A publication of the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children
JSET Articles Index
Volume 25 Number 3
An Analysis of Factors that Affect Struggling Readers’ Achievement During a Technologyenhanced STEM Astronomy Curriculum
Matthew T. Marino
Washington State University
Anne C. Black
Yale University
Michael T. Hayes and Constance C. Beecher
Washington State University
This article reports the findings of a study examining independent variables that contributed to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) achievement of students with reading difficulties who participated in a technology-enhanced astronomy curriculum. The curriculum incorporated key elements of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) theoretical framework. Participants (N = 1153) included middle school students from 64 inclusive science classrooms. A two-level hierarchical linear model was developed to determine the contribution of student- and teacher/classroom-level factors to the prediction of posttest and problem-solving scores. Results reveal differences across schools in the effect of being in a lower reading ability group on performance on the posttest and problem-solving measures, with some students performing at a level commensurate with their proficient reading peers. Factors associated with differential performance are identified. Implications of these findings are discussed. Areas for future research are identified.
