Hypothesis

Hypothesis & Testing

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HYPOTHESIS

"Online book clubs may be a motivating factor for preteens and teens to sustain and encourage their voluntary reading of books and other print and multimedia as they move through adolescence."

Was it tested properly?

"The 20 middle and high school adolescents who participated in these Read and Talk Clubs were overwhelming voluntary, avid readers." NOT ENOUGH PARTICIPANTS) "We share details from two clubs that were offered by HCL during summer 2007 and spring 2008." DETAILS, NOT DATA; THE AUTHORS ONLY SUMMARIZED WHAT WAS DONE IN EACH BOOK CLUB "We offer the following suggestions for mentoring teens in the development of online book clubs." SUGGESIONS ARE OFFERED BUT THE CONCLUSIONS ARE NOT BASED ON A REAL RESEARCH METHOD. THERE ARE NO VARIABLES, GROUPS, OR MULTIPLE FORMS OF DATA THAT CAN SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION OF THE AUTHORS.

How should it have been tested?

#1

There needs to be a clear research design. Mixed-method would work well. More teen and pre-teen participants are needed in multiple public libraries, both those who voluntarily participate in the online book club and those who do not. An experimental group should be developed, consisting of the teens who participate in the online book club, and a control group (those who do not).

Data Collection

#2

Data needs to be collected in order to test the hypothesis. Data should consist of surveys/questionnaires to assess reading habits, attitudes towards reading, and tech use before and after the study period. Participants can also track their voluntary reading using reading logs, and interviews and focus groups can be conducted to gather qualitative data on participants' experiences and motivation.

Data Analysis

#3

Quantitative Analysis-Use statistical methods to compare the reading habits of the experimental and control groups to determine if there are statistical differences in reading frequency and amount. Qualitative Analysis-Analyze interview and focus group data to identify themes related to motivation and engagement in reading.