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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Computers and literacy--Computer-assisted instruction; Elementary education of adults; Language arts--Computer-assisted instruction;

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to determine how the Principle of the Alphabet Literacy System (PALS) was implemented by local sites, and (b) to ascertain the perceptions and attitudes of PALS students, teachers, and administrators regarding the instruction and outcomes. Participants were involved in PALS programs in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, and South Dakota during April and May, 1990. Data collection instruments were mailed to site contact persons who distributed them to and collected them from the participants. Students did not complete the instruments until they finished PALS instruction. There were three data collection instruments, one for each target group: (a) administrators, (b) teachers, and (c) students. Each questionnaire consisted of three parts: (a) a Likert scale section which attempted to determine how much respondents agreed or disagreed with statements concerning PALS instruction and outcomes, (b) a multiple choice and short answer section which primarily focused on PALS implementation and outcomes, and {c) an optional section which requested personal data. In that final part, administrators and teachers were asked to relate information regarding their educational backgrounds; students were urged to supply demographic data. Data on site implementation revealed that institutions generally used PALS in accordance with the suggestions of its author. However, most teachers allowed students who read above the 5.0 level to enroll in PALS instruction, and they supplemented instruction to meet the needs of their particular classrooms or individual students. In addition, results were inconclusive regarding whether PALS was housed most often in self-contained classrooms or drop-in centers and whether teachers followed the Twenty Vital Practices. Participants generally had positive attitudes toward PALS. Nevertheless, there were differences in attitudes concerning the recommendation of PALS to other schools. Also, differences relating to the effectiveness of student pairings were found. PALS appeared to improve reading, writing, typing, and computing abilities. However, significantly higher attendance and lower attrition rates in PALS classrooms were not corroborated. Teachers did not report better enunciation nor faster learning as a result of PALS. In addition, teachers could not confirm that PALS was more effective than other reading materials and strategies they had used.

Year of Submission

1993

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Sharon Smaldino

Second Advisor

Roger Kueter

Third Advisor

Jeannie Steele

Comments

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Date Original

1993

Object Description

1 PDF file (144 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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