Impacts of Action Research-oriented Upgrading Training on Initial and Early Reading Comprehension Performances of Students

Abstract

This article reports impacts of action research-oriented upgrading training given to teachers on early reading performances of Grades 2 & 3 students. Initially a baseline assessment was conducted to determine the initial reading performances of the students, and a survey was conducted to identify the training and experience teachers had in teaching initial and early reading skills. Based on the findings of the baseline assessment and the survey made, a training module was prepared focusing on the nature of teaching of initial and early reading skills, and initial up-grading training was given for nine days. Six months later, impact assessment of the initial training was conducted to see improvements in students’ reading performances, and school visits were made to see changes of initial and early reading teaching practices and to investigate further training gaps that teachers might have needed. The training module was revised based on the feedbacks received from the initial impact assessment and the observations made. Based on the noticed training gap, refreshment training was given for the same teachers for five days. Six months later, an overall impact assessment was conducted to see an overall reading skills improvement of the students because of the trainings the teachers received. The finding shows that students’ reading performances greatly improved because of the action research-oriented up-grading trainings. Percentages of Grade 2 students who failed to identify alphabets (62.6%) and who scored zero in early reading comprehension test (47%) reduced to 34.4% and 38.3% after the initial training, respectively, and dropped to 1.3% and 29.8% after the refresher training. Similarly, percentages of Grade 3 students (49.15%) who failed to read common words in the textbook dropped to 14.5% and 6.9% after the initial training and the refresher trainings, respectively.