Comparative Effectiveness of Context Cueing and Scaffolding Instructional Strategies on Students’ Achievement in English Language Reading Comprehension, with Verbal Ability as a Moderator

Abstract

This study examined the relative effects of context cueing and scaffolding instructional strategies on secondary school students’ achievement in English Language reading comprehension, with verbal ability (low, average, high) as a moderator. A pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design with two treatment groups was used in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangements. The sample comprised 120 students (60 per strategy) drawn from four purposively selected public secondary schools in Odogbolu Local Government Area, Ogun East Senatorial District, Nigeria. Data were collected with the English Language Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (ELRCAT) and the Verbal Ability Test (VAT) and analysed with analysis of covariance (pretest as covariate) and Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons. After controlling for pretest scores, students taught with scaffolding scored significantly higher than those taught with context cueing, F(1, 113) = 14.23, p < .001, partial η² = .11 (adjusted mean difference = 2.52). Verbal ability had a significant main effect, F(2, 113) = 6.50, p = .002, partial η² = .10, with high-ability students outperforming low- and average-ability students. The strategy × verbal ability interaction was also significant, F(2, 113) = 5.49, p = .005, partial η² = .09. Descriptively, the adjusted advantage of scaffolding was 5.27 points for low-ability students and 2.72 for average-ability students, and there was no advantage for high-ability students (−0.43). The findings suggest that scaffolding is particularly beneficial for students of low and average verbal ability, while context cueing performed comparably for students of high verbal ability.