Two experiments investigated how providing remedial readers with information that strategy use improves performance influenced their self-efficacy and comprehension skill. In both studies, children were given training on finding main ideas, Children in Experiment received specific strategy value information, general strategy value information, specific plus general (combined) information, or no strategy value information. In Experiment 2, children received strategy effectiveness feedback, specific strategy value information, or feedback plus specific (combined) information. In each study, the combined treatment enhanced self-efficacy and skill better than the other conditions, which did not differ. These results suggest that remedial readers may not benefit much from minimal information on how strategy use can improve performance. Multiple sources of strategy value information may be necessary to enhance self-efficacy and comprehension skill. Article: Children's use of cognitive strategies, or systematic plans oriented toward improving performance, typically increases with age and task experience (Brown, 1980; Brown, Campione, & Day, 1981; Flavell, 1985; Myers & Paris, 1978). A strategic approach to reading comprehension includes activities such as understanding the task demands, monitoring one's level of comprehension, and taking corrective action (e.g., rereading) when failures are detected. Research shows that students with strategic deficiencies can benefit from explicit training on reading strategies (Paris, Cross, & Lipson, 1984; Raphael & McKinney, 1983). At the same time, strategy training does not ensure that children will continue to use the strategy when no longer required to do so (Borkowski & Cavanaugh, 1979; Kramer & Engle, 1981). Failure to employ a strategy may result partly from the belief that, although the strategy is useful, it is not as important for success as are such factors as time available or effort expended (Fabricius & Hagen, 1984). To promote continued strategy use, researchers have suggested providing students with strategy value information, or information that strategy use can improve performance (Borkowski & Cavanaugh, 1979; Brown et al., 1981; Paris, Lipson, & Wixson, 1983). Some ways to convey strategy value are to instruct children to use the strategy because it will help them perform better, to inform them that strategy use benefited other students, and to provide them with feedback linking strategy use with their performance improvements (

This experiment investigated the effects of goals and goal progress feedback on reading comprehension self-efficacy and skill. Remedial readers received comprehension strategy instruction on finding main ideas. Some subjects were provided a product goal of answering questions, others were given a process goal of learning to use the strategy, and subjects in a third condition received process goals combined with feedback on goal progress. The condition receiving process goals and progress feedback demonstrated significantly higher performance on the self-efficacy and skill tests than the process goal and product goal conditions, which did not differ. Subjects assigned to the process goal and process goal plus feedback conditions judged perceived progress in strategy learning higher than product goal subjects. These results show that remedial readers benefit from explicit feedback on their mastery of a comprehension strategy and have implications for comprehension instruction.

This experiment investigated the effects of goal setting on children's self-efficacy and reading comprehension. Remedial readers participated in a comprehension strategy instructional program on finding main ideas. Some subjects received a product goal of answering questions, others were given a process goal of learning to use the strategy, and subjects in an instructional control condition were told to work productively. Compared with control subjects, process and product goal children judged self-efficacy significantly higher, and process goal children demonstrated higher comprehension skill. On a measure of goal perceptions, process goal children placed significantly greater emphasis on learning to use the strategy compared with children in the other two conditions, and judged becoming a better reader more important than did product goal subjects. These results suggest the usefulness of goal setting with remedial readers and of employing goals relating to learning processes.

Two experiments investigated the effects of sources of strategy information on children's acquisition and transfer of reading outcomes and strategy use. Children with reading-skill deficiencies received comprehension instruction on main ideas. In Experiment 1, some students were taught a comprehension strategy, while others received strategy instruction and strategy-value feedback linking strategy use with improved performance; controls received comprehension instruction without the strategy. In Experiment 2, children were taught the comprehension strategy or received instruction without strategy training; they were then given comprehension instruction on details. Some children were taught how to modify the strategy; others did not employ the strategy on details. Children who received strategy-value feedback (Experiment 1) and strategy-modification instruction (Experiment 2) demonstrated the highest self-efficacy, skill, strategy use, and transfer. These results support the idea that remedial readers benefit from information about strategy usefulness.

This experiment investigated how the sequence of ability and effort attributional feedback over an extended period influences children's reading comprehension, attributions, and self-efficacy. Children with comprehension deficiencies participated in a training program that included instruction and practice in identifying important ideas. One group of children (ability-ability) periodically received ability feedback, a second group (effort-effort) received effort feedback, a third condition (ability-effort) was given ability feedback during the first half of the training program and effort feedback during the second half, and for a fourth group this sequence was reversed (effort-ability). Children who received ability feedback during the second half of training (ability-ability and effort-ability conditions) developed higher ability attributions and self-efficacy than subjects in the other two conditions. The sequence of extended attributional feedback did not differentially affect skill development. Implications for teaching are discussed.