The Effects of Dual Coding Theory on Social Studies Vocabulary and Comprehension in Elementary Education

The goal of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the effects of Dual-Coding Theory on domain-specific vocabulary and comprehension in a 5th grade social studies classroom. The pretest/posttest design research was conducted in a rural elementary school (N = 49). Twenty-three students participated in an intervention of dual-coding based strategies. This study sought to determine if the instructional strategies that incorporated dual coding were more effective than traditional social studies strategies to promote domain-specific vocabulary learning and academic achievement. In addition to the measures for vocabulary and comprehension, students completed a motivational questionnaire on their view of social studies to ascertain if their motivation and enjoyment changed after the experiment. ANCOVA analyses showed consistent, statistically significant results indicating that dual coding strategies benefitted students in the area of academic achievement. Dual coding strategies appeared to have had a positive impact on student vocabulary learning and academic achievement.