will ask students to justify connections and evaluate how these connections enhance understanding. Students will answer inference questions that require using text and background knowledge. A simple graphic organizer will support and scaffold inferencing. Throughout the intervention, students will practice retrieving the 20 essential facts about Egypt from memory using flash cards, completed in pairs with students providing each other feedback.

Interventions

Role of Knowledge Retrieval

Students will learn a new knowledge base to perfect mastery. Following the attainment of mastery students will read passages on the topic and answer questions that prompt the literal recall of key facts and the formation of inferences.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Inference Intervention

The intervention will pre-teach students a set of 20 essential facts about Egypt. Students will interact with expository and narrative texts. Students will practice using a text clue strategy to activate and integrate prior knowledge, will make in-text connections, connections across the 3 intervention texts, and connections between text and knowledge, and will make inferences about character motives and author intent. The tutor will ask students to justify connections and evaluate how these connections enhance understanding. Students will answer inference questions that require using text and background knowledge. A simple graphic organizer will support and scaffold inferencing. Throughout the intervention, students will practice retrieving the 20 essential facts about Egypt from memory using flash cards, completed in pairs with students providing each other feedback.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• performance below a a standard score of 93 on the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency

Exclusion Criteria

• clinical diagnosis of a significant cognitive impairment
• clinical diagnosis of a significant behavioral disability

• Minimum Eligible Age: 8 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

William Jewell College

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Amy E Barth, Ph.D

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

William Jewell College

Locations

Excelsior Springs School District

Excelsior Springs, Missouri, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Andrea Meloan, BS

Role: CONTACT

meloana@william.jewell.edu

816-415-7831

Michael Stoll, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

stollm@william.jewell.edu

816-415-7624

Facility Contacts

Melissa Miller, Ph.D.

Role: primary

mmiller@ga.essd40.com

816-630-9200

Heather Gross, Ph.D.

Role: backup

hgross@ga.essd40.com

816-630-9200

References

Barth AE, Elleman A. Evaluating the Impact of a Multistrategy Inference Intervention for Middle-Grade Struggling Readers. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2017 Jan 1;48(1):31-41. doi: 10.1044/2016_LSHSS-16-0041.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 27776201 (View on PubMed)

Barth AE, Daniel J, Roberts G, Vaughn S, Barnes MA, Ankrum E, Kincaid H. The Role of Knowledge Availability in Forming Inferences with Rural Middle Grade English Learners. Learn Individ Differ. 2021 May;88:102006. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102006. Epub 2021 May 12.

Reference Type: BACKGROUND

PMID: 33994756 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol

View Document

Document Type: Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Other Identifiers

2022-2026_aebarth

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id