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Description
The use of developmental education as a strategy to address the achievement gap in postsecondary education, specifically in reading, continues to present questions and challenges. There is no question that there is a need to assist students who are unprepared for college-level work. Little research has been carried out on the effectiveness of programs that have been designed to help individuals enrolled in developmental education courses. This study examined one innovative approach to developing reading competency at a California community college. Data were gathered from students (N=60). Demographic variables were hypothesized to account for differences in academic performance, and statistical tools used incorporated a variety of multivariate analysis models. Outcomes provided initial data indicating the effectiveness of this new intervention as a way of approaching developmental reading. Information gathered from research instruments focused on students' attitudes, their sense of involvement and participation in the classroom, and their motivation and interest to read. Adult learners demonstrated a higher level of comprehension, and their ability to think purposefully about what they read, contributed to the creation of a culture of thinking in the classroom. Further research should examine the effects of using the TOOLBOX in a broad array of community college academic disciplines. Providing professional development for faculty to use the TOOLBOX as a primary approach to teaching developmental reading may offer a viable way to integrate these thinking-centered approaches and to help foster a culture of thinking in which students can succeed.
