Goal frame for historical explanations: Goal, Plan, Action, Outcome slots¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 2 claims (2 for) · 1 study (1 theoretical), q1 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The Goal frame is an abbreviated story grammar adapted for history text, with four slots assumed to constitute the "main ideas" of an historical explanation. The Goal is the desired state sought by the main character; the Plan is the cognitive strategy for attaining it; the Action is overt behavior in response to the Plan; and the Outcome is the consequence of the Action, which may satisfy or fail to satisfy the Goal. Each slot can be instantiated at any level of detail, and the frame is intended to apply to most interpretations of history because historical events are explained in psychological terms with human beings as agents of change.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• An explanation of an historical event answers the frame slot questions: what was the Goal, the Plan, the Action, and the Outcome with respect to the Goal

Constraints¶

• The frame is intentionally very general so it can be applied to a wide variety of history texts

Target Learners¶

• elementary and secondary students reading history and social studies textbooks

Target Learning Objectives¶

• comprehending and remembering historical explanations in content area text

Claims¶

• Fifth-grade history textbook excerpts largely fail to answer the frame slot questions, presenting detailed action but missing main ideas [+W]
• Narrative memory is superior when content follows stereotypical story grammar structure, and goal information is critical to comprehension [+M]

Related Theories¶

• Problem/Solution frame as a variation of the Goal frame for history text
• Goal-Action-Outcome frame: explanations of many historical events have a generic structure of goal, action, and outcome

Examples¶

• Make frame slot content and relationships explicit in historical explanations, especially for younger readers
• Frame-aided writing procedure for authors of historical explanations
• Teach students to use frame slot questions as a reading, studying, and self-monitoring tool

Key Sources¶

• Armbruster, B. B., & Anderson, T. H. (1982). Structures for Explanations in History Textbooks or So What If Governor Stanford Missed the Spike and Hit the Rail? (Technical Report No. 252). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED218595