The Effect of the Critical Literacy Approach on Pre-service Language Teachers’ Critical Reading Skills

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to measure the effect of the critical literacy approach on pre-service language teachers’ critical reading skills. The critical reading skills measured consisted of six levels: interpretation, analysis, inference, evaluation, explanation, and self-regulation. Research Methods: This study was designed as a quasi-experiment which involved 56 pre-service teachers studying at the Indonesian Language Teaching Department, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Indonesia. Research data was collected using a critical reading test. Prior to the study, a package of instructional materials was developed for the experimental group. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and ANCOVA test with pretest scores as the covariate. Significance level was determined at = .05. Findings: The results of the study indicated that the critical literacy approach had a significant effect on the pre-service language teachers’ critical reading skills. The experimental group achieved better at critical reading skills and reached higher post-test scores on average. It indicated that the critical literacy approach had a significant effect on critical reading skills, which include interpretation, analysis, making an inference, evaluation, explanation, and self-regulation. Implications for Research and Practice: Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that the critical literacy approach was effective in improving the students’ critical reading skills. These findings suggest that the process of reading a text critically from the domination perspective can develop students’ critical thinking. Future research could possibly discuss the results of a test conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the critical literacy approach based on gender variables, cognitive ability levels, and reading habit.