A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Fourth-Graders’ Comprehension and Their Reported Strategies for Reading Science Texts

ABSTRACT This convergent mixed-methods study explored the relation between strategies fourth-grade students self-reported to navigate and interpret science texts and their performance on a comprehension posttest. Using Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA), results reveal a higher degree of metacognitive awareness and the ability to orally explain one’s thinking was evident for students who scored higher on the comprehension posttest. Students who had higher comprehension scores were more likely to report how they used the written text and visual representations separately, and in an integrated manner, to comprehend the text. Students who scored lower on the comprehension posttest relied more strongly on decoding and physical tracking strategies to navigate the pages and to interpret the text. This study provides evidence that students could benefit from instruction in disciplinary literacy strategies specific to the complex layouts of multimodal texts, and the unique ways in which visual representations depict information.