RUNNING HEAD: Action Research 1

Refraining Away the Senior Slump

Bella Melnikov

Manhattan College
RUNNING HEAD: Action Research 2

Abstract

Students all over the United States have gone through a slump that comes during the

second half of the semester senior year. This is so common that it has been coined ‘senioritis’ to

highlight students’ lack of motivation in classes due to the idea that they are done with high

school. In this research study, I proposed a plan of incorporating different forms of homework

assessments that reflect different reading strategies that would be given to a collective group of

troubled students, to see if a more structured way of working on a reading task would improve

their focus and overall grade. These students would have been given a series of post-reading

assignments (KWL chart), during reading assignments (annotating notes, multi column notes,

KWLS, and coding text), and finally the post-reading strategy (summary template); at the end of

each strategy they would be filling out a questionnaire that correspond with what they did and

how it helped them. All of this extra work would lead up to the end of unit exam the teacher

would assess their reading comprehension on. To determine whether it benefited them we would

reflect on grading in comparison to the rest of class. In order to determine if we got them out of

their senior slump.

Keywords:​ Senioritis, Post reading strategies, Pre reading strategies, During Reading

Strategies, Questionnaire, Assessment

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Curing the Deadly Senioristis

What was the Problem?

In my action research, I wanted to explore the theory of ‘senioritis’ that plagues many

teachers and students during the second half of their final year. At the times of fieldwork at the

Academy of Mount Saint Ursula, I worked with Mrs. Masicks honors freshman and senior ELA

class that held great minds, after witnessing them study for AP exams and SAT review, that the

teacher gave them time at the end of class to work on, I see that the students were only motivated

when it came to particular tasks. When it came to learning about Emily Dickinson and Walt

Whitman, they seemed less motivated to complete the task and as a result, were disruptive in the

classroom and distracted many of their peers. When comparing the seniors and freshman

students, I saw a drastic change of motivation between the two. In my proposal after comparing

the freshman and the senior’s work ethic, I came to the conclusion that I was witnessing a form

of senioritis. This dilemma is something that is so common throughout my time in schools, I

realized as a future teacher I would need to address this with my own future students. I wanted to

find out; how can we keep them on task? My own research question then fully outlined itself:

Would students improve in focus and academic performance when provided a concrete reading

strategy?

What Did The Teacher Know?

The students were strongly connected to the teacher in Mount Saint Ursula, being that it

was an all girls school Mrs. Masick informed me that many of the students turned to her for

advice or someone to talk to. In class if the students were messing around and making jokes, she
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was able to come back with a quick remark that made students’ laugh with her before turning

back to the task. Yet I found that while this was a great way to build a connection with the

students, it happened so frequently that it gave the students room to mess around again. Mrs.

Masick was insinuating the students and as a result many of the class was used either telling

students to focus or asking a student to stand in the hallway. She did not provide tactical ways

for the disruptive student to put their attention on and when taking a student out of the classroom,

she was also removing the information that the girl needed that was being taught. The teacher did

not give the students a structural outline to follow while reading and many of them either did not

complete it or were left to decipher information on their own. Which is why I wanted to

incorporate my own.

What Had Others Found?

In my own extensive research I observed five studies that focused on different reading

strategies and what they found to be useful in improving students reading comprehension. In one

research study that focuses on reading strategies and its effects on reading fluency, they provided

different strategies to different students and observed their progress. The study found that:

“After assessing data obtained from think-aloud protocol against the two types of English

texts, Student2 was supposed to be a more skillful and fluent reader than student1….She

read them faster with fewer miscues as well. It may be due to the fact that when she was

reading the passage, she processed most of the reading comprehension at the same time.

It was observable that she read the text easily in such a way that fewer cognitive and

more metacognitive reading strategies were needed to be used by her compared to the

other participant” (Barzegar & Fazilatfar, 2019, p. 992-993).

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This means that the student who originally came from a bilingual home, was able to outperform

a student who has been reading and writing in an english language their entire life. With the help

from the reading strategies that were paired to the passages that were given. This particular study

would support the idea that during reading strategies that are paired with required passages, can

improve reading fluency and comprehension. Which was proven from their own personal

analysis of both of the students and measuring their reading performance.

A study that focused on reading strategies for seventy-one struggling readers; they had

the students answer open-ended questions coded with specific strategies that helped the students

read the passage. As well as verbalize the passage and specifics that they may have trouble with.

They discovered that “The other reading strategies struggling readers verbalized were consulting

outside resources and using context to determine words. Consulting outside resources includes

asking help from peers, teachers, siblings, parents and grandparents or looking the word up in a

dictionary” (Chang, 2011, p. 7). The incorporation of questionnaires in my own study was meant

to represent the verbal confirmation for the students. It gives the moment for the students to

communicate any issues or confusions they have on a specific passage of the reading that could

not be met by the reading strategy. Not every student learns the same and incorporating multiple

tasks that they are able to pair alongside their texts, gives the students the opportunity to

distinguish what strategy best improves their fluency. When vocalizing their struggles, they are

able to boost their communication and organize their thoughts on what works for them.

In a teacher reflective study on reading processes, they compared their classes academic

performance with and without structural reading strategies. On Table 1 from the study, it

organizes the results that were accumulated by teachers whose students; developed reading
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comprehension strategies for whore reading processes (Asikcan & Pilten & Kuralbayeva, 2018).

This table shows that there was an increase of reading comprehension when teachers used pre,

post, and during reading strategies. When surveying the teachers again on their preference, they

stated that they have now fully incorporated these reading strategies into all lesson plans and

have seen students progress and reading fluency increase immensely.

When focusing on seniors, who should have a fully developed understanding on reading

fluency and comprehension, found that the seniors hit lack of motivation that results in poor

performance and focus. A study from ​New Education Policies​ observe the high school senior

slump states:

“Senior slump appears to be the rational response of students to some disjunctions

between the K-12 and postsecondary systems, including a lack of assessment in grade 12,

a college admissions calendar that provides little incentive for seniors to take demanding

courses, a lack of coherence and sequencing between the K-12 system and colleges, and

the emphasis on access and admission to college rather than preparation for completing

college” (Kirst, 2001, p.1).

The study found that the senior slump is in correlation to their lack of in-class assessments, due

to their heavy outside work schedule. It became clear that students need more active assessments

incorporated along with their reading; while also understanding that I am unable to add random

quizzes to take up valuable class time. We decided that incorporating homework assessments

that would be given to troubled students would be best.

What was the Plan?

RUNNING HEAD: Action Research 7

After observing the students, I worked alongside the teacher to establish a plan. The

teacher had informed me that the students would be starting a novel that would be discussed

during class time. Mrs. Masick informed me that most of the reading at home and then it would

be reflected in the following class. If I was able to continue my own action research in class, I

would begin by asking the students that Mrs. Masick assigned me what reading strategies do they

use that help them comprehend the information in the text. From the data that was collected I

would select a specific reading strategy that correlates with their specific style.

In our first meeting together I would have the students complete a K-W-L chart, on what

they know about the novel from the title and back summary. We would first model the task

together, reading the first page in the chapter and fill out the rest of the chart; asking questions

like what do you want to know about the character? From the background summary and the first

page, what do you think is going to happen to our character? All liable questions to focus on as

the plot develops.

In the following week, they will begin to use the during-reading strategies that have been

assigned to them. Mrs. Masick had chosen four students that were having trouble in class, one

student was given annotating notes, multi column notes, K-W-L-S, and coding text. Each

student would be given a breakdown on how each strategy is used. Then they would have been

given their first short questionnaire that outlined general thoughts and opinions on the

pre-reading strategy that we performed together. As shown on Figure 2, they would fill out the

active reading experience questionnaire, that covers all possible characteristics of the reading

strategy. This would outline on a scale of one being the least and ten being the highest beneficial

task when it comes to reading comprehension. The following week we would reflect on how
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incorporating the reading strategy affected their studying schedule. Everyweek, the students

would be given a questionnaire on how their own reading strategy has impacted their reading

comprehension. They would be able to choose when in the week or which chapter they want to

use their assigned reading strategy on.

The one day a week I would be present in class I would meet with them for five minutes

to complete the questionnaire and answer any questions the students may have.

This would lead up to the post-reading strategy right before the teacher would be giving

their end of a unit exam or paper (which was not decided at the time). Their post-reading strategy

would be to fill out a summary template after discussing the final chapters in class and reading it

at home. They would be allowed to keep all their reading strategy worksheets and would be

encouraged to study through them when preparing for their final assessment. While I would have

kept all of their personal reflections on how productive they felt, the task difficulty level, the

amount of time it takes them to complete the task if they felt that the task was beneficial, and so

on. After taking all this information and applying it with in-class notes as well as their final grade

compared to the other students who also take the same final assessment without the added

strategies. We would measure whether or not the added homework assessments would prove

beneficial or not; and which strategy proved to be the most beneficial when it came to reading

fluency and comprehension.

The hypothesis was that there would be an influx in their grade compared to the other

students. From a similar study conducted by the Investigation of Reflecting Reading

Comprehension Strategies they found:

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“Almost half of the pre-service teachers (50.71%) developed reading comprehension

strategies for the whole reading process. Almost one-third of the pre-service teachers

(32.86%) designed activities only for two of the reading processes…. It was found that

pre-service teachers used most of the post-reading strategies defined in the literature. The

most repeated post-reading strategy by the pre-service teacher was finding the main idea

strategy” (Asikcan & Pilten & Kuralbayeva, 2018, p. 403).

Which presents the benefits that their study found when incorporating reading comprehension

strategies; even going forward to find that it was proven helpful enough to continue to

incorporate in the rest of their teachings.

This action research was meant to test or support these theories that many others have

studied. In order to draw the first-hand conclusion on the dilemma that is senioritis. By the

inclusion of added assessments that are given with a deadline and required reflection; the

students are obligated to complete the task. Also giving the students time to reflect on their own

opinions allows the students to find what strategies work for them and fit into the busy life of a

senior. Which all would have been proven or debunked from their final grades. Yet through the

added research, we can draw that reading strategies are beneficial in any unit and can be included

in order to benefit the student’s needs.

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References

Asıkcan, Mehmet, Gulhiz Pilten, and Aliya Kuralbayeva. 2018. “Investigation of Reflecting

Reading Comprehension Strategies on Teaching Environment among Pre-Service Classroom

Teachers.” ​International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education​ 10 (4): 397–405.

DOI:10.26822/iejee.2018438129.

Barzegar, N., & Fazilatfar, A. M. (2019). Reading Strategies and Reading Fluency: A Case

Study of Reading in First or Second Language. ​Journal of Language Teaching & Research,​

10​(5), 989–997. ​https://doi-org.www.library.manhattan.edu/10.17507/jltr.1005.10

Chang, S. H. (2011). Reading Strategies of Struggling Readers. ​Journal of Research in

Education​, ​21​(2), 2–13.

Kirst, M. W. (2001). Overcoming the High School Senior Slump: New Education Policies.

Perspectives in Public Policy: Connecting Higher Education and the Public Schools.​, 35.

Retrieved from ​https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED455720.pdf

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Figure 1:

Figure 2:
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(adapted from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283813828_Active_reading_experience_questionnaire_Develop

ment_and_validation_of_an_instrument_for_studying_active_reading_activities​)