132
5
.
2
.
Reading Scores
Question Two examined whether there was a significant difference in the
subjects’ reading scores across the two dictionary types, PD and CD
.
The subjects’
scores in both conditions were statistically examined and compared to yield clear
insight into how dictionary type affects the
degree of comprehension
.
Table 5 reports on the reading scores of subjects in both conditions
.
Box plots
for the distribution of subjects’ reading scores are set in Figure 21
.
The means and
standard deviations of the subjects’ reading scores as well as the lowest and highest
scores recorded in both reading conditions are presented in Table 6
.
The subjects’
individual scores regarding each question in the reading tests are detailed in
Appendices E and F
.
133
Table 5 Subjects’ Reading Scores in
PD and CD Conditions
S
PDS
CDS
S
PDS
CDS
1
6
6
23
8
9
2
6
6
24
9
8
3
6
9
25
8
8
4
6
9
26
6
6
5
6
2
27
6
6
6
6
8
28
8
7
7
3
4
29
9
9
8
6
9
30
4
2
9
7
5
31
7
9
10
4
6
32
6
6
11
6
3
33
3
7
12
4
5
34
4
8
13
8
7
35
4
6
14
5
5
36
4
8
15
5
2
37
4
6
16
3
6
38
6
7
17
2
5
39
6
3
18
9
6
40
8
5
19
6
3
41
6
6
20
8
5
42
5
6
21
6
7
43
8
9
22
5
3
44
5
8
Note
.
S= Subjects, PDS= Reading scores in PD condition, CDS= Reading scores in
CD condition
.
134
Since the scoring scheme for each reading condition was set at a 10-point
scale, producing parallel box plots using IBM SPSS seemed to be feasible
.
Therefore,
the distribution of the subjects’ reading scores in PD and CD conditions are visually
summarized and compared in parallel box plots in Figure 21 below
.
Figure 21
.
Box plots for subjects’ reading scores
in PD and CD conditions
As shown in Table 5 on the previous page, the subjects’ reading scores in CD
and PD conditions ranged from a minimum score of 2 points to a maximum score of 9
points
.
Twenty-one subjects scored better in reading with access to a CD, whereas 14
subjects achieved better scores reading under the PD condition
.
The reading scores of
the remaining nine subjects were the same whether in CD or PD
.
135
The parallel box plots in Figure 21 indicate that the middle half of the
subjects’ reading scores in PD condition fall between 4
.
25 and 7 points, whereas the
middle half of their reading scores in CD condition fall in the range of 5 to 8 points,
with a median of 6 points in each condition
.
In addition, comparison of sections in the
two box plots indicates that the third quartile of PD reading scores has the same shape
of variability as the second quartile in CD reading scores, with PD and CD
distributions ranging from 6 to 7 points and from 5 to 6
points respectively
.
Similarly, we notice that most of the reading scores in the CD condition (75
%) seem to fall in the upper part of the box plot, ranging from 5 to 9 points, which
suggests a positive skew in the distribution of scores in the CD condition
.
Moreover,
the long lower whisker in the CD box plot means that subjects’ reading scores are
varied amongst the low-performing quartile group whose scores range from 2 to 5
points, and very similar for the high-performing quartile group whose reading scores
range from 8 to 9 points (upper whisker)
.
Descriptive statistics for the subjects
reading scores are set in
Table 6 below
.
Table 6 Descriptive Statistics for Reading Scores
in PD and CD Conditions
Paired samples statistics
Variable
Total
observations
Mean
Std
.
deviation
Minimum
Median
Maximum
PD
CD
44
44
5
.
84
6
.
14
1
.
751
2
.
075
2
2
6
6
9
9