The Effects of an Interactive Vocabulary Strategy on Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Word Learning

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Latham, K. (2011). The Effects of an Interactive Vocabulary Strategy on Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Word Learning. Unc Charlotte Electronic Theses And Dissertations.
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Abstract

ABSTRACTKENDALL KISER LATHAM. The effects of an interactive strategy on teachers' and students' perceptions of word learning. (Under direction of DR.KAREN WOOD)It is a well established fact that the level and degree of vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in adolescents' literacy development. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' and students' perceptions and use of an interactive vocabulary strategy, in the form of an interactive word wall, as the focal point of systematic instruction in a vocabulary-rich literacy program. An interactive word wall is an instructional tool for supporting word learning activities in which students explore, evaluate, reflect, and apply word meanings in meaningful contexts (Harmon, Wood, Vintinner, & Willeford, 2009). A sociocultural theory served as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Sociocultural theory emphasizes that knowledge is constructed collaboratively in a social context, which the individual and social world have mutually interrelated roles in the learning development. Based on a qualitative inquiry, a case study design was used to examine teacher and student perceptions, use, and adaptations of the interactive word wall. This study employed interviews, observations, assessments, surveys, knowledge rating scales, and artifact data. This research study was conducted over six weeks during the fall of 2010. Participants included four content area teachers and their students in one urban middle school in the southeastern United States. Each content area (mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts) is represented in this study. Within-case and cross-case analyses were used to analyze the data. The main findings from this study are: (1) Teachers and students viewed the interactive vocabulary strategy as being beneficial in enhancing word learning in their content area, (2) Student choice is an important factor to consider when planning instructional strategies in content area classrooms, (3) Teacher resistance to vocabulary instruction decreased over time as they adapted the interactive word wall strategy to meet their specific content goals, and (4) Student word knowledge broadened and deepened during the interactive word wall instructional design. Several conclusions and implications are drawn from the findings. Recommendations for future research are also discussed in the final chapter of this study.

Details
Author

Latham, Kendall

Title

The Effects of an Interactive Vocabulary Strategy on Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Word Learning

Physical Description

1 online resource (279 pages) : PDF

Date

2011

Degree Granting Institution

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Abstract

ABSTRACTKENDALL KISER LATHAM. The effects of an interactive strategy on teachers' and students' perceptions of word learning. (Under direction of DR.KAREN WOOD)It is a well established fact that the level and degree of vocabulary knowledge plays an important role in adolescents' literacy development. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers' and students' perceptions and use of an interactive vocabulary strategy, in the form of an interactive word wall, as the focal point of systematic instruction in a vocabulary-rich literacy program. An interactive word wall is an instructional tool for supporting word learning activities in which students explore, evaluate, reflect, and apply word meanings in meaningful contexts (Harmon, Wood, Vintinner, & Willeford, 2009). A sociocultural theory served as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Sociocultural theory emphasizes that knowledge is constructed collaboratively in a social context, which the individual and social world have mutually interrelated roles in the learning development. Based on a qualitative inquiry, a case study design was used to examine teacher and student perceptions, use, and adaptations of the interactive word wall. This study employed interviews, observations, assessments, surveys, knowledge rating scales, and artifact data. This research study was conducted over six weeks during the fall of 2010. Participants included four content area teachers and their students in one urban middle school in the southeastern United States. Each content area (mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts) is represented in this study. Within-case and cross-case analyses were used to analyze the data. The main findings from this study are: (1) Teachers and students viewed the interactive vocabulary strategy as being beneficial in enhancing word learning in their content area, (2) Student choice is an important factor to consider when planning instructional strategies in content area classrooms, (3) Teacher resistance to vocabulary instruction decreased over time as they adapted the interactive word wall strategy to meet their specific content goals, and (4) Student word knowledge broadened and deepened during the interactive word wall instructional design. Several conclusions and implications are drawn from the findings. Recommendations for future research are also discussed in the final chapter of this study.

Genre

doctoral dissertations

Subjects--Topics

Education
Reading

Degree

Ph.D.

Keywords

Middle School
Teachers
Vocabulary
Word Wall

Subject Area

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisor(s)

Wood, Karen

Committee Members

Taylor, Bruce
Rickelman, Robert
Toscano, Aaron

Degree Note

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 2011.

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Rights Holder Information

Copyright is held by the author unless otherwise indicated.

Identifier

Latham_uncc_0694D_10172

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.13093/etd:441