The Effectiveness of Graphic Organizers for Three Classifications of Secondary Students in Content Area Classes

Abstract

The purpose of the Interventions section of the journal is to provide professional practitioners with overviews of successful interventions that can be replicated with individuals with learning disabilities. These interventions can be either physiological or psychoeducational and can occur in school settings, clinics, hospitals, homes, communities, or employment sites. The discussion of these interventions generally includes (a) the theory or rationale of the interventions, (b) previous research findings, (c) characteristics of the individuals receiving the interventions, (d) the intervention that was applied, and (e) the criteria used to evaluate its success. In the first article, Steven V. Horton, Thomas C. Lovitt, and Donna Bergerud of the University of Washington describe the effectiveness of graphic organizers. In the second article, Bernadette Kelly, Russell Gersten, and Douglas Carnine of the University of Oregon describe the importance of curriculum design in teaching fractions. It would appear that careful attention to the use of graphic organizers and a well-designed curriculum can be beneficial in helping students with learning disabilities learn in content area classes and in mathematics, respectively.—JLW Previous research concerning the graphic or visual display of information with academically handicapped students has not addressed the instructional conditions that exist in mainstream settings. This article investigates the effectiveness of graphic organizers for three classifications of secondary students enrolled in content area classes: students with learning disabilities, remedial students, and students in regular education. The results of three separate experiments indicated that graphic organizers, whether teacher-directed, student-directed with text references, or student-directed with clues, produced significantly higher performance than self-study for each group of students. Several practical issues involving the use of graphic organizers with heterogeneous groups of secondary students are discussed.