Evaluation of Quest
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN78027416 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN78027416 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | N/A |
- Submission date
- 16/10/2014
- Registration date
- 04/12/2014
- Last edited
- 09/08/2017
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Quest has evolved out of a project called Reading Edge, a computerised reading programme (intervention) that has been used in the United States. It is designed to help struggling readers in early secondary school improve their literacy (reading and writing skills). Pupils are grouped together according to their reading skills, with those furthest behind in the smallest groups. Teaching includes cooperative learning (people working together in groups). Children who are struggling the most with their literacy also receive computer tutoring and one-to-one teaching tailored to meet their own needs (individualised teaching). The programme will run over a whole school year. There is already some evidence that the approach as applied by Quest does work, but it has yet to be tested in the UK. Here, we will test the Quest programme with Year 7 children in England.
Who can participate?
Year 7 pupils (11-12 year olds) in a state secondary school in England.
What does the study involve?
Schools are randomly assigned to either teach Year 7 English using Quest (intervention), or using their usual methods (control) for one school year. Children being taught by the Quest programme are regularly accessed and moved into different groups depending on how they are progressing. The success of the programme will be assessed though a literacy test taken by all the children in the study.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Anticipated benefits of taking part are improvements in literacy. Teachers in the control group will continue to teach the Year 7 curriculum as usual. There are no anticipated risks to participating.
Where is the study run from?
Queen's University Belfast (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2013 to December 2014
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Dr Andy Biggart
Contact information
Scientific
School of Education
Queen's University Belfast
20 College Green
Belfast
BT7 1LN
United Kingdom
Study information
| Study design | Cluster randomised controlled trial |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet |
| Scientific title | Cluster randomised controlled trial evaluation of Quest |
| Study acronym | N/A |
| Study objectives | What is the impact of the programme, at post-test, on reading outcomes for participating students? |
| Ethics approval(s) | School of Education Research Ethics Committee, Queens University Belfast and the Ethics Committee of the Department of Education, University of York, 17/04/2013 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Improving reading outcomes |
| Intervention | Schools taking part in the study are randomly allocated to teach English using the Quest programme (intervention) or teach English by their usual means. Quest is a literacy programme in which pupils are groups according to their reading skills, with smaller classes for those furthest behind. Teaching includes an emphasis on cooperative learning, with computer tutoring and individualised teaching. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | Literacy - measured using the New Group Reading Test at end of school year. |
| Secondary outcome measures | N/A |
| Overall study start date | 01/01/2013 |
| Completion date | 30/12/2014 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 2400 pupils in 30 schools |
| Key inclusion criteria | Year 7 pupils in 30 state secondary schools |
| Key exclusion criteria | Not a pupil in Year 7 in a state secondary schools in England |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/01/2013 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/12/2014 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Northern Ireland
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
Belfast
BT7 1LN
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
University Road
Belfast
BT7 1NN
Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/00hswnk62 |
|---|
Funders
Funder type
Government
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Not provided at time of registration |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Not provided at time of registration |
| IPD sharing plan |
Editorial Notes
09/08/2017: No publications found in PubMed, verifying study status with principal investigator.
