Stage 2 Registered Report--You've Got Some Explaining to Do: Effects of Explanation Prompts on Science Text Comprehension

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Stage 2 Registered Report--You've Got Some Explaining to Do: Effects of Explanation Prompts on Science Text Comprehension
Language: English
Authors: Kathryn S. McCarthy (ORCID 0000-0002-6277-7005), Scott R. Hinze (ORCID 0000-0001-7351-5521)
Source: Applied Cognitive Psychology. 2025 39(4).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 15
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Scientific and Technical Information, Reading Comprehension, Reading Strategies, Cues, Program Effectiveness
DOI: 10.1002/acp.70093
ISSN: 0888-4080
1099-0720
Abstract: The use of active comprehension strategies that encourage students to explain what they have read can improve students' comprehension of complex scientific texts. Most research has focused on either strategies that are engaged during reading (online) or those used after reading (offline)--often ignoring potential interactions that might occur in authentic learning. This study used a 2 (online: think-aloud, self-explain) × 3 (offline: reread, free recall, explanatory retrieval) design with a 7-day delayed comprehension test to examine how explanatory prompts might affect comprehension. Analyses from this Stage 2 Registered Report revealed a main effect of online condition, but no main effect offline condition. This was qualified by an interaction such that retrieval of any kind supported the comprehension benefits of self-explanation. These findings highlight the importance of considering how comprehension strategies interact and the conditions under which they are most effective.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/4hbwk/?view_only=
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1481566
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The use of active comprehension strategies that encourage students to explain what they have read can improve students' comprehension of complex scientific texts. Most research has focused on either strategies that are engaged during reading (online) or those used after reading (offline)--often ignoring potential interactions that might occur in authentic learning. This study used a 2 (online: think-aloud, self-explain) × 3 (offline: reread, free recall, explanatory retrieval) design with a 7-day delayed comprehension test to examine how explanatory prompts might affect comprehension. Analyses from this Stage 2 Registered Report revealed a main effect of online condition, but no main effect offline condition. This was qualified by an interaction such that retrieval of any kind supported the comprehension benefits of self-explanation. These findings highlight the importance of considering how comprehension strategies interact and the conditions under which they are most effective.
ISSN:0888-4080
1099-0720
DOI:10.1002/acp.70093