The Effects of Individualized Tutoring on the Thesis Statement … · 2019. 12. 5. · Running...

Running head: THESIS STATEMENT WRITING 1

The Effects of Individualized Tutoring on the Thesis Statement Writing

Skills of College Students with Learning Disabilities

Melissa Van Epps

University of Wisconsin Stout

THESIS STATEMENT WRITING 2

Table of Contents

List of Tables……………………………………………………………………………………...4

List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………..5

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..6

Statement of Problem……………………………………………………………………...6

Context of the Problem……………………………………………………………………6

Purpose of Study…………………………………………………………………………..7

Research Questions and Study Variables…………………………………………………7

Literature Review………………………………………………………………………………….8

Learning Disabilities………………………………………………………………………9

Definitions………………………………………………………………………………....9

Legislation……………………………………………………………………………......10

College Writing Expectations……………………………………………………………10

Types of Writing………………………………………………………………………....11

The Need for Tutoring…………………………………………………………………...12

Instructional and Assessment Strategies………………………………………………....13

Efficacy and Results…………………………………………………………………......15

Gaps in the Literature…………………………………………………………………….15

Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………..16

Setting…………………………………………………………………………………....16

Subjects………………………………………………………………………………......17

Procedure………………………………………………………………………………...17

Instrumentation………………………………………………………………………......19

Data Collection…………………………………………………………………………..20

Data Analysis………………………………………………………………………….....21

Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….22

Summary…………………………………………………………………………………22

Findings………………………………………………………………………………………….23


Demographics……………………………………………………………………………23

Item Analysis: Thesis Statement Writing………………………………………………..23

Results……………………………………………………………………………24

Anecdotal Data……………………………………………………………….......25

Item Analysis: Thesis Statement Writing Confidence…………………………………..26

Results…………………………………………………………………………....27

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………..29

Limitations……………………………………………………………………………….30

Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………31

Recommendations………………………………………………………………………..31

References………………………………………………………………………………………..33

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………………………36

Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………………37

Appendix C………………………………………………………………………………………38

Appendix D………………………………………………………………………………………39

Appendix E………………………………………………………………………………………40

Appendix F……………………………………………………………………………………….41


List of Tables

Table 1: Individual Raw Pre and Post Test Scores ........................................................................24

Table 2: Class Mean Pre and Post Test Scores ..............................................................................25

Table 3: Tutor Observation Notes ..................................................................................................25

Table 4: Student Confidence Questionnaire Raw Data .................................................................27


List of Figures

Figure 1: Instructional Sequence for Tutoring Thesis Statement Writing……………………….18

Figure 2: Student Confidence: Pre and Post Study Numbers…………………………………....28


Introduction

College students should be equipped with all the tools necessary to assist them in

attaining the highest level of academic achievement possible; this should include college students

with learning disabilities (LD). Due in part to federal legislation such as the Individuals with

Disabilities Act (IDEA), there are an increasing number of students with learning disabilities

attending college nationwide (McGregor et al., 2016). In a perfect world, all university students

would be naturally motivated to achieve to their fullest potential, complete their assignments,

and fulfil their course obligations and expectations. In order to assist students with learning

disabilities achieve their academic goals, colleges and universities often offer academic

assistance such as professional tutoring services provided by professional staff where students

can receive tutoring and counseling that is customized for their specific educational requirements

and learning disability

Problem Statement

The researcher tutors at a university learning center that provides services for students

with learning disabilities, and currently tutors 5 female, college-age students of differing

academic levels and with different learning disabilities. 3 out of 5 of these students did not know

how to write a full thesis statement for a college course paper.

Context of Problem

The learning center where the researcher tutors provides individual tutoring services for

college students with learning disabilities. Each tutoring session is student driven in that

instruction is based on the educational needs of the individual student and the courses in which

the student is enrolled at the time of tutoring. Thus, the curriculum and assignments originate

from the student’s course of study, the area of study’s department and professor; and the final

assessment of the student’s learning is based on those course objectives, rubrics, and expected


outcomes. The tutor provides assistance with the student’s assignments as requested by the

student, and utilizes instructional methods that the tutor determines will be the most effective.

Each of the researcher’s students received tutoring for paper writing and had papers due

throughout the semester. The researcher had worked with these particular students since the

beginning of the semester and was familiar with the writing proficiency level of each student. 3

out of 5 students required instruction on the basics of how to write a proper thesis statement for a

college term paper. The remaining 2 students required additional assistance on thesis statement

writing in order to reach proficiency. Students generally attend at least one hour of tutoring per

week and each session is organized according to the requirements of the student’s assignment

and the specific educational needs of the student, as per the learning center directive.

Individualized tutoring allows the tutor to employ instructional strategies and assessments that

address each student’s specific educational goals, academic abilities, course assignments, and

learning disability in order to assist students with learning disabilities achieve the same academic

outcomes as their non-disabled peers.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this action research study was to ascertain whether or not providing skill

specific tutoring instruction would improve the thesis statement writing of college students with

learning disabilities. The researcher also endeavored to determine whether or not said instruction

altered the student’s confidence level regarding their thesis statement writing. More precisely,

the researcher inquired about how effective a flexible thesis statement writing lesson would be in

improving student’s thesis statement writing proficiency and confidence in writing thesis

statements.

Research Question and Study Variables

The research questions specifically addressed in this action research study are:


1. Will college students with learning disabilities write more effective thesis statements

after receiving tutoring instruction?

2. Will college students with learning disabilities experience any change in confidence in

their own thesis writing after receiving individualized tutoring in thesis writing?

The independent variable in the study was the tutoring instructional sequence presented

during the student’s tutoring sessions. There were two dependent variables for this study; the

thesis writing proficiency levels of the students and the confidence levels of the students.

Literature Review

The learning center where the researcher tutors has an overall mission to provide

individualized assistance to students with learning disabilities based on their specific educational

needs as dictated by their courses, assignments, educational goals and learning disabilities.

College students with learning disabilities often struggle with academic deficits that impede their

ability to achieve to the same academic standard as their non-disabled peers (McGregor et al.,

2016). University tutoring centers may be able to assist these students in rectifying those

academic deficits to enable students with learning disabilities to participate on a level academic

playing field. Writing skills are absolutely necessary for all college students, but some learning

disabilities specifically affect students’ ability to plan, develop, and write a proper thesis

statement. There are instructional strategies that can be used to help student’s work with and/or

around their learning disabilities and assessment strategies that can support this instruction in

order to assist students with learning disabilities master thesis statement writing. A review of the

literature served to inform the structure of the researcher’s action research, define relevant terms,

prevalence rates, procedures and methods, examine current instructional strategies for teaching

writing, as well as report gaps in the literature and limitations of existing research regarding

teaching academic paper writing skills to college students with learning disabilities.


Learning Disabilities

Overall, students with learning disabilities account for about 50 percent of all students

with disabilities who receive special education services (Cullen-Pullen, 2016). Some common

types of learning disabilities include those that affect reading such as dyslexia and those that

impede mathematical skills such as dyscalculia (Cullen-Pullen, 2016). A number of conditions

that are considered processing disorders affect auditory and visual processing deficits which

weaken students’ ability to comprehend what they see and hear. Disorders such as attention

deficit hyperactivity disorder can result in hyperactivity, inattention and distractibility (Cortiella

& Horowitz, 2014). Other disorders that can also impede a student’s ability to focus on studies

are anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders, and panic disorders. More and more students with

learning disabilities are accessing higher education opportunities (McGregor et al., 2016) and

colleges often provide services to ensure that these students and their specific educational needs

are addressed via tutoring, testing and assignment accommodations.

Definitions

Learning disabilities do not have a long history of recognition and accommodation.

Samuel Kirk coined the term and defined learning disabilities in 1963 to describe the condition

wherein a student of normal intelligence struggles to attain normal achievement (Cullen-Pullen,

2016). According to The Learning Disability Association of America (2019), “Learning

disabilities are neurologically-based processing problems that can interfere with learning basic

skills such as reading, writing and/or math; and can also interfere with higher level skills such as

organization, time planning, abstract reasoning, long or short term memory and attention.”

Simply stated, learning disabilities can be defined as a varying group of disorders that are caused

by neurological impairments and cause cognitive deficits within the learning domains of reading

and writing, speaking and listening, linguistic and mathematical reasoning (McGregor et al.,


2016). The actual individual disorders may affect one or more of these learning domains and

ultimately hinder the affected student’s ability to learn in the same ways that typical, non-

disabled students learn.

Legislation

Due to government legislation regarding individuals with disabilities and their rights to

equal educational opportunities, more students with learning disabilities are seeking post-

secondary academic opportunities. The individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) of 1990

promoted a higher level of inclusion and acceptance at institutions of higher learning for students

with learning disabilities (McGregor et al., 2016). The IDEA’s 1997 amendment and 2004

reauthorization further solidified to need for specialized services for students with learning

disabilities to transition from high school to college (McGregor et al., 2016). Another important

piece of legislation that impacts regulations surrounding students with learning disabilities and

the services to which they have access is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

which provides for mandated access to public facilities, educational services and allows for

educational accommodations for students who possess certain physical and/or mental

impairments, and prohibits discrimination based on those impairments (ADA). These key pieces

of legislation ensure that all students have access to equal educational opportunities and provide

services for disabled students that allow them to achieve to the same academic levels as their

non-disabled peers.

College Writing and Expectations

The discrepancy in skills and readiness account for why students falter in college. This is

even truer for writing skills, which are crucial for student success in almost every college level

course regardless of the major area of study. According to Conley (2007), only 35 percent of

students entering college from high school who study for a bachelor’s degree finish in four years,


and only 56 percent finish in six years; and the key reason for this is the discrepancy between

their secondary and post-secondary expectations. The skills students are acquiring and learning

in high school are not serving them well enough once they enter college. Research papers are the

prevalent type of extensive college writing assignments across all genres, subjects, and majors.

Traditional college research papers are “informative in function, logical, thesis-driven, and

objective” (Metzler, 2009, p. W252). Other than grammar and syntax abilities, the skills

students need in order to write successful college research papers include, research skills, reading

and comprehension skills, critical thinking and organizational skills, creativity and the ability to

synthesize information and present it in their own words (Irvin, 2010,p.8-9). When students

arrive at college without a solid grasp on each of these skills, they fail to meet college writing

expectations and their overall academic achievement falters.

Types of Writing

While not in every single assignment, most of the time college writing is an argument.

This is true for research papers across curriculums and subject areas. For many college writing

assignments, the student is tasked with writing a paper that requires them to make a claim and

support that claim with evidence from research. Writing thesis statement can be challenging for

new college students because it requires concrete argumentation skills and the ability to connect

arguments to evidence in a convincing way (Garcia-Gorrostieta & Lopez-Lopez, 2018, p. 3037).

Some of the common types of writing assignments students are asked to complete at the college

level are; closed writing assignments where the student is asked to address a specific question,

the semi-open writing assignment where the student are offered a topic and then must propose

their own focus or claim, and finally the open writing assignment where the student must

formulate the topic and claim for the subject matter presented (Irvin, 2010, p. 11-13). Regardless

of the type of academic paper, the students must compose a thesis statement; whether it is based


on the research and their opinion about that research, or whether is it based solely on the

information presented to them by an instructor.

The Need for Tutoring

The more students with learning disabilities that are accepted to, and enroll in, university

and college programs, the greater the need is for specialized academic services to address these

students’ specific academic issues. There is an increase in reported learning disabilities;

“Learning disabilities are the most common type of disability reported by postsecondary students

in the U.S.” and at this education level, 31% of students with general disabilities have some type

of learning disability (McGregor et al., 2016). Often, these students do not have a solid writing

foundation on which to master college level skills. Argument writing, which is the style of most

undergraduate papers, is difficult because it requires intricate linguistic and cognitive skills

(Campbell, & Filimon, 2018). Many students are not equipped for this type of writing when they

enter college. According to Mason, Harris, & Graham (2011), students with learning disabilities

do not get time practicing the academic writing process while in school and often focus on

mastering “low-level transcription skills such as handwriting, spelling, capitalization, and

punctuation” (21). While it is crucial for students to master these low-level skills, it does not

fully prepare them for the rigors of college writing courses. Typical students do not fare much

better where their writing skills are concerned. Data indicates that 88% of eighth grade students

and 82% of twelfth graders in the United States score only at the most rudimentary level of

writing skill mastery and 50% of college freshman do not write at the college level (Plakhotnik

& Rocco, 2016). The implications for these students include impending academic problems

when they reach college and the implications for instructors are just as troubling.

When a college student is unable to write at college level, then the onus is on the college

instructor to ready these students to write for success. According to Forrest & Moquett (2016),


college students were unprepared to execute college level writing skills such as effective thesis

statement writing, composing paragraphs, using evidence to support theses and writing proper

introductions and conclusions. While there seems to be an overall writing skills crisis, students

with learning disabilities often struggle with additional academic, psychological, or physical

challenges that may exacerbate their inability to write, and these variables must be thoughtfully

considered when planning and providing instruction.

Instructional and Assessment Strategies

The more assessment and instructional strategies that an instructor has in their toolbox

and the more skill that instructor has in applying those strategies, “the better the teacher will be

able to create lessons that optimize student learning” (Marzano, 2017, p. 2). Instructing students

with learning disabilities requires the teacher or tutor to be able to adjust instruction quickly, and

being prepared with as many strategies as possible makes this task easier for the teacher and

more effective for the student. Along with providing engaging instruction, teachers should be

diagnosticians who are able to determine the most appropriate instructional strategies to apply in

order to provide the best possible instruction for each student (Tomlinson, 2014, p. 4).

Differentiating instruction, scaffolding and ongoing assessment is crucial in teaching any level or

ability of student, and more so when instructing students with learning disabilities.

There are an abundance of instructional strategies that can be applied in the classroom or

tutoring session that are meant to improve student writing skills, including thesis statement

writing. Rubrics are ubiquitous in college classrooms and when properly utilized, this assessment

tool can also be a powerful instructional tool. In their research, Forrest & Moquett (2016)

discovered that using rubrics in each phase of the writing process increased mastery as the

phases progressed. The way that students felt about their grade and how they surveyed all of

their errors changed due to the use of the rubrics also. “Previously, students would look at the


mistakes that pulled their grades down. Now, due to the use of rubrics in the revision process,

students are viewing initial errors as positive opportunities to learn how to improve their own

writing” (Forrest & Moquett, 2016, p. 183). When used properly through each step of the writing

process, rubrics can motivate and assist students to improve their writing skills.

Another instructional strategy that has been geared specifically toward students with

learning disabilities is “self-regulation” which involves a process of mindful analysis, goal-

setting, planning, self-examination and motivation to increase students’ writing abilities (Garcia,

& Fidalgo, 2010, p.118). This type of reflective educational environment encourages meta-

cognition which allows students to think about how they learn, why they have made mistakes,

and how they can participate in the improvement process. The study revealed that self-regulation

is an effective method for improving writing skills and that these strategies are useful when

instructing students with learning disabilities to become competent and self-aware academic

writers (Garcia, & Fidalgo, 2010). The goal of self-regulation is that it ultimately empowers

students to fully participate in the learning process and construct new knowledge, which

motivates students to achieve to their full potential.

Assessment should be tied to instruction in all instructional situations. Formative

assessment is the ongoing discussion or feedback cycle that enables students to continually grow

academically and help the instructor to adjust lessons as those students grow (Tomlinson, 2014).

The effective and convenient fact about formative assessment is that almost any task can be used

for the purpose of assessment, thus allowing formative assessment to permeate the classroom.

Tomlinson (2014) claims that a teacher is always aware of their students changing abilities, and

is a habitual observer of the learning process. This constant feedback loop in the classroom

informs both the student and the teacher. The students understand what is expected and how they

are performing and the teacher is shown what lessons are effective and which are not. According


to Evans, Zeun, & Stanier (2013), by taking students on a “formative assessment journey,”

instructors can “…improve student learning through familiarizing students with the levels of

learning required, informing them about gaps in their learning and providing feedback to guide

the direction of learning.” Regardless of the instructional environment, ongoing assessment is an

invaluable tool to ensure that students get all that they can from a lesson and that the teacher has

the flexibility to change those lessons based on this feedback.

Efficacy and Results

Overall, data indicates that students who seek additional tutoring outside of their normal

course schedule tend to have slightly higher grades that those students who do not seek tutoring

(Hendriksen, Yang, Love & Hall, 2005, p. 61). According to Zeng, Ju, & Hord (2018), tutoring

assistance is an effective “one-on-one instructional strategy that allows students to review and

discuss specific course material with a professional...” (p.164). Zeng, et al., (2018) go on to posit

that students who attend regular tutoring sessions experienced positive effects on their overall

motivation to work, their accountability for that work, and their grade point average.

Additionally, and more specifically, those students who seek additional assistance with tutoring

in writing have higher success rates in that task. Research indicates that students who regularly

attend session at college writing centers scored higher on college composition assignments than

those students who did not seek help (Williams and Takaku, 2011, p. 13). While there seems to

be a general consensus is that tutoring is effective in increasing writing skills of college students,

there are areas that require additional research and study.

Gaps in the Literature

The overall results of research regarding the student outcomes of tutoring and specifically

the effectiveness of writing tutoring on college students indicates that when students seek

tutoring assistance their grades improve, but there is room for more study. There are gaps in the


literature and many instances for addition research—especially regarding college students with

learning disabilities. One issue was that the nature of tutoring often only allows for data that is

student driven; meaning that it is up to the student to determine whether or not tutoring was

effective (Hendriksen, Yang, Love & Hall, 2005, p. 61). Another problem that occurs in tutoring

environments is that the tutor often does not have knowledge of their students final grade and

how tutoring actually affected that final grade. According to Hendriksen, et al. (2005), while

studies indicate that tutoring is helpful, it is difficult to measure how helpful. There are also

issues of the generalizability of studies aiming to determine the efficacy of tutoring because no

two writing centers or tutors are alike. Thus the individualized nature of instruction in a tutoring

situation makes it difficult to generalize any research results. The same can be said about the

criteria that measures writing ability (Williams & Takaku, 2011, p. 5). Proficient writing ability

seems to vary which makes it difficult to define and generalize. Thus researchers agree that there

is need for additional research on the topic of tutoring college students, tutoring writing and

tutoring students with learning disabilities.

Methodology

Setting

The researcher tutors in a tutoring center of a small private women’s university in the

southeast of the United States with a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1800

students. The tutoring center provides specialized, professional tutoring and accommodation

services to the university students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities,

international students whose second language is English, and if availability allows,

traditional/typical students. The center offers tutoring in a wide range of typical and specialized

undergraduate and graduate subjects; these include courses such as English, literature, paper

writing, mathematics, business, hard and social sciences, art, interior design, nursing and


occupational therapy. The center services approximately 150 students each semester. Tutoring

sessions are private, individual and customized for each student depending on subject,

assignment, educational need and learning disability. The tutoring center also provides

counseling services and instruction in time management and study skills.

Subjects

Due to the organization of the services the center provides, the researcher tutors a limited

number of students on a one-on-one basis for one to two sessions per week, for up to an hour

each session. Thus, the subjects able to participate in this action research study consisted of 4

undergraduate students that the researcher tutored during the spring semester. Each student is

female between the ages of 18 and 22 and is pursuing an undergraduate degree. The participating

students each have a different learning disability that allows them to receive tutoring and those

disabilities include; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, audio processing disorder, anxiety,

and dyslexia. Each student received individualized tutoring by request, in part due to their

specific learning disability. Each student has requested assistance with a paper writing

assignment in one or more of their spring semester courses.

Procedures

Each student receives English or writing tutoring specifically for paper writing skills and

has experienced difficulties writing a proper thesis statement for their papers. The researcher

implemented instruction and formative assessment strategies designed to teach the student how

to plan and write a proper thesis statement based on the student’s specific assignment, textual

sources and course materials. The researcher implemented an instructional sequence (Figure 1)

of which was altered according to each students needs as the lesson was occurring and took

place over the course of three weeks; or approximately 3 tutoring sessions. The objectives of the


instructional sequence were based on the course objectives and assignment rubric. Formative

data was collected throughout the sequence to determine if instruction needed to be adjusted.

The researcher had the students complete a pre-study questionnaire to measure their

thesis writing confidence level prior to the study. Then, the researcher facilitated a thesis writing

pre-test to establish a baseline score. The instructional sequence was then presented. The

researcher observed and recorded anecdotal evidence throughout the presentation of the

instructional sequence. After the lesson was completed, the researcher gave the students a post-

test to determine any changes in thesis statement writing proficiency from the pre-test. Finally,

the students completed a post-study questionnaire that was designed to measure if thesis writing

confidence levels changed from the pre-study questionnaire. The researcher recorded each

student’s score data using non-identifiable information in order to protect the participants’

privacy.

Assignment Objective: Write an arguable thesis statement Learning Targets :

Absorb Activity Do Activity Connect Activity Assessments

Analyze paper topic to isolate details.

Read sources

Complete pre-test Complete multi- section T-chart

Create sentence level introduction outline

T-chart and discussion

Sequence topic details in order of significance.

Direct Instruction-video or instructor lecture https://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.html

Create sequence chart

Summarize most important details in a written paragraph

Sequence chart and/or discussion

https://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.htmlhttps://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.htmlhttps://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.htmlhttps://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.htmlhttps://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.htmlhttps://study.com/academy/lesson/organizational-patterns-for-writing-purpose-and-types.html


Organize problem/issue and details into workable thesis statement.

If needed–Review examples of good and bad thesis statements https://www.csun.edu/~bashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdf

Complete thesis post-test

Write usable thesis statement

Thesis post-test and completed thesis statement

Figure 1: Instructional sequence for tutoring thesis statement writing

Instrumentation

Prior to the beginning of the study, the researcher utilized a pre-study questionnaire

(Appendix B) to gauge how confident the students were about their thesis statement writing

abilities. The questionnaire employed a Likert scale to measure the student’s opinions by posing

five statements on which they rated their agreement or disagreement. The researcher then

administered a pre-test (Appendix C) to gage the students’ knowledge about writing thesis

statements prior to the beginning of the study in order to establish a baseline score. After the

study, the researcher gave the students a post-test (Appendix D) to measure if the students’

knowledge of thesis writing had changed from the pre-test scores. At the beginning of the study,

the researcher reviewed the thesis writing rubric/checklist (Appendix E) with the students and

explained the instructional sequence (Figure 1) objective and learning targets. The researcher

then facilitated the instruction during the set time of the study; over the course of regular, weekly

scheduled tutoring sessions. During the study, specifically during the pre and post –tests, the

researcher noted any relevant, anecdotal data that was observed during the instruction. After the

completion of the study, a post-study Likert scale questionnaire (Appendix F) was given to the

https://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdfhttps://www.csun.edu/%7Ebashforth/098_PDF/ME3_Argument/Thesis/05Sep04Bad&BetterThesisStatements.pdf


students in order to measure any changes in their attitude or confidence levels in their thesis

statement writing ability after they participated in the research study.

Data Collection

Students were assessed prior to and after the execution of the tutor designed instructional

sequence. The instructional sequence and the sequence learning targets were based on the

English department’s analytical writing rubric and the student’s course and assignment

instructions. Test score data was collected based on tutor created and administered pre-tests and

post-tests (Appendix C and D), tutor observation during instruction based on any formative

adjustments in instruction that were required, and tutor-created pre and post study questionnaires

(Appendix B and F) that were administered to the students prior to the beginning of the study

and again after the conclusion of the study and recorded how the students felt about their thesis

writing ability—it measured their confidence levels.

The first questionnaire asked students to rate their own confidence in their thesis writing

on a Likert Scale. The pretest was administered at the first tutoring session and was designed to

measure the students’ initial proficiency level at writing a proper thesis statement. During the

study, the researcher recorded observations regarding the students’ progress, challenges, and any

time instruction needed to be adjusted based on assessments. After the completion of the

instructional sequence, the post-test was given to check if the students were able to recognize and

write a complete thesis statement. A researcher-created Likert scale questionnaire designed to

record the student’s opinion regarding their confidence level in their thesis writing knowledge

was also administered at the conclusion of the study, after the post test was completed.

By the end of the study, the researcher compiled data on the student’s perceived

confidence levels before and after the study, the pre and post test scores, and any tutor-recorded

observations. The pre and post tests were scored and a percentage grade was assigned. The thesis


writing portion of each test was graded according to a thesis writing rubric/checklist that the

students utilized during the instructional sequence, so they were familiar with the criteria that

was used to grade their thesis statements.

Data Analysis

The researcher utilized an inferential data analysis approach to the quantitative data

produced during the study by taking the thesis statement writing pre-test baseline percentage

scores and calculating the mean for all participants. Due to the small sample size of 4

participants, the median and mode was not calculated for the totality of the participants. Then the

researcher recorded the post-test raw percentage scores for each student and calculated the mean

scores and compared the scores to those from the pretest. The researcher then noted any high or

low changes in student’s scores from pre to post test and reported the data in a table to illustrate

any increase or decrease in scores. By analyzing the change in raw scores, as well as comparing

the means from pre to post test, the researcher was able to gain insight about the research

question: Will college students with learning disabilities write more affective thesis statements

after receiving tutoring instruction?

The Likert scale style questionnaires were analyzed utilizing the raw data as a score due

to the small sample size for this study. The responses from the pre and post study questionnaires

were compiled and the occurrence of each response for each statement was compiled and

analyzed to determine any changes in data from the pre to post questionnaires. Questionnaire

data was analyzed, recorded and charted to compare results in response from pre to post

questionnaire. By utilizing questionnaires and analyzing the collected data, the researcher

acquired more clarity about the students’ confidence regarding their thesis writing abilities by

answering the research question: Will college students with learning disabilities experience any


change in confidence in their own thesis writing abilities after receiving individualized tutoring

in thesis writing?

Any relevant qualitative data was analyzed using narrative procedures. The observational

data that was recorded by the researcher during the study was summarized according to patterns,

themes, and commonality and reported narratively in order to accompany the quantitative data

and add context for any student progress or regression, and provide further insight to the overall

study research questions.

Limitations

Some of the limitations of this research study were that tutoring is done on a voluntary

basis; therefore, the students are not required to attend every tutoring session—or not at all. This

altered the timing of the instructional sequence for most of the participants. For example; if a

student did not show up for one of their sessions, the instructional sequence had to be condensed

during the following session. Additionally, the voluntary basis of the tutoring program limited

the number of students who were available to participate in the study due to conflicts with their

athletic team obligations and other scheduling conflicts. Thus, one of the main limitations of this

research study, which affected the data analysis and the ability to generalize certain findings, was

the small sample size.

Summary

The researcher implemented an instructional sequence that was designed to instruct

students with disabilities on thesis statement writing in the time allotted for three tutoring

sessions spread out over the course of three weeks. The goals were to determine the efficacy of

the tutoring instruction on the students’ thesis writing and thesis writing confidence levels. The

instruction occurred at the researcher’s tutoring office with four participating college students

with learning disabilities.


Findings

Tutoring data indicated that the researcher’s college students with learning disabilities

were less than proficient in writing thesis statements. The purpose of this action research study

was to identify the effects of tutoring on the thesis statement writing skill of college students

with learning disabilities and the effects of tutoring on student’s thesis statement writing

confidence levels. The study aimed to measure the thesis statement writing and confidence levels

of students before and after the facilitation of an instructional sequence designed to provide

instruction on the processes and procedures for writing a strong, arguable thesis statement. Pre

and post-tests and a rubric were utilized to measure the students’ thesis statement writing scores,

and pre and post-questionnaires were used to collect data on student confidence levels regarding

their thesis statement writing.

Demographics

The subjects of this study were female college students enrolled full-time at a private

university in Georgia, USA. Each student is enrolled in a bachelor degree program and is

working on different majors. Each of the researcher’s students who participated in the study have

at least one learning disability. A total of four students participated in the research study over the

course of three tutoring sessions and span the length of three weeks to perform the entire study.

Item Analysis: Thesis Statement Writing

The first research question that was addressed in this study aimed to determine the effects

of tutoring on the thesis statement writing of college students with learning disabilities; more

specifically, will college students with learning disabilities write more effective thesis statements

after receiving tutoring instruction? The students’ baseline score was determined via a thesis

writing pre-test. After receiving tutoring instruction designed by the researcher to instruct on

thesis statement writing, the students completed a post-test. Both the pre-test and the post- test


consisted of five questions and one thesis statement writing prompt. The student’s thesis

statements were graded using a self-assessment rubric (Appendix E). Each question on both tests

were assigned a point value that cumulatively equaled 100 %. Each student’s pre-test and post-

test were graded and given a percentage score.

Results

Each of the students’ raw scores indicate an increase from the pre-test to the post-test.

Two out of four students scored fairly high on the pre-test and two of four received middling

scores on the pretest. All four of the students scored higher on the post-test than they did on the

pre-test; even if the score increased only marginally. Those who scored lower on the pre-test

achieved a higher overall increase in grade from the pre-test to the post-test—ultimately

matching, if not surpassing those students who scored higher on the pre-test.

Table 1: Individual Raw Pre and Post Test Scores

The researcher examined the pre-test and post-test means (Table 2) to determine the

significance of the change in scores from pre to post test. The mean scores further illustrate an

overall increase in student scores from pre-test to post-test:

Students

Pretest Score Posttest Score Difference

S 1 91 95 +4

S 2 92 93 +1

S 3 84 100 +16

S 4 85 95 +10


Table 2: Class Mean Pre and Post Test Scores

Anecdotal Data

The researcher recorded qualitative data in the form of observational notes as illustrated

in Table 3. During the presentation of the pre-test and the post-test, the researcher recorded

observational notations for each student in order to highlight any student issues with the process,

procedure, and/or assignment in an attempt to isolate any patterns or commonalities that might

further inform the research study.

Students Tutor Comments

S1 Had no problems recognizing proper thesis statements—high score on tests. Pre: Was able to write a topic sentence, but not a full thesis statement with significance statement. Was unsure of how to organize statement. Post: Better overall thesis statement with significance statement, but thesis statement a bit vague.

S2 Had no problem recognizing proper thesis statements—high score on tests. Pre: Was able to write a good thesis statement, but struggled with sentence structure/organization and grammar. Post: Thesis statement was more specific, but still suffered from sentence structure and grammar issues.

S3 Had trouble recognizing proper thesis statements—middling score on pretest. Pre: Was able to write a full thesis statement. Post: Had no trouble recognizing proper thesis statements. Wrote a full thesis statement.

S4 Had no problem recognizing proper thesis statements—middling score on pre-test. Pre: Was able to write a topic sentence, not a full thesis statement. Post: Was able to write a fuller thesis statement. Struggled with small sentence structure issues.

Table 3: Tutor Observation Notes

Pre-Test Mean Post-Test Mean Mean Difference

88 95.75 +7.75


Half of the participants seemed fairly at ease while taking the pre and post texts and those

students’ scores were fairly high on both tests. The other half seemed to struggle slightly with the

pre-tests and made lower scores—but scored high on the post test. Three of the participants were

able to recognize a correct thesis statement when given an option of two thesis statements from

which to select on the pretest and one struggled. However, all the participants expressed

understanding of, and comfort with, the post-test questions and were able to complete it

satisfactorily.

Item Analysis: Confidence Levels

The second and final research question that was addressed by this action research study

aimed to measure any effects of tutoring on the thesis statement writing confidence levels of

college students with learning disabilities: specifically, will college students with learning

disabilities experience any change in confidence in their own thesis writing after receiving

individualized tutoring in thesis writing?. A Likert scale style questionnaire was given to the

students before and after their tutoring session. The questions gauged how the students felt about

their thesis statement writing prior to, and then after completing a thesis statement writing

instructional sequence. The questionnaires utilized five questions and provided a Likert scale

from one to five with the following values:

• 1 = Strongly Agree

• 2 = Agree

• 3 = Uncertain/Do not Understand the Question (Neutral)

• 4 = Disagree

• 5 = Strongly Disagree


The pre-lesson and post-lesson questionnaire posed statements with which the students

would select a level of agreement or disagreement as illustrated by the Likert scale. The

statements on which the students made comments are:

• Question 1 (Q1). I do not know what a thesis statement is

• Question 2 (Q2). I am unsure how to start writing a thesis statement

• Question 3 (Q3). I cannot write an arguable thesis statement

• Question 4 (Q4). I cannot organize all necessary points of a full thesis statement

• Question 5 (Q5). I am very confident that I can write a full, arguable thesis

statement

Results

While there was not a huge overall shift in the students’ thesis writing confidence levels

from pre-questionnaire to post-questionnaire, each student did indicate an increase in confidence

from the pre to post questionnaire; even if it was just a marginal. Table 4 illustrates the raw score

data for each students’ rating of each statement/question (Q1-Q5) for both pre and post

questionnaires.

Students Questionnaire Q 1 Q 2 Q 3 Q 4 Q 5

S 1

Pre-Questionnaire:

Values for each

question

5 4 5 4 2

S 2 5 5 4 2 2

S 3 5 4 4 4 1

S 4 4 2 1 3 5

S 1

Post-Questionnaire:

5 5 5 4 2

S 2 5 5 5 4 2


S 3 Values for each

questions

5 5 5 5 1

S 4 5 4 4 4 2

Table 4: Student Confidence Questionnaire Raw Data

The participant percentages for each question/statement (Q1-Q5) for the pre and post-

questionnaire break down illustrates that there was an overall increase in student thesis writing

confidence levels as illustrated in figure 2

Figure 2: Students Confidence: Pre and Post Study Numbers

The pre-study questionnaire revealed that all four of the participants were confident in

their ability to recognize and know what a thesis statement is, while only two were confident in

their ability to begin writing one. Three of the participants felt confident in making their thesis


statement arguable, creating a full thesis statement, and being able to write a full, arguable thesis

statement, while only one was not confident in these processes. The post-study questionnaire

indicated that all four participants felt confident in performing each of the thesis statement

writing procedures on which they were asked.

While the small sample size and time constraints imposed by the setting of a tutoring

practice limited the design and scope of the research, the overall results for this study—based on

this sample size—indicated an increase in score and confidence level after the implementation of

tutoring for thesis statement writing. Due to the small sample size, it may be warranted to

perform the research study on a larger sample size in order to better determine the efficacy of the

instructional sequence. However, the results of this limited study encouraged the researcher to

utilize thesis writing instruction in order to assist students in their thesis statement writing

practice and to help elevate their confidence in doing so.

Discussion

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of focused tutoring on the

thesis statement writing skills and thesis statement writing confidence levels of college students

with learning disabilities. The process of this study included pre-assessments, facilitation of a

focused and flexible instructional sequence, and ended with post-assessments. Pre-assessments

were key in establishing a baseline score for evaluating the effectiveness of the lesson, as well as

assessing and developing students’ prior knowledge of the topic of thesis statement writing

according to the instructional sequence. According to Mason, Harris, and Graham (2011),

accessing a writing student’s prior knowledge is a crucial strategy for writing instruction and

evaluation. By administering pre-tests and post-tests, the researcher intended to test the efficacy

of the instructional sequence in raising (or lowering) thesis statement writing scores. The


researcher also utilized pre and post-study questionnaires to rate the students’ confidence in their

thesis statement writing skills before and after the instructional sequence.

The researcher utilized anecdotal data collected via observation during the

implementation of the instructional sequence. The collection of qualitative data was meant to

round out the limited availability of the quantitative data in order to increase the validity of the

research, as per Newton and Burgess (2008), “…action research is ready to attain the level of a

mature research approach within a qualitative research paradigm (p. 27). The researcher utilized

a combination of quantitative data in the form of pre and post test scores, and qualitative data in

the form of observational narrative to extract as much information as possible from the small

research sample size. The pre and post test score results of this study indicate an increase in

thesis writing scores and an increase in student confidence in their own thesis statement writing

skills.

The results of the pre and post study questionnaires regarding student confidence levels

indicated an increase in thesis statement confidence. These results were in agreement with

another study that indicated tutoring increases confidence in the subject that is being taught and

raises LD students’ academic self-efficacy (Michael, 2016, p.355). While the results of this study

indicate an increase in both areas of writing and confidence, it would be prudent to perform

further research to determine the extent of the effectiveness of tutoring for college students with

learning disabilities and to possibly increase the validity and generalizability of the study

findings.

Limitations

The main limitation of this research study was the small sample size of the participant

group. The small number of available participants was not adequate to provide enough data to

make a definite determination as to the effect of the tutoring on the thesis statement writing skills


and/or confidence levels of students with learning disabilities. Another limitation was the nature

of the voluntary tutoring program at the researcher’s university. The voluntary nature of the

tutoring sessions allow for student absences, which made it difficult to administer the instruction

on a schedule that was consistent for each participant. While the results attained are useful to

help inform the researcher’s practice, the concern is that these limitations could affect the

validity and generalizability of the study.

Conclusions

The key conclusion of the research indicates that additional research that includes a larger

sample size needs to be performed in order to be able to make stronger connections between the

effectiveness of the instructional sequence on the thesis statement writing outcomes. However,

the conclusions based on the small sample size that was available for the current study are

helpful in informing the researcher’s current tutoring practice and act as a base for additional

research. Based on the findings of this research study, the following conclusions were drawn:

• There was some level of increase in thesis writing score for each participant of

this study.

• Those students who scored lower on the pre-test achieved a higher increase on the

post-test than those students who scored high on the pre-test.

• It appears that instruction does increase students’ confidence levels.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this research study, the following are recommended actions to

be taken:

• The researcher should pursue the use of tutoring instruction that focuses on thesis

statement writing skills due to the results indicated by this preliminary study.


• The researcher should perform additional action research on a larger sample size

in order to expand the data set and strengthen the validity of the study.

• The researcher should inform tutoring supervisor of results and recommended

actions


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Appendix A

Literature Review Outline

I. Introduction

II. Learning Disabilities

A. Definitions

B. Legislation

C. College Writing and Expectations

D. Types of writing

III. The Need for Tutoring

A. Statistics/Prevalence rates

B. Implications

IV. Instructional and Assessment Strategies

A. Differentiation

B. Rubrics

C. Self-Regulation

D. Assessment

V. Efficacy and Results

A. Gaps in the Literature


Appendix B

Pre Study Student Questionnaires

Thesis Writing Student Questionnaire: Pre-Study

Identify how confident you are in writing thesis statements

Strongly Agree Agree

Uncertain/ Do Not

Understand Question

Disagree Strongly Disagree

1. I do not know what a thesis statement is

2. I am unsure how to start writing a thesis statement

3. I cannot write an arguable thesis statement

4. I cannot organize all necessary points of a full thesis statement

5. I am very confident that I can write a full, arguable thesis statement


Appendix C

Thesis Writing Pre-Test

Directions: Read the questions about thesis statements and choose the best answer.

1. Why is it important to write a well-crafted thesis statement?

a. So your paper has enough detail.

b. So it is clear to you and your reader what your paper is about.

c. So your instructor knows that you read the material.

2. Why should your thesis statement have multiple “prongs?”

a. So your paper will be long enough.

b. So you can organize your paper by sub-topic as written in your thesis statement.

c. What are prongs?

Directions: Read the sample thesis statements and circle the best arguable thesis statement.

1. Edgar Allan Poe uses dark imagery to create a feeling of dread and loneliness in the poem,

“The Raven.” –or— Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “The Raven” is dark and frightening.

2. Nurses should be paid more because nursing is a difficult and important job. –or— Nurses

should be paid the same as doctors because nurses are on the frontline of the healthcare crisis.

3. Jayne Eyre is one of the most complicated characters in literature because she lived in

Victorian times. –or— Jayne Eyre exhibits the complicated lives that women were living during

Victorian times because she went against the accepted social norms of the day.

Directions: Write a full, arguable thesis statement based on the prompt: Describe an

accomplishment that sparked a period of personal growth and understanding of yourself.

1.


Appendix D

Thesis Writing Post-Test

Directions: Read the questions about thesis statements and choose the best answer.

1. 1. Why should your thesis statement have multiple “prongs?”

a. So your paper will be long enough.

b. So you can organize your paper by sub-topic as written in your thesis statement.

c. What are prongs?

2. Why is it important to write a well-crafted thesis statement?

a. So your paper has enough detail.

b. So it is clear to you and your reader what your paper is about.

c. So your instructor knows that you read the material.

Directions: Read the sample thesis statements and circle the best arguable thesis statement.

1. Smoking is bad for people’s health because it causes cancer and other deadly diseases. –or—

E-cigarettes are a healthy alternative to smoking and can assist those who smoke traditional

cigarettes to quit smoking permanently.

2. Mrs. Ramsey from Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse” is a paradoxical character because of her

competing ideas of traditional family life and the roles of men and women in society. –or—The

character of Mrs. Ramsey from Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse” is one of the most

complex characters in modernist literature because her ideas are strange.

3. T.S. Eliot’s poems are the best example of modernist thought because he expresses the horrors

of World War I. –or— T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Wasteland” illustrates a modernist shift in

societal attitude from one of carefree living to one of hopelessness and innocence lost through

his use of World War I imagery and metaphors.

Directions: Write a full, arguable thesis statement based on the prompt: Describe a talent or

skill that makes you feel confident and helps you achieve your personal goals.

1.


Appendix E

Thesis Writing Rubric/Self-Assessment Checklist

4 = Exemplary 3 = Meets 2 =Just Misses 1 = Deficient

1. My thesis statement is arguable 4 3 2 1

2. My Thesis statement clearly makes my claim. 4 3 2 1

3. My thesis statement has enough 4 3 2 1

“prongs” or evidence.

4. My thesis statement answers a question. 4 3 2 1

5. My thesis statement tells the reader 4 3 2 1

the significance of the subject matter.

6. My thesis statement is the roadmap of my paper. 4 3 2 1


Appendix F

Post Study Student Questionnaires

Thesis Writing Student Questionnaire: Post-Study

Identify how confident you are in writing thesis statements

Strongly Agree Agree

Uncertain/ Do Not

Understand Question

Disagree Strongly Disagree

1. I do not know what a thesis statement is

2. I am unsure how to start writing a thesis statement

3. I cannot write an arguable thesis statement

4. I cannot organize all necessary points of a full thesis statement

5. I am very confident that I can write a full, arguable thesis statement

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