Aesthetic Appreciation of a Novel: An Exploratory Study of Contributing Factors

The current research aimed to investigate the impact of integrating pictures-based activities on enhancing reading comprehension skills across different levels: literal, interpretive, and evaluative. The study involved 380 children split into experimental and control groups, with the experimental group (190 pupils) exposed to pictures-based activities, while the control group (190 pupils) was taught conventionally without activities. Findings indicated significantly higher average scores in reading comprehension tests for the experimental group than the control group. Statistical analyses confirmed significant differences favoring the experimental group, demonstrating the effectiveness of pictures-based activities in improving comprehension skills. However, there were no statistically significant differences in performance within the experimental group across different reading achievement levels, suggesting that the benefits of using illustrative pictures were consistent across varying initial reading abilities. Moreover, the study highlighted that integrating pictures-based activities helped narrow the performance gap in reading comprehension skills among children, particularly benefiting those with lower and average reading achievement levels. This empirical evidence underscores the importance of visual aids in early childhood reading materials to support comprehension development. Based on these findings, the study recommended integrating pictures-based activities in early childhood reading textbooks. It also emphasized the need for effective training of early childhood educators in designing and implementing such activities to optimize their impact on children's reading comprehension skills.

Reading comprehension skills among Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners play a vital role in educational development, enabling individuals to understand various forms of written information. This study shed light on the profile of ALS Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) learners and their reading comprehension skills. It highlighted the significant differences based on profile variables and identified their challenges in developing reading comprehension skills. The proposed project offered a comprehensive approach to enhance reading comprehension among ALS A&E learners. This study utilized a descriptive method, involving a sample of 90 ALS A&E learners from various ALS centers. Data were collected through survey questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics were employed to provide statistical descriptions of the variables and indicators studied. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the study’s respondents were predominantly teenagers and young adults, with a noticeable lack of middle-aged adults. Moreover, female respondents exceeded male respondents, and most of the respondents came from low-income households. The respondents agreed on the importance of further enhancing reading comprehension skills among ALS learners. Furthermore, the study indicated that factors such as age, sex, and socioeconomic status had minimal or insignificant influence on the reading comprehension skills of ALS learners. The research also identified challenges faced by ALS learners in their pursuit of improved reading comprehension skills, emphasizing the necessity for specialized reading-focused sessions to effectively address the challenges and enhance these skills.

The present study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) on enhancing English reading comprehension skills and metacognitive awareness among first year English Department students at the Faculty of Education. It was a one group pre-, post-test, quasi- experimental design. The participants were thirty-eight first year English Department students at the Faculty of Education, Aswan University. The instruments were an English reading comprehension skills test and a metacognitive awareness scale for assessing the experimental group’s reading comprehension skills and metacognitive awareness before and after the experiment. The researcher taught reading comprehension passages to the experimental group by using the DRTA. The obtained data was statistically treated by using the SPSS. The results revealed that the experimental group’s reading comprehension skills and metacognitive awareness were enhanced as a result of using the DRTA in teaching them reading comprehension. Therefore, the DRTA was found to be effective in enhancing reading comprehension skills and metacognitive awareness among first year English Department Faculty of Education students. المستخلـــــص القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير لتحسين الفهم القرائى والوعى ما وراء المعرفى لدى طلاب شعبة اللغة الانجليزية بکلية التربية هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى فحص اثر استخدام القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير فى تحسين الفهم القرائى والوعى ما وراء المعرفى لدى طلاب الفرقة الاولى بشعبة اللغة الانجليزية بکلية التربية. تکونت مجموعة الدراسة من ثمانية وثلاثين طالبا من طلاب شعبة اللغة الإنجليزية الفرقة الأولى بالعام الجامعى 2019-2020. وقد تم استخدام المنهج شبه التجريبى ذى المجموعة الواحدة، کما تم التدريس للمجموعة التجريبية الفهم القرائى باستخدام إستراتيجية القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير. واشتملت أدوات البحث على اختبار مهارات الفهم القرائى باللغة الإنجليزية ومقياس الوعى ما وراء المعرفى الذى تم تطبيقه قبل استخدام القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير وبعدها. وتمت معالجة البيانات إحصائيا باستخدام برنامج (SPSS). وقد أشارت النتائج إلى التحسن الملحوظ فى مهارات الفهم القرائى باللغة الانجليزية والوعى ما وراء المعرفى لدى مجموعة الدراسة بعد إستخدام القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير. وبالتالى ظهرت فاعلية استخدام القراءة الموجهة بنشاط تفکير فى تنمية مهارات الفهم القرائى فى اللغة الإنجليزية والوعى ما وراء المعرفى لدى طلاب الفرقة الاولى شعبة اللغة الانجليزية بکلية التربية.

The lack of instructional resources and reading comprehension skills in Araling Panlipunan education resulted in significant learning gaps among elementary-grade students. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in closing these gaps in Araling Panlipunan among fifth-grade students. The experimental sampling method research design was utilized through tutorial classes where the respondents received differentiated instruction based on multiple intelligences and learning styles. Aiken's V coefficient method and Cronbach's alpha were used to ensure the validity and reliability of the research instrument. The validation process achieved a result of 0.92, which signifies high validity. Additionally, the reliability test used Cronbach's alpha, obtaining a score of 0.60. The results indicated significant progress in the experimental group's performance in reading comprehension skills after implementing differentiated instruction. The experimental group's mean post-test score, 16.10, suggests an outstanding level of performance. This underscores the effectiveness of differentiated instruction in enhancing reading comprehension skills among Grade 5 pupils. Hence, educators are encouraged to utilize differentiated instruction to enhance the learners' reading comprehension.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the Herringbone technique in improving reading comprehension skills among class XI students. The research followed a quasi-experimental design, with an experimental group receiving instruction using the Herringbone technique and a control group receiving traditional instruction. Pre-test and post-test assessments were conducted to measure the participants' reading comprehension abilities. The results indicated a significant improvement in the reading comprehension scores of the experimental group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that the Herringbone technique is more effective than traditional methods in enhancing reading comprehension skills. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of incorporating interactive and collaborative instructional approaches in English language teaching to foster critical thinking and deeper understanding of texts. Future research should explore the long-term effects and applicability of the Herringbone technique in diverse educational contexts. Overall, the Herringbone technique shows promise as an effective approach to enhance reading comprehension instruction and support language development among students.

This study examines the impact of Duolingo on enhancing reading comprehension skills among young EFL learners. With the increasing integration of technology into education, particularly digital platforms like Duolingo, there has been growing interest in the potential of these tools to optimize language acquisition. A randomized controlled intervention study was conducted with 150 middle basic education students in the Guayas province, divided into a control group and an experimental group. The latter used Duolingo for 60 minutes daily in addition to following the standard curriculum activities. The results, analyzed using statistical tests in Jamovi (a free and open-source software for data analysis and statistical testing), revealed improvements in the reading comprehension scores of the experimental group compared to the control group. The findings highlight Duolingo’s effectiveness as a supplementary tool for enhancing reading comprehension and expanding vocabulary acquisition.

PurposeThis study investigates user preferences for motivational features aligned with self-determination theory (SDT), emphasizing autonomy, relatedness, and competency. The study seeks to identify the most appealing and effective motivational features in AI-driven mobile apps for fostering autonomy, promoting relatedness, and enhancing feelings of competency in the context of reading comprehension.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a mixed-methods research design based on the self-determination theory, the study used triangulation of methods to enhance the research findings' quality, completeness, validity, and understanding.FindingsBoth qualitative and quantitative findings showed similarities in the emphasis on personalization, progress tracking, social interaction, gamification, differences in specific feature preferences, and nuanced recommendations, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive and user-centric development approach.Research limitations/implicationsThe study design and sample size might constrain the statistical power and generalizability of the results. The study used a convenience sample of students from one school.Practical implicationsThe synthesis of findings suggests the need for a comprehensive development strategy that incorporates both the commonalities and nuanced recommendations from qualitative and quantitative data. Combining the strengths of both findings, a holistic user-centric approach that integrates personalization, progress tracking, social interaction, and gamification is crucial for effective app development. Recognizing that individual preferences may vary, developers should consider tailoring features to accommodate a range of user needs, as indicated by qualitative and quantitative insights.Originality/valueThis comprehensive approach contributes to advancing knowledge in AI-driven mobile applications and their impact on student motivation and reading comprehension in the Philippine context. Also, it provides valuable insights for designers and developers, contributing to creating engaging and user-friendly platforms that enhance reading comprehension skills.

Where creativity meets aesthetics: The Mirror Model of Art revisited with fMRI.

Translanguaging has recently emerged as a prominent field of study. Despite its growing popularity, its impact on students’ reading comprehension skills remains largely unexplored. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design to examine the impact of translanguaging on students’ reading comprehension performance. The study also examined students’ perceptions of translanguaging to gain a deeper understanding of translanguaging’s potential impact. Data were gathered through pre-and post-tests, questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations. A sample of 56 Bhutanese school students (33 males, 23 females) were purposely recruited and divided into two groups: the experimental and control groups. The experimental group was taught using the translanguaging approach, while the control group followed a monolingual approach. The findings, based on the comparison of pre-and post-test scores between the two groups, revealed that the translanguaging group significantly outperformed the monolingual group in their post-test scores despite a negligible difference in pre-test scores. This suggests that translanguaging could be an effective teaching approach to enhancing students’ reading comprehension skills. Furthermore, despite the dominant position of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in the context, most students perceived translanguaging as an effective pedagogical practice. They reported that it allowed them to freely use their language repertoire to discuss and learn new vocabulary and difficult content, improved their confidence to participate in classroom discussions, and enhanced lesson comprehension. This study concludes with practical implications and suggestions for future research.

This study examines the effects of metacognitive awareness on the reading comprehension skills of Grade 7 students at Odiongan National High School, Odiongan, Romblon, addressing a crucial gap in existing literature. With reading comprehension skills being fundamental to academic success, understanding the role of metacognitive awareness becomes imperative. Grounded in Flavell's Metacognition Theory, this research aims to investigate the level of metacognitive awareness and its effects on reading comprehension skills with a descriptive-causal approach. Methodologically, a quantitative approach was used, utilizing reading comprehension assessments alongside a modified Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) adapted from Schraw & Dennison (1994). Using a four-point Likert-type rating scale questionnaire, students rated their metacognitive awareness, divided into Metacognitive Knowledge (MK) and Metacognitive Regulation (MR). Metacognitive knowledge encompasses declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge, while Metacognitive Regulation involves planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Using stratified random sampling, 198 respondents were selected out of 401 Grade 7 students, preceded by a pilot study with 20 respondents to refine research instruments and assess the validity and reliability. Furthermore, data were collected, processed, and analyzed using a statistical tool called Multiple Linear Regression. The results show that metacognitive awareness is positively correlated with the reading comprehension skills of Grade 7 students. This suggests the pivotal role of metacognitive awareness in enhancing reading comprehension skills.

This study investigates the effectiveness of the digital reading platform ReadWorks in improving the reading comprehension skills of high school students. A within-subject design was employed, wherein students experienced two phases of treatment: the use of conventional teaching methods and the application of the ReadWorks platform, with a washout period in between to minimize carryover effects. The research was conducted with second-grade students at SMA Negeri 16 Samarinda, using a standardized reading comprehension test to assess performance. Paired samples t-tests were utilized to analyze the data. The findings revealed a significant improvement in students' reading comprehension scores when using the ReadWorks platform compared to conventional methods. The statistical analysis shows that the p-values for both the experimental group (p = 0.000) and the control group (p = 0.000) are less than the significance level of 0.05, leading to the rejection of the Null Hypothesis (H0) and acceptance of the Alternative Hypothesis (Ha). These results indicates that the ReadWorks platform is effective in enhancing reading comprehension skills among high school students. The study contributes to the growing body of literature advocating for the integration of digital tools in education to improve student learning outcomes.

Reading comprehension is one of the language skills needed in processing the language, especially in comprehending information. Despite its importance, many of the students failed to perform comprehension skills well. Some of the reason was their lack of language proficiency and unsuitable approaches used by the teachers. Technology has been in favours among teachers and students in teaching practices, especially the use of multimedia because it has proven to help them in learning the language. Thus, this study aimed to find out indigenous students’ perception of multimedia learning as an approach to enhancing their reading comprehension skills. Besides that, the alluring features of multimedia learning have ignited the need to explore its potential in helping indigenous students learn comprehension skills better. This study relied heavily on the questionnaire to obtain comprehensive data from the students. The surveys employed four sections that covered attention, motivation, relevance, and satisfaction. The findings showed the students agreed that multimedia learning is the right approach in enhancing their reading comprehension skills. Despite that, some of the students disagree with the use of audio elements in multimedia learning as it hinders the learning process.

The research reported in this thesis examines the impact of the Corrective Reading program on a national standardised reading comprehension test of ‘at risk’ students in Year 7 to Year 9 enrolled in a secondary school in Brisbane, Queensland. Previous studies focussing on Corrective Reading have established the positive impact on reading sub-skills, however, only a few studies have attempted to measure the effect of the program on reading comprehension assessed via standardised testing. Effective reading comprehension skills are critical for success at school and in the workforce. Yet, there are significant international findings which suggest that reading skills in Australia and many other western countries are declining which is a cause of concern for all educational stakeholders and the wider community. This concern has fuelled debate amongst academics and teachers of reading as to the most effective methods for teaching reading; the disputes on the issue have now captured the broader community through mainstream media. This study is quantitative in nature and applies a quasi-experimental methodology to compare the NAPLAN reading results of 22 students who have completed the Corrective Reading program compared to a non-randomised control group of 212 students who did not undertake Corrective Reading. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyse and discuss the impact of the program. Descriptive statistics provide a summary of the data through measures of central tendency, variability and spread. Inferential statistics test the hypothesis that participation in the program will lead to improved reading scores by calculating the effect size of the program on the NAPLAN reading results for targeted students from Year 7 to Year 9. The results of this research demonstrate that Corrective Reading does have a statistically significant positive effect on the standardised test results for reading with a degree of confidence of 95%. The effect size, or magnitude of this significance, represents a strong impact on improving the reading comprehension skills of students in Junior Secondary. This research contributes to the ongoing contention about reading intervention programs by providing a deeper understanding of the role that Direct Instruction can play in enhancing reading comprehension skills. The findings of this study provides evidence and insights that are useful to staff of the school where the study was undertaken. Other schools interested in ways to improve the reading results of their ‘at risk’ students in Junior Secondary may also find this study advantageous. School leaders may determine the discussion and reflections on the study relevant from an instructional leadership lens.

This research aimed to enhance reading comprehension among tenth-grade students at SMK Wahid Hasyim. They faced challenges with understanding English texts, including a limited vocabulary, low scores, and a general lack of interest in English reading materials. This research focused on enhancing reading comprehension skills in narrative texts through comic strips. The study involved 33 students from the Office Management and Business Services program and used a collaborative Classroom Action Research (CAR) design. Various instruments, including modules, observation sheets, field note, and questionnaires, were employed, with collaboration from the classroom English teacher. Conducted in two of cycles planning, implementing, observing, and reflecting. The research showed initial results with 24.24% of students meeting the mastery level. After revising the instructional materials, the second cycle showed a significant improvement, with 90.91% achieving a perfect score. These findings demonstrate that comic strips are effective in improving reading comprehension among tenth graders, confirming their potential as valuable educational tools.

In the educational realm, all stakeholders must take part in the overall well-being of students, regardless of their age, economic status, abilities, and individual uniqueness. Teachers are at the forefront of keeping the process going; parents are on the side, especially when supplemental assistance must be provided to the learners. This study aimed to understand home follow-ups in support of classroom-based remediation in enhancing reading comprehension skills through the lived experiences of five parents involved in their child’s learning. The study was anchored on the data gathered through a semi-structured interview to deeply understand the parents’ side on this topic. Through an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis qualitative approach, the researchers divulged how parents’ involvement takes hold of their child’s performance in school. In this paper, five superordinate themes with corresponding sub-ordinate themes were determined: the spectrum of parents’ impressions on the idea of classroom-based remedial sessions; help given at home through follow-up sessions; reasons of parents for stepping up and taking extra actions; the difficulties and challenges encountered; and the essence of home follow-ups to the students’ holistic being. The experiences of parents revealed that home follow-ups positively impact the child, and this is a practice every parent must endeavor.