Immediate and Transfer effects of Interventionist Dynamic Assessment on EFL students’ Reading Comprehension Performance: Grade Nine Students in Focus.

Wosenyelesh Adane
Department of English Language and Literature, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

Yoseph Mezgebu
Department of English Language and Literature, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

Moges Abay
Department of English Language and Literature, University of Gondar, Ethiopia.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and transfer effects of interventionist Dynamic Assessment (DA) on the reading comprehension performance of Grade 9 students. The study used a quasi-experimental Solomon four-group design. The researcher selected the participants, four sections of Grade 9 students (N = 223) at Azezo Secondary School, using purposive sampling technique and randomly assigned into two experimental and two control groups. During the intervention, the experimental groups were given reading activities applying to DA based on Brown's Graduated Prompt Approach; whereas the control groups were taught using conventional Normative Continuous Assessment (NCA). Data were collected using parallel pre- and post-reading comprehension tests and a slightly more difficult text for the transfer test and analyzed using a 2 by 2 factorial ANOVA and t-test. The results showed that students in the experimental groups indicated a significant improvement on their reading comprehension performance and could transfer the skills to a new passage. This study provides empirical evidence on how DA is used to bring together assessments with instruction to promote students’ reading comprehension performance and transfer of skills. 

Keywords: EFL students; Interventionist Dynamic Assessment; Reading Comprehension; Transfer Test