Analysis of proofreading methods used by sophomore language arts students

Abstract

The problem in this study involved a comparison of papers written by sophomore students in a Language Arts class, using the AN%VA statistical analysis. Papers were compared after proofreading--one group proofread their own papers and another had a classmate proofread for them. The purpose of the study was to determine whether one method of proofreading would produce a paper of fewer errors than the other method. The method in which students had a classmate proofread for them was proven to be the most effective. All groups, including the control group were similar in number of errors per paper: 1) the control group, 8.8; 2) the self-proofreading group, 7.7; 3) the outside proofreading group, 8.4. After treatment, the self-proofreading group had 4.8 errors per paper, and the outside proofreading group had 2.1 errors per paper, a significant difference. Although self-proofreading did decrease the number of errors by 2.9 per paper, the difference in the outside proofreading group produced a more significant decrease of 6.3 errors per paper.