ERIC Number: EJ1489758
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1057-3569
EISSN: EISSN-1521-0693
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Beyond Effectiveness: Understanding Social Validity in Reading Intervention Research
Sarah Stebbe Rowe1; Dana M. Baker2; Andre R. Dupret1; Ryan M. Fila1; Shelby R. Howard1; Trista Chen1
Reading & Writing Quarterly, v41 n5 p412-428 2025
Selection and implementation of evidence-based reading interventions is a complex process that requires careful consideration of factors such as intervention effectiveness and social validity. Social validity refers to how key stakeholders, including teachers, students, and parents, perceive the goals, methods, and outcomes of an intervention. Despite decades of research advancing evidence-based practices, a persistent research-to-practice gap remains, and assessment of social validity is frequently overlooked in educational research. This systematic literature review examined the extent to which social validity has been measured in reading intervention studies published between 2011 and 2023 across seven high-impact journals. Of the 146 reading intervention articles reviewed, only 20 (13.7%) reported social validity, with most data collected post-intervention from teachers. Common social validity assessment methods included questionnaires, surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Findings highlighted the role of social validity data in shaping study purpose, fidelity assessment, results, and recommendations. This review underscores the need for increased collection and integration of social validity measures and discusses implications for reading intervention researchers and practitioners.
Descriptors: Reading Research, Intervention, Reading Instruction, Validity, Evidence Based Practice, Journal Articles, Evaluation Methods
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Information Analyses; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI, USA; 2Fairleigh Dickinson University, Teaneck, NJ, USA

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