Research Analysis Format
Your article Analysis should address the following areas. Please refer to the scoring rubric that will
be used to score your submissions for more details and specifics about each area. The article used
should be cited using APA citation protocols.
Type in the table. Save the document as: articleanalysis1_lastname.docx
Article Citation in APA format:
Shamir, H., & Johnson, E. (2012). The Effectiveness of Computer-Based EFL Instruction among
Primary School Students in Israel. Educational Media International, 49(1), 49-61.
Research Problem
What are the research questions or what is the hypothesis being tested?
The hypothesis that is being testing is that if a proven, student-paced English reading program is
used to supplement traditional English instruction for children with a variety of different
proficiency levels in public schools in Israel, their EFL (English as a Foreign Language)
acquisition will be higher than students who do not receive the instructional supplementation.
Literature Review
How would you characterize the general field of knowledge in which this research study is
situated; e.g., Research on Teacher Effectiveness, Research on Self-Reflective Learning,
Research on Gender Differences in Mathematics Performance, etc.?
I would characterize this study as Research on Technology Supported English Language
Instruction
List three key points from the literature review that help the reader develop
understanding of what is already known, and determine the purpose of this study in light
of other studies. Cite at least one study used by the author to make each of the three
points.



Computer assisted instruction (CAI) can provide students with the individualized
instruction, reinforcement, and high level of engagement in the learning process that is
associated with substantive gains in knowledge. (Lepper & Gurtner, 1989)
Reading acquisition is often emphasized in early grades as it has proven to be closely
related to later academic successes in other subjects. (National Reading Panel Report,
200)
CAI allows for students to come closer to developing mastery of a subject without putting
additional strain on educational resources, including teachers. (Montazemi & Wang,
1995; Montamedi & Sumrall, 2000; Arlin, 1984)
Research Design and Data Analysis
Describe the research design (experimental, co-relational, descriptive, etc).
I would characterize this research design as experimental as the researchers are testing a
hypothesis of students who are receiving a treatment of supplemented instruction against a
control group of students who do not receive the supplemental software.
Describe the method(s) of data collection.
The researchers conducted this experiment on a total of 221 first and second grade students in
three different public schools in Israel. The students demonstrated a variety of proficiency levels
in English and many of them came from low Socio-Economic backgrounds. All three schools
represented similar populations demographically (Shamir & Johnson, 2012).
Roughly half of the students were a part of the treatment group, who received 15 minutes of
exposure per day to software supplementation in addition to English instruction in addition to
the school curriculum. The software used was Waterford Early Reading Program (WERP), “a
computer-adaptive software package designed for teaching early English literacy skills to prekindergarten through second grade students,” (Shamir & Johnson, 2012). The other half of the
students received the school mandated English instruction with no exposure to WERP.
Students were administered pre and posttests to assess improvements in English literacy skills.
The tests assessed the students across 4 areas: (1) initial sound fluency, (2) letter naming
fluency, (3) phoneme segmentation fluency, and (4) Nonsense word fluency. These tests were
administered in the fall and spring. The same test was administered for both the pre and
posttest to provide more statistically valid and easy to interpret results (Shamir & Johnson,
2012). The instructions for the test were given in Hebrew.
Describe the method(s) of data analysis.
Data was analyzed by comparing pretest to posttest scores to ascertain covariance. Test results
were divided by grade and treatment vs. control groups.
Findings
Briefly and accurately list all of the notable and significant outcomes of the study.
Not surprisingly, the students in the treatment group scored significantly higher on the posttests
across all four areas assessed, indicating gains in English literacy skills due to use of WERP
software. Students who were a part of the control group also showed some improvement in
scores on the posttests, but the differential gains were not quite as high as the treatment group.
Summarize and describe the outcomes of the research. In this section you do not have to
supply large amounts of statistical data from the article.
Based on the findings in this research, it can be surmised that students experience significant
gains in their English literacy skills through the use of WERP and similar adaptive English
language instructional software. This study is unique in that taking place in a non-English
speaking country, researchers were able to control the element of English exposure in addition to
the instruction provided with the software. These findings show that even with student
exposure to the software being limited to 15 minutes daily, the remediation that computer
assisted instruction provides can significantly benefit gains in English language acquisition.
Limitations
What are the limitations of this research?
There were a few limitations to this research that I noticed. First, there was no mention of the
teachers in the classrooms in which the studies were taking place. There is no way to know
about the teachers’ experience, knowledge of English, level of education, and skill level in
implementing the schools’ English language curriculum. Second, the sample size for this test was
relatively small and occurred during a relatively small amount of time.
The article points out a few limitations to the research as well. One is that the study does not
include the qualitative data that may affect the students’ test scores such as student attitudes and
motivation. Also, these tests were conducted in Shivu schools which are schools for recent
immigrants to Israel. These are students who are learning both English and Hebrew
concurrently, and the instructions for the test were administered to the students in Hebrew. This
could have had a negative effect on student scores, though the scores clearly show that exposure
to WERP has a positive effect on language acquisition.
Can the outcome(s) be generalized or transferred to groups outside of this study?
The outcomes of this study could be transferred to groups outside of this study. This study is one
of many that concludes computer assisted instruction is beneficial for students from a variety
backgrounds and abilities.
To what other populations can the results apply or not apply?
The results of this study would apply to any group of students who are learning English as a
foreign language and are not submersed in an English-speaking environment. The results may
apply to ELL students who are submersed in English-speaking environments, but the outcomes
may either be greater or less than those who have little to no exposure to English. However,
these results may not apply to students who are native English speakers who may be looking to
increase their phonemic awareness, vocabulary, or reading fluency.
Validity and Reliability
How valid is the research?
This research is valid due to the standardization of the pre and posttests assessments given. The
test that was given was mid-year Kindergarten assessment that is part of the Dynamic Indicators
of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), a standardized test for emergent English literacy skills
(Shamir & Johnson, 20120). Using the same test for both the pre and posttests also lends to the
validity of the research.
How reliable is the research?
The reliability of this research comes from the consistency of data found across all three schools
and grades administered. Test results are also fairly consistent across all four domains assessed.
Implications for Practice
Thoroughly describe implications of the study on your personal practice, pedagogical, or
instructional choices.
This study has given me insight into the benefit that computer software can provide to help
teachers with differentiated instruction. Often in the classroom teachers are burdened with
meeting the needs of a very diverse group of students with a wide variety of needs, and
subsequently many students can “slip through the cracks.” This is particularly true for ELL
students who require a solid understanding of English to ensure future academic success. This
article brought to light how beneficial computer assisted instruction can be as a supplement to
traditional teacher instruction. In the future, I would like to utilize more technological tools to
help provide diversified instruction and meet the needs of students who may require additional
help in a certain area.
Discuss ways in which you can incorporate findings from this study into your own
professional practice.
After having read this study, I have been given cause to consider implementing a similar adaptive
CAI program for my ELL students to supplement the English instruction I am able to provide for
them. I think that the results of this study clearly illustrate the benefit of providing software
enhancement to instruction, and adaptive software is additionally beneficial because it provides
differentiated instruction to students with a wide variety of abilities.