Tiernan O’rourke & Claudio Torres

Dr. Dredger - READ 440

“Reading and Writing in Co-Taught Secondary School Social Studies Classrooms: A Reality
Check” by Naomi Zigmond
Abstract: This was an experiment to test if co-taught secondary social studies classrooms
performed better on administering reading and writing assignments and how many they did.
They found out that very little class time is devoted to developing reading skills. But is this the
reality of secondary schools? Are students in high school content-subject classes really
confronted with text-rich learning environments in which they must struggle to perform? The
purpose of this research was to do a reality check on the literacy demands of high school social
studies classes
Methodology and design was based on extensive notes taken during the observation of
teachers and students, all in five minute increments leading to 406 increments over 39 lessons
using co-teaching social studies classrooms. This experiment had two components, the sample
and the observation protocol. The sample accounted for the sample size of the project, which
was two teachers (one special education, one social studies) in five Pennsylvania High Schools.
Two schools were in urban districts, two were in suburban districts, and one was in a rural
district. This resulted in eight co-teaching pairs that were observed. There was also variation
among the subjects taught, as well as the grade levels and formatting of class blocks. In terms
of observation protocol, reliability of notes was assessed by having two observers in the
classroom, and had an 80% margin for similar notes, with a formula implemented in order to
better use reliability.
For the study itself, the independent variable was based on instruction, while the
dependent variable was based on how reading and writing was done during the observed
segment. The dependent variable was operationalized by reading codes, which included
reading and writing from textbooks, primary sources, handouts, chalkboard, computers, and
student writing, as well as coding a value for “no reading.” Implications of the study include how
schools and districts were selected, whether a random sample was implemented, or if the
schools/districts were selected by some other factor.
Findings resulted in reported that 20.5 of nearly 34 hours of social studies instruction,
students were not engaged with print at all. What research also found was that students or
teachers were almost never seen reading the texts, and when students do read, it tends to be
teacher constructed text, which was often was single words on the board. It was also reported
that students spent very little time (less than 7% of five-minute segments) reading
‘‘authoritative’’ sources like newspaper articles, magazine articles, or the textbook.
As reported in the article, “the most likely explanation is that the teachers who were
observed had adjusted their instructional demands downward because of the literacy limitations
they recognized in their students.” Other things to consider is that a considerable number of
students in secondary school classrooms in which observation was conducted, students were
present with learning and behavioral problems. One consideration made in the research is that
because some teachers have experience, they might be prone to ignore supplemental readings
or to give students additional assignments based on prior experience of students not completing
the work.

Discussion Questions:
 What are some ways that teachers can break the cycle of not assigning readings
because the students do not understand them without overloading the students with too much
text?

What are some of the benefits of having two teachers, both with their own expertise, in a
classroom?

What were some variables that might have affected the results of the experiment that
might be different in other classrooms?