Online Research and Comprehension Performance Profiles Among Sixth-Grade Students, Including Those with Reading Difficulties and/or Attention and Executive Function Difficulties

Abstract

<p>This study identified online research and comprehension (ORC) performance profiles of 436 sixth-grade students (206 girls) aged 12–13 years. We included learner groups with different learning-related difficulties and explored how students’ reading habits were represented in various performance profiles. First, students’ ORC performance was examined with a validated web-based assessment measuring their skills in locating, evaluating, synthesizing, and communicating information. Second, reading fluency and teacher-rated attention and executive function (EF) difficulty scores were used to form learner groups: (1) students with reading difficulties, (2) students with attention and EF difficulties, (3) students with comorbid difficulties in reading as well as attention and EF, and (4) students without these identified difficulties. Third, students’ reading habits were assessed with a questionnaire asking how often they read different kinds of texts. Seven ORC performance profiles were identified. Most of the profiles related to the students’ ORC performance level, except the profile of the average performers with low questioning credibility scores. Students with learning-related difficulties were more likely to belong to the lower performance profiles, and all top performers were students without identified difficulties. However, 25.7% of students with reading difficulties and 16.2% of students with attention and EF difficulties performed at average or good levels of ORC. Finally, the frequency of reading longer texts, such as books and blog posts, was more clearly associated with students’ online reading performance than reading shorter texts, such as comics and online forum posts.</p>