DOCUMENT RESUME ED 098 530 CS 001 451 AUTHOR Smith, Bonnie TITLE Critically Reading for PropagandaTechniques in Grade Six. PUB DATE Oct 74 NOTE 93p.; N. Ed. Thesis, Rutgers University,The State University of New Jersey EDRS PRICE 810-$0.75 BC-$4.20 PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS *Critical Reading; *Critical Thinking;Elementary Education; Elementary SchoolStudents; Information Utilization; Persuasive Discourse;*Propaganda; Reading Comprehension; *Reading Skills;Teaching Techniques; Unit Plan ABSTRACT This study was devised to determinewhether teaching a unit on propaganda analysis to sixth graderswould improve their ability to detect propaganda devicesin literature and thesass media. An experimentalgroup of students participated in a four week unit on propaganda techniques whilea control group completed reading comprehension exercises. A PropagandaAnalysis Test and the Ohio State University Critical ReadingTest were administered as pretests and again at the completion ofthe propaganda unit to bothgroups. On the propaganda test,a significant gain was found between thepretest and posttest scores for the experimentalgroup, but not for the control group. No significant gainfrom the pretest to the posttest was found for either group on the criticalreading test. The experiment seems to indicate that sixthgrade students are able to recognize and differentiateamong the seven types of propaganda following the teaching ofa propaganda analysis unit. (TO) S DEPARTMENT OP HEALTH. EDUCATION wELP AR E NATIONAL INSTITUTE OP EDUCATION TRis DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCE° :EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN AT INc. IT POINT .OF vIEW OR OPINIONS St AT ED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE AVAILABLE SENT lo; I ICIAL NAT IONA- INSTITUTE OF BEST COPY EDUCATION POsIT,ON OR 00t. ICY CRITICALLY READING FORPROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES IN GRADE SIX A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THEFACULTY OF THE GRADUATESCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY THE STATE UNIVERSITYOF NEW JERSEY 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISCOPY. BY RIGHTED MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDDy Bonnie Smith BONNIE SMITH TO ERIC AND ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING UNDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NATIONALIN. STITUTE OF EDUCATION FURTHER REPRO. IN PARTIALFULFILLMENT OF THE (=RON OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM RE. QUIRES PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT OWNER" REQUIREMENTS FOR THEDEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY OCTOBER,1974 APPROVED: DEAN: TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES Chapter I. THE INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem 2 Imprvtance of the Study 3 Definition of Terms 3 Overview of the Study 4 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 6 Critical Thinking and its Relationto Critical Reading 6 Critical Reading and its Partin the Reading Program 10 Propaganda and its Influenceon Children's Lives 15 Institute for Propaganda Analysis 19 Elementary School Reading Program 20 Sunimary 27 III. PROCEDURE 28 Population of the Study 28 Research Design 29 Construction of the Propaganda Analysis Test 30 Ohio State University CriticalReading Test 30 Comprehensive Test of Basic'Skills 32 Selection of the Tests 33 Administration of the Tests 33 Development of the PropagandaUnit 34 ii iii TABLE OF CONTENTS(Continued) Chapter Page Statistical Designor Treatment of the Data 35 Summary 36 IV. FINDINGS AND DISCUSION 37 Hypothesis I 37 Hypothesis II 42 Hypothesis III 44 Discussion 50 Discussion in Relation to the Review of the Literature 51 Summary 54 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 55 . Summary 55 Limitations ,.... 56 Suggestions for FurtherResearch 57 VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY 59 VII APPENDIXES 63 A. Table I The Ohio State UniversityCritical Reading Test Means and StandardDeviations 64 Table II Coefficients of Reliabilityfor the Ohio State University CriticalReading Test 65 B. Unpulished Tests 66 C. Published Tests 67 LIST OF TABLES" Table Page 1. Comprehension of Mean Scoresof the Comprehen- sive Tests of Basic Skills.Form Q, Level 2, Reading 31 2. Pre-Test Resultson the Propaganda Test 38 3. Post-Test Resultson the Propaganda Test 40 4. Comparison of Pre- andPost-Test Results on the Propaganda Test 40 5. Mean Number of CorrectAnswers of Each Idlnt for Each of the SevenPropaganda DevicesOIA the Propaganda Test 41 6. Percentage of Increase inMean Scores for Each Device on thePropaganda Test 43 7. Pre-Test Results of the CriticalReading Test 45 8. Post-Test Rest/ Its of theCritical Reading Test 45 9. Results on the CriticalReading Test 46 10. Correlation of the Scores ofBoth Sampleson the Propaganda Test, the CriticalReading Test. and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills..... 47 11. Correlation of the Scoresfor the Control Groupon The Propaganda Test,the Critical ReadingTest, and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills 48 12. Correlation of the Scores forthe Experimental Group on the Propaganda Test. theCritical Reading Test, and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills 49 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Schema for Thinking 7 _i CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Critical reading. even though consideredan important part of the total readingprocess, has generally been a neglectedarea in elementary schools.Studies have shown, however. thatit can be taught in the early primary grades(Wolf, Huck, King, 1967). Leo Fay pointed out that: "Actually childrenat ages well before those at which they enter schoolare able to make valid judgments in relation to their experiences andtheir maturity levels"(Painter, 1968). There seems (to be) considerable evidencethat reasoning ability does not appear suddenlyat 3 or 6 or 12 but is a gradual growth, with irregular advances on different areas.The total reaction involved in solving problems is recognizably presentin 4 year old children(Russell, 1961, g. 462). Eller (1968) stresses the importance of criticalreading in our daily lives.He feels that for an American citizento be reason- ably well-informed about social, culturaland governmental affairs. he must constantly evaluate hissources of information.He must be aware of the seductive nature of current advertising; and he needs to be correct in his conduct of daily affairs, sinceerroneous infor- mation is available on a diversity of subjects. 1 2 According to Spache (1963),propaganda analysis is the most sophisticated reading skill.The Institute of Propaganda Analysis (Doob, 1966) has cited a list of seven propaganda techniques which. because of its dramatic value. can be used in initiating school programs in critical reading and cr.' I thinking.Nardelli (1957) has provided experimental evidence that these skills can be taught in the intermediate grades. Statement of the Problem This study was devised to determine whether teaching a unit on propaganda analysis to sixth graders will improve their ability to detect propaganda devices in literature and the mass media. Specifically, there will be a significant difference in the gain scores on the informal Propaganda Teat between the experimental group taught a propaganda analysis unit and the control group. There will be a significant difference in the gain scores on the Ohio State University Critical Reading Test, Part 1, between the experi- mental group and the control group.Also, there will be a signi- ficant correlation between the scores on the Propaganda Test and the Ohio State University Critical Reading Test. 1 3 Importance of the Study Few studies have been madein the area of propagandaand critical reading skills in theintermediate grades.This paper pro- vides an investigation of whetherthese skills can be taughtat the intermediate level. Definition of Terms Critical Reading Test refersto the Ohio State University Critical Reading Test, 1967,Intermediate Form.This test was de- veloped to be used withstudents in grades four, fiveand six.A 4.0 reading level isnecessary to master the general readingmechanics of the intermediate form. Critical Reading- Some definitiions are quite narrow and some are all inclusive.Spache defines criticalreading as the fol- lowing: (critical reading is)...more than literal readingor a simplescertaining of facts,more than the sum of skills involved Inworktype reading-skillsor judging the accuracy andrelevance of materials.... Critical readingmay involve making judgments and inferences, distinguishingbetween fact and opinion, recognizing the author'spurpose or point of view and other types of high levelcomprehension.Upon occasion, it may employone or more of these types of comprehensionor analysis.But over and above these, comprehension andstudy skills, critical reading involvesan active integration of the author's facts and the reader's insightsinto a new under- 4 standing and interpretation of the material(1983, pp. 82-83). Critical Thinking is "the process of examiningboth concrete and verbal material in the light of relatedobjective evidence, comparing the object or statement withsome norm or standard, and concluding or acting upon the judgmentthen made"(Russell, 1956, p. 285). Propaganda as defined by the Institute forPropaganda Analysis (Bressler, 1959, p. 19) is "an expressionof opinion or action by individuals or groups deliberately designedto influence opinions or actions of other individuals orgroups with reference to predeter- mined ends." Propaganda as used in this study willbe limited to the definition and understanding of theseven techniques identified by the Institute Of Propaganda Analysis. Propaganda is the test devised by the author to examine the ability of sixth grade studentsto differentiate be- tween the seven propaganda techniques. Overview of the Study Chapter Two consists of a review of criticalreading and thinking in the intermediate grades.It discusses