Improving Student-Athletes' Writing Skills: Examining the Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development Coupled with Modified Reciprocal Teaching

Abstract

This research considers one of a university's most academically vulnerable populations - student-athletes. The purpose of this investigation was to test the effectiveness of a multi-component writing intervention that combines two empirically validated strategies - Self-Regulated Strategy Development and a modified version of Reciprocal Teaching.

This randomized control trial was conducted with 50 student-athletes enrolled in an introductory writing course. Pre-test and post-test data on the Test of Written Language IV (TOWL IV), essay grades, and post-test grades in the course were gathered. All data were analyzed using a one-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) using pretest scores as covariates, group assignment as the independent variable (Intervention vs. Control), and post-test scores on the TOWL IV, essay grades, and post-GPA in the course as dependent variables. This analysis will allow us to determine the effectiveness of the combined SRSD/MRT intervention on the writing skills of student-athletes.