Using the collaborative strategic reading strategy to improve seventh graders’ reading comprehension in Arabic: A pilot study

Abstract

This research investigates seventh grade Arabic-speaking background students' participation in a pilot study that used the collaborative strategic reading (CSR) strategy to improve their reading of Arabic. It responds to students' learning in a diglossic context where students prefer to read books in French or English, and where teachers generally use a traditional approach to teaching reading comprehension. Comparison is made between one group of students who were trained in and used CSR with a second group that continued in the traditional teaching situation. Implementation of CSR was shown to have a positive influence on students' reading comprehension test results and issues are raised in relation to changing the effects of diglossia through changes in pedagogy, including improving the design of curriculum and resources to create greater access to interesting literature in Arabic. This includes teachers taking a more active role in guiding their students in choosing Arabic literature and categorising them into themes, reading levels, and developmental levels. Further research is recommended on the effectiveness of CRS over a longer period of time, especially with respect to monitoring whether students continue to implement the strategies they have learnt on a long-term basis. The research also highlighted the need to investigate these students' attitudes towards Arabic language and reading in Arabic in considering the importance of language and reading to their education as a whole.