Where and when did I find it: I found this in the article, “Applying content study skills in co-listed reading classrooms” (1990).
What it means: The author defines person variable as “an awareness of self as a reader and awareness of the reading process” (Davis, 1990, p. 279). The author divides studying into two different components, “State variables...relating to student and the material” (Davis, 1990, p. 279).
Full citation: Davis, S.J., (1990). Applying content study skills co-listed reading classrooms. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 33(4), 277-281.
Level of familiarity: I am not familiar with this specific term, however; I am familiar with the concept of students being self-aware and recognizing and having metacognitive awareness of the reading process.
Do I want to know this word well and if so, why?: Yes, this is an important term to know, since it is important for the individual to know how they perceive themselves as a reader, and their awareness of the reading process. In addition, it is essential for a student’s teacher to know how the student sees themselves. This is a concept literacy specialists and teachers strive to help students achieve because the person variable, and their awareness of this have many implications in the student’s ability to continue to become literate. For example, if the student is not metacognitive in the reading process, but views themselves as a “good reader,” my role as a literacy specialist would be to encourage, support, and teach the student to become more self-aware as a reader and the reading process. I think self-awareness is the one of the essential, gateway concepts for learning.
Do others need to know this word well, and if so, why?: All learners, teachers, and literacy specialists need to know this concept extremely well. The student’s and teacher’s recognition of the person variable are necessary for the other state and processing variables included in Davis’ (1990) study to support and enhance the student’s likelihood of being able to achieve academic success.
I think it is interesting that this article was written before the phrase "student-centered learning" hit the mainstream. I wonder if the authors were writing this today if they would call this variable the "student variable" versus the "person variable"?
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