A study examined in detail the initial encoding of worked-out examples of mechanics problems by "good" and "poor" students, and their subsequent reliance on examples during problem solving. The subjects, three males and five females, were selected from responses to a university campus advertisement. Six of them were working…

Contends that composition studies risks a detrimental borrowing of prestige from science, a borrowing that is not only potentially misleading but also too limiting if it draws attention away from the broad spectrum of considerations inherent in composition studies. (RAE)

Replies to Steinberg's article on protocol analysis in this issue and argues that even if the writing process is a problem-solving process, it is too complex to analyze sufficiently using protocols. (SRT)

This paper reports the results of a think-aloud study that investigated the comprehension processes of 10 Chinese English as a Second Language college students as they read texts in English. All participants were asked to read two English passages and think aloud as they read them. After reading each passage, the students answered 20…

This paper addresses how rereading can improve comprehension of second language college texts, describing a pilot study that examined what happens when people reread. The study involved two female Japanese college students enrolled in a U.S. university. The women were asked to do think-aloud protocols while individually reading a section of an…

The purpose of this paper was to investigate how young (second grade) L2 readers constructed intertextual meaning and how to relate their conceptions or beliefs about reading to their intertextuality. L2 readers who moved to America might be influenced by their cultural background which might further affect their reading processes. Though current…

Reacts to a new methodology: consensual qualitative research (CQR). Provides an outline of the historical debate on psychological research methods, explains the distinction between discovery-oriented and verification-oriented research, and labels the CQR approach as a discovery-oriented design. Questions the CQR's emphasis on consensus and…

Describes one element of the reading act as it operates in time--how "good-enough" readers of complex fiction strike a personal balance between the need for momentum and the need for accountability to the text. Draws from protocols provided by 33 readers, from eighth grade to Ph.D. level, following two readings of a novel. (PA)

Describes research techniques in chemistry education that are based on listening to learners. Gives a brief history of think-aloud techniques and works through an example study to show considerations that must be made when doing this kind of research. Issues raised include conceptualization of research studies, preparation for their…

Focuses on the validation of a writing strategies questionnaire and presents the various stages in the validation process. The questionnaire was validated using a qualitative and quantitative method with two groups of participants from the target population--advanced nonnative speakers of English. (VWL)

Presents a study examining the effects of using pen and paper and word processing on planning processes. Results show that writers using word processing alone: (1) planned less overall; (2) planned less before beginning to write; (3) did less conceptual planning; and (4) did more sequential or local planning. (RAE)

Contrasts the monitoring strategies secondary students employ in analytic and summary writing about reading. Finds that both high- and average-ability student writers employ a wide range of metacognitive strategies in writing, and that students vary those strategies both across writing tasks and at different points within the writing process. (MS)

Investigated the relationships between cognitive activities and text quality using think-aloud protocols. Found that some cognitive activities appeared to be relatively restricted to the first part of the writing process, whereas others dominated at later stages. The relationships between text quality and cognitive activities seemed to depend on…

Conceptualizes self-reports of communication as a type of account, and conducts interviews based on H. A. Simon's protocol analysis technique with participants in an organizational simulation. Finds that participants used a wide variety of resources to account for their communication with others. Discusses implications for the use of self-report…

Strategy use and its impact on standardized reading test performance were studied with 128 high school students. Students in a standardized test condition used more strategies than those asked merely to identify main ideas. Thinking aloud had detrimental effects on ability to identify main ideas. (SLD)