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Reexamining the relationship between coverage and reading comprehension with a meaning-recall vocabulary measure

Research Project

Project/Area Number 22K00793
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
Research InstitutionUniversity of Niigata Prefecture

Principal Investigator

ステクル ティモシー  新潟県立大学, 国際地域学部, 教授 (40601711)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) Mclean Stuart  近畿大学, 経営学部, 准教授 (10624794)
石井 友子  明治学院大学, 教養教育センター, 准教授 (40440200)
金 映愛  京都精華大学, その他の部局, 研究員 (60934594)
Project Period (FY) 2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Keywordscoverage comprehension / reading comprehension / meaning recall / coverage / vocabulary knowledge / contextualization / vocabulary
Outline of Research at the Start

This project looks at the relationship between the % of words known in a text and reading comprehension. Three studies have investigated this issue. The present study differs from earlier studies in that it will assess knowledge of (a) all the content words in the study's reading passage and (b) vocabulary to the meaning-recall level. This means we will ask learners to recall word meaning from memory and to write it down in their first language. This type of word knowledge correlates more strongly with reading comprehension than vocabulary measures in past research.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

The research purpose is to examine the relationship between the percentage of words known in a text (i.e., coverage) and reading comprehension with different methods from past research. That is, coverage is estimated by having learners translate most of the content words in the text into their first language. This is significant as it is the first coverage-comprehension study to use meaning-recall vocabulary assessment.
To date, we have created and published a website, freely available to researchers, to test meaning-recall vocabulary knowledge in context (see https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTJJ45.2-2). We also published research comparing meaning-recall vocabulary knowledge at different levels of contextualization (see https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100075). From this, we determined that for the main study, vocabulary would be assessed by having learners translate short sentences containing target words, as this yields results basically the same as full contextualization and is more expedient.
We then developed and piloted reading comprehension and vocabulary tests for the main study with learners from Japan, Vietnam, and China. The data were coded and analyzed, and a power analysis was conducted to determine an appropriate N-size for the main study. In March of 2024, data collection for the main study began.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

4: Progress in research has been delayed.

Reason

The study is delayed because data collection and analysis for the pilot study took longer than expected. We assess vocabulary knowledge by having learners translate target words into their first language. Words in one language often do not map neatly onto words in another language. So, to determine whether responses are correct requires highly bilingual, trained markers to judge responses, which takes time. Additionally, because the study involves learners from multiple first-language (L1) backgrounds, care is needed to ensure that judgments are consistent across the different L1 groups. Other than that, the research is progressing smoothly, and data collection for the main study has begun.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

In 2024, we plan to collect data for the main study from learners in Vietnam, China, and Japan. This differs from our original research plan in two ways. First, it is delayed by one year as described in 現在までの進捗状況. Second, we planned to collect data from learners whose first language (L1) is Arabic, but our contact in Saudi Arabia is no longer able to participate in the project. While having learners from many L1 backgrounds make the findings more robust, we will continue with 3 L1 groups. Data coding and analysis will begin in late 2024, and the results will be submitted for publication and disseminated in academic conferences in 2025 and 2026.

Report

(2 results)
  • 2023 Research-status Report
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (8 results)

All 2024 2023 2022 Other

All Journal Article (3 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results,  Peer Reviewed: 3 results,  Open Access: 2 results) Presentation (4 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results,  Invited: 1 results) Remarks (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] An Exploratory Criterion Validation of Three Meaning-Recall Vocabulary Test Item Formats2024

    • Author(s)
      Stoeckel Tim、Ishii Tomoko
    • Journal Title

      Vocabulary Learning and Instruction

      Volume: 12 Issue: 1 Pages: 1-10

    • DOI

      10.29140/vli.v12n1.1233

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] A Contextualized Meaning-Recall Vocabulary Testing Platform2023

    • Author(s)
      Stoeckel, T., McLean, S., Raine, P., Ha, H. T., Ho, N. T. P., & Kim, Y. A.
    • Journal Title

      JALT Journal

      Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Pages: 211-234

    • DOI

      10.37546/jaltjj45.2-2

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
  • [Journal Article] A comparison of contextualized and non-contextualized meaning-recall vocabulary test formats2023

    • Author(s)
      Stoeckel Tim、Ishii Tomoko、Kim Young Ae、Ha Hung Tan、Ho Nam Thi Phuong、McLean Stuart
    • Journal Title

      Research Methods in Applied Linguistics

      Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Pages: 100075-100075

    • DOI

      10.1016/j.rmal.2023.100075

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] An exploratory criterion validation of three meaning-recall vocabulary test item formats2023

    • Author(s)
      Tim Stoeckel & Tomoko Ishii
    • Organizer
      JALT Vocabulary SIG Symposium, Osaka
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] A close look at CMRT test-taking processes2022

    • Author(s)
      Tomoko Ishii & Tim Stoeckel
    • Organizer
      JALT International Conference, Fukuoka Japan
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Exploring three meaning-recall item formats for use in a coverage-comprehension study2022

    • Author(s)
      Tim Stoeckel, T. Ishi, H. T. Ha, Y. A. Kim, T. P. Ho, & S. McLean
    • Organizer
      JALT International Conference, Fukuoka Japan
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] A contextualized meaning-recall vocabulary testing platform.2022

    • Author(s)
      Tim Stoeckel, S. McLean, P. Raine, H. T. Ha, Y. A. Kim, & N. T. Ho
    • Organizer
      JALT Vocabulary SIG Symposium
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
  • [Remarks] Contextualized Meaning Recall Test (CMRT) Platform

    • URL

      https://cmrt.vocableveltest.org/

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report

URL: 

Published: 2022-04-19   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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