| The case method has been widely used in preparation programs in training business people, lawyers, and doctors, but it has rarely been used with younger students. This study was designed to examine (1) whether fifth grade students were mature enough to handle the case method, and (2) whether the case method was effective in improving fifth grade students' reading comprehension. My hypothesis was that fifth grade students were not only able to handle the case method, but also that the case method would be as effective in improving students' academic work as it had been with adults.; 62 fifth grade students from three classes were assigned to one of three treatment groups--the case method group, the strategy group, or the control group (which was controlled for the instructional method used). The study lasted eight weeks with the first and the last week allocated to testing. Three hours of instruction occurred each week. Students were monitored for their reading comprehension by six weekly comprehension quizzes and pre- and post-study comprehension tests. Students were also monitored for their reading strategy awareness, their attitudes toward reading, and their attribution of success or failure in reading.; Findings from this study demonstrate that (1) students as young as fifth graders could learn to use the case method, and (2) the case method was more effective than the strategy method in improving students' reading comprehension. The students in the case method group exhibited stronger performance on the six comprehension quizzes and suffered the least loss among the three groups when external conditions were disruptive. The findings also support the knowledge that reading strategies can be taught to students using direct and explicit instructional methods. The strategy group gained the most in reading strategy growth and internal control than did both the case method group and the control group. The case method group and the strategy group both did better than the control group on the transfer comprehension test. |
