Reading Strategy Instruction Research Articles

From Teacher Beliefs to Practices: Unpacking the Benefits and Barriers of Extensive Reading Programmes in Macau Secondary Schools

Extensive reading entails language learners’ independent reading of abundant materials suitable for their proficiency levels. Previous studies have revealed extensive reading as effective for improving various aspects of second language (L2) proficiency. However, many Macau secondary schools have cancelled or reduced their extensive reading programmes (ERPs), prompting the need for a qualitative study to comprehend these modifications. In this case study, five L2 English teachers from different Macau secondary schools shared their beliefs and practices during semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed all teachers supported incorporating extensive reading in their respective English curriculums; they believed students’ engagement in ERPs enhanced reading fluency and comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and L2 learning motivation and confidence. However, the teachers also believed restricted time and unengaged students hindered the ERPs. The schools’ possible misinterpretations of extensive reading and their potentially unrealistic expectations regarding short-term returns against limited investment in extensive reading may have contributed to the abandonment or reduction of ERPs. To engage students in ERPs, schools should allow students to choose their own reading materials, reduce the emphasis on extensive reading tests, incorporate more intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, and consider combining extensive reading with reading strategy instruction.

Cognitive and Metacognitive Reading Strategies for Ethiopian Students in English as a Foreign Language

Purpose. This study's purpose is to investigate the effects of explicit cognitive reading strategy training on reading performance and metacognitive reading strategy awareness of Grade 9 students of Heto Secondary School at Hosanna Town, 232, south-west of Addis Ababa. Methodology. For this quasi-experimental study, two parallel home-made tests, a pre-test and a post-test administered before and after the intervention, respectively, and a metacognitive reading strategy awareness questionnaire were used. Data were gathered from 100 participants of experimental and control groups, 50 students from each group, before and after 14 hours strategy training within 12 weeks. SPSS, version 25, was used to analyse data. Independent Samples Test to compare groups, and Paired Samples Test to compare variables/scores of the groups were employed during analysis. Results. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the pre-test and the post-test scores of reading performance (p=.000) of each group. However, the Experimental Group made an increment in reading performance, whereas the Control Group made the opposite, a decrement in reading performance. The relationship of both groups was strong and positive. However, neither group showed significant changes in metacognitive reading strategy awareness. Conclusion. The study concluded that explicit cognitive reading strategy instruction empowered students to outperform reading comprehension and vice versa, though it did not change students’ strategy awareness. This implies that concerned bodies should give due attention to enhancing the explicit approach to cognitive reading strategy teaching.

THE EFFECT OF EXPLICIT STRATEGY-BASED INSTRUCTION ON MOROCCAN EFL UNIVERSITY LEARNERS’ USE OF METACOGNITIVE EVALUATING STRATEGIES (RECALLING AND SUMMARIZING) IN READING ENGLISH (L3) WRITTEN TEXTS

This study, derived from one of the major sections of my unpublished doctoral dissertation tackling the correlation between explicit training in cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies (CMRSs) and EFL reading achievement in tertiary education (Defended in 2015), is an endeavor to reveal the perceived effect of metacognitive evaluating strategies (MESs) instruction on Moroccan English Department learners’ strategic reading behavior. Targeting 113 EFL university learners (experimental group: n=63; control group: n=50), the study explores the impact of explicit metacognitive intervention on the learners’ recourse to recalling and summarizing, as metacognitive reading strategies (MRSs) tapped for assessing their understanding of the EFL textual input. To collect the relevant data, explicit reading strategy instruction (ERSI), reading comprehension texts (i.e., narrative, expository), narrative and expository reading tests, and a retrospective questionnaire (RQ) were relied upon. The results evince that, whilst the experimental group (n=63) advanced at the level of both metacognitive evaluating strategies use and text summary-related scores, its counterpart (control group) in the control condition did not reveal any marked increase in the application of the targeted metacognitive evaluating strategies (MESs) and the scores pertinent to text-based summary performance across the pre-post-test stages. Accordingly, a corpus of relevant recommendations and implications are discussed, and a few limitations are set forth.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0799/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Teaching Reading Strategies and Challenges in the New Normal: Context of a School District in Northern Luzon

The strategies in teaching reading and challenges encountered by teachers are influenced by a number of interrelated factors. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches through the descriptive and comparative methods, this study determined the level of utilization of teaching reading strategies by teachers in pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading. It also examined whether there exists a significant difference in the level of utilization when responses are grouped according to grade level and school classification. Moreover, the study brought out the challenges encountered by the elementary teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings showed that the level of utilization of teaching reading strategies along pre-reading, while-reading and post-reading is moderate. Further, there are no significant differences in the level of utilization of the teaching reading strategies when grouped according to grade level. and school classification. The challenges encountered included limitation of assistance and teaching time, transportation of teachers for their home visitation, pupils’ lack of interest, lack of assistors/guidance from the family, and lack of supplementary reading materials at home. From these, it could be concluded that the teaching of reading is greatly affected by the pupils’ circumstances.

The interplay between teacher beliefs, instructional practices, and students’ reading achievement: national evidence from PIRLS 2021 using path analysis

BackgroundReading and reading comprehension are crucial skills, yet many students in grade 4 struggle with them. To address this, several instructional practices have gained popularity. For one, explicit reading strategy instruction (ERSI) is deemed useful, given the finding that successful readers tend to employ reading strategies. As a second example, differentiated reading instruction (DRI) is believed to improve all students’ reading comprehension. Indeed, a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for all students, considering their different reader profiles. Despite the importance of ERSI and DRI, much uncertainty remains about what happens in the classroom and why. One way to understand teacher instructional practices such as ERSI and DRI, is by applying psychological behavioural theories to the teaching context. They provide a framework to predict human behaviour based on human characteristics and beliefs. Educational research points to teachers’ self-efficacy (TSE) and attitudes (TA) as particularly important concepts, especially in the field of science. However, associations between TA, TSE, instructional practices and students’ reading achievement remain insufficiently studied. This study addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the interplay between TSE and TA regarding ERSI and DRI, the implementation of these practices, and students’ reading achievement.MethodsDigitalPIRLS 2021 data from Belgium (Flanders) were used. To gather information about ERSI, DRI, TA and TSE, national adaptations were made to the teacher questionnaires. Three nested path models with a two-level design (students nested into classes) were estimated.ResultsThis study indicates that teachers with higher TSE and more positive TA in ERSI and DRI implement these practices more frequently. Positive TA regarding ERSI and DRI also correspond to positive TSE regarding these instructional practices. Furthermore, ERSI and DRI implementation are positively related. Finally, no significant associations between teacher beliefs, instructional practices, and students’ reading comprehension were found.ConclusionWhereas TSE and TA are considered highly context-dependent, uncertainty remains about TSE and TA regarding ERSI and DRI. The results highlight the importance of subject-specific TSE and TA for teachers’ instructional practices. Ultimately, the findings emphasize the necessity of supporting teachers in developing their TSE and TA towards reading comprehension instruction.

글의 길이와 내용, 학생 상하 수준에 따른 고등학생의 문장 중요도 평정 차이

Purpose: This study analyzed differences in high school students’ rating of sentence importance depending on text length, content, and the students’ proficiency level(upper and lower), aiming to improve the teaching and the learning of reading. Methods: A test was conducted with 173 high school students in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam province. Based on the test, an analysis was performed to examine how text length and content affect the rating of importance. Additionally, participants were divided into two groups based on their proficiency levels in rating sentence importance — upper and lower — and the effects of variables within each group were analyzed. Results: First, text length revealed a statistically significant difference in students’ importance rating scores. Second, concerning content, no statistically significant difference was observed in the scores. Third, dividing participants into upper and lower proficiency groups based on the mean score showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups. Fourth, regarding text length, students in the upper group exhibited a superior ability to rate sentence importance in shorter passages compared to longer ones, and this difference was statistically significant. In contrast, for the lower group, no statistically significant difference was observed depending on the text length. Consequently, it was determined that students in the lower group face challenges in rating sentence importance regardless of text length. Fifth, concerning content, no statistically significant differences were observed in importance rating abilities for both upper and lower groups. Nevertheless, upon calculating effect sizes, it was discerned that students in both groups exhibited comparatively higher abilities in passages related to humanities than those related to the Natural Sciences. Conclusion: Students’ proficiency in rating sentence importance varied depending on the length of the text, while no significant difference was observed concerning the content. The upper and lower groups showed a great disparity in proficiency, and the variables that caused statistically significant differences varied depending on the proficiency level. These findings show that it is important to adjust the length and content of texts to match students’ proficiency levels when teaching reading strategies such as sentence importance rating. Furthermore, the introduction of sentence importance rating method, which visually illustrates the reading process, into teaching and learning can contribute to enhancing students’ reading abilities.

Explicit reading strategy instruction in an online reading classroom

Explicit reading strategy instruction in an online reading classroom

RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM IN ELEMENTARY READING USING BLENDED LEARNING: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY

Reading is important because it develops your mind and gives you excessive knowledge and lessons of life. It helps you understand the world around you better. It keeps your mind active and enhances your creative ability. Reading improves your vocabulary and develops your communication skills. It helps you learn how to use your language creatively. Not only does it improve your communication but it also makes you a better writer. Good communication is important in every aspect of life. The ability to read is an important skill in today’s modern world where so much information is transmitted in written form. People must have reading skills whether they are in school or not. This is a challenge to teachers at the elementary level on how they nurture learners to learn proper reading in their respective grade levels. This need is evident as educational studies on how to teach reading in a specialized classroom setting like the elementary classroom that indicated that teachers do not spend enough time teaching reading strategies determined that teachers often have only limited knowledge about how to teach reading strategies and tend to draw from what they learned in their own school experiences when comprehending texts. Strategies such as summarizing or asking questions are commonly used by teachers to assess reading comprehension, but they are rarely taught how to improve it. Indeed, on an overall basis, reading instruction in a regular classroom setting often fails to reflect scientifically-based practices. Lack of student interest and motivation can be quite a challenge for teachers to combat. KEYWORDS: Reconstruction, program, elementary, reading, blended, learning, qualitative

The The Impact of Overt Strategy Instruction in EFL Classrooms on Reading and Listening Achievement

Language learning strategies may have a key role in foreign language learning because they may foster learner autonomy and motivation. Keeping the learner-centred nature of language learning strategies in mind, this study set out to understand the impact of overt listening and reading strategy instruction on learners’ listening and reading achievement. The study employed an explanatory mixed-method research design. Research instruments were reading and listening achievement tests and semi-structured interviews. The treatment involved overt listening and reading strategy instruction that lasted for four weeks. The findings revealed that overt listening and reading strategy instruction fostered learners’ reading and listening achievement. Similarly, semi-structured interviews revealed that learners were willing to transfer the strategies they learned to new learning situations and keep using these strategies in future learning situations.

Solution to Improve English Reading Comprehension Skills for First-Year Non-Specialized Students at Tan Trao University

The increasing importance of English as a global language necessitates the development of robust reading comprehension skills among university students, especially those in their first year. At Tan Trao University, a significant number of first-year non-specialized students struggle with English reading comprehension, which impedes their overall academic progress and limits their access to global knowledge resources. This study, titled "Solution to Improve English Reading Comprehension Skills for First-Year Non-Specialized Students at Tan Trao University," seeks to address this pressing issue by identifying the challenges these students face and proposing effective solutions to enhance their reading comprehension abilities. Drawing upon a comprehensive literature review, this research delves into various theoretical frameworks and previous studies on reading comprehension and second language acquisition. It investigates the specific difficulties encountered by non-specialized students, such as limited vocabulary, lack of background knowledge, inadequate reading strategies, and low motivation. By employing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data from standardized reading tests and surveys with qualitative insights from interviews and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that students' reading comprehension difficulties stem from a combination of internal and external factors. Internally, students often exhibit low self-efficacy and anxiety towards reading in English. Externally, insufficient exposure to English texts, lack of tailored instructional materials, and limited access to reading resources further exacerbate the problem. In light of these findings, the study proposes a multifaceted intervention strategy aimed at improving reading comprehension skills. Key solutions include the integration of extensive reading programs, the use of authentic and engaging reading materials, and the implementation of reading strategy instruction. Additionally, the study emphasizes the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment through peer collaboration, teacher feedback, and motivational activities. To ensure the effectiveness of these solutions, an implementation plan is outlined, detailing steps for curriculum development, teacher training, and ongoing assessment. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on language acquisition but also offers practical recommendations for educators and policymakers at Tan Trao University. By addressing the specific needs of first-year non-specialized students, the proposed solutions aim to enhance their reading comprehension skills, thereby improving their overall academic performance and increasing their opportunities for success in a globalized world. The study concludes with suggestions for further research to explore additional factors influencing reading comprehension and to develop innovative instructional approaches tailored to diverse student populations.

메타인지 읽기 전략 지도가 아랍어 학습자의 읽기 전략 사용과 읽기 능력에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of metacognitive reading strategy instruction on Arabic learners’ metacognitive reading strategy use and reading comprehension. The participants of the study are intermediate Arabic learners in Myongji University and the experimental group was given metacogtnitive reading strategy instruction on planning, monitoring and evaluation strategies. To collect data, metacognitive reading strategy questionnaires and reading comprehension tests were used. The major findings of this study are as follows. First, the result of pre- and post-metacognitive reading strategy questionnaires indicates metacognitive reading strategy instruction was verified to have a positive effect on Arabic learners’ metacognitive strategy use. Second, the results reveal that metacognitive strategy instruction improved Arabic learners’ reading comprehension. The difference between the pre- and post-reading comprehension tests in the experimental group was statistically significant while the control group didn't show any statistical difference.

Exploring the Impact of SCOBA Creation on Language Learners' Reading and Reflective Thinking Skills in Concept-Based Reading Curriculum

A new reading curriculum incorporating the principles of concept-based instruction and reading strategy instruction was designed and implemented for a previous study. Concept-based instruction was compared with reading strategy instruction to determine the impact of the new curriculum on language learners' reading and reflective thinking skills. The data revealed that the concept-based group performed better in reflective reading and thinking skills.
 The new curriculum involves the creation of a Schema of a Complete Orienting Basis of an Action (SCOBA) during reflection sessions. To explore the necessity of SCOBA creation, an experimental study with two groups was conducted, where only one group created a SCOBA. Both groups received concept-based reading instruction and were compared based on their reading, reflective reading, and reflective thinking skills. The data revealed that the groups performed similarly in reading and reflective reading skills, but the SCOBA group performed better in reflective thinking skills. The study sheds light on the importance of incorporating reflective thinking activities, such as SCOBA creation, in concept-based reading instruction.

Teaching Strategies and Their Effects on Reading Comprehension Performance of Junior High School Students in Inclusive Classroom Setting

Comprehension is the basic condition for meaningful reading. The current quantitative study conducted in the English language context explored the effect of teaching reading strategies on the reading comprehension of junior high school students with a sample size of 30 in an inclusive classroom setting. The findings revealed that majority of the students were at the ages 14 to 17 years old, females, parents’ income ranging from ₱9,520 - ₱19,040 with an educational background at the high school level. The Effective Instructional Methods were more highly utilized than the cooperative learning strategies. Both reading comprehension levels during the pre-test and post-test belonged to the proficient level. There is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test scores (t = 7.417; p>0.05) of the reading comprehension performance of the respondents. On the other hand, there is no significant relationship (r = 0.158; p>0.05) between the post-intervention and the extent of varying teaching strategies. Findings indicate that teaching reading strategies have a positive impact on the reading comprehension of students at the junior high secondary level. The study has important implications for teachers, students, curriculum planners, policymakers in the field of education, and school heads.

Reading Level Vis-À-Vis Academic Performance in English of Grade 6 Learners in Subic District

This study was conducted to determine the Reading Level and Academic Performance of Grade 6 Learners in Subic District. The unit of analysis of the study was the 30 grade six Teachers of the said school who serve as respondents. This study focuses on the Reading Comprehension Level and Academic Performance of Grade 6 students in Subic District. The descriptive correlational research method was used in this study. To obtain the needed data the researchers administered a survey questionnaire to identify the challenges and strategies of Teachers in Teaching Reading which consisted of 30 items and collect the Academic Performance in 1st – 4th Quarter grades and Final average in English Subject. Aside from that the researcher collects the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory or Phil-IRI result of Grade 6 Students in School Year 2021-2022.The data were tabulated, analyzed and interpreted. The statistical tools employed in this study were the percentage, weighted mean and pearson (r).
 Based on the Findings, the researcher concluded the following: A typical teacher in the Grade 6 level in Subic district schools is a female mid-adult, married, has been in service to the Department of Education for at least half a decade with a general elementary education degree. The level of competencies that pupils have in letter recognition, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension; The teachers-respondents agreed that in the use of teaching reading strategies they have procedures and challenges encountered that they have remedies or strategies to address the challenges. There is a correlation between the learner’s learning competencies and teachers’ challenges and there is a significant relationship between reading level and academic performance in English of grade 6 Learners in selected schools of Subic District, Division of Zambales.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of reading comprehension interventions in the South African multilingual context

ABSTRACT International comparative measures show that South Africa has extremely low standards in reading. A variety of programmes aimed at boosting reading have been developed, however, the effectiveness of these programmes is unclear. Prior reviews of effective reading instruction practices have focused almost exclusively on learners whose first language and language of instruction is English. This paper reviews evidence from 17 intervention studies which focused on the teaching of reading comprehension in the distinctive multilingual context of South Africa. Although in line with prior reviews, we found some evidence that reading strategy instruction including vocabulary development are features of successful interventions alongside effective teacher education and resourcing of reading. These findings remained inconclusive due to variability in the quality of research, considerable methodological variations of the studies and the limited number of studies. Research in this field requires a more rigorous scientific approach to improve the evidence base.

Three-phase model for teaching reading strategies in higher education

Importance. Reading in higher educationis aimed at preparation for interaction with authentic materials in professional settings. Therefore, there is a need to develop practice-oriented skills within the learning process, which requires making adjustments to the generally accepted model of organizing reading tasks. The purpose of the study is to adapt the three-phase model of text work to the use of metacognitive reading strategies in higher education.Research Methods. Based on the analysis of scientific literature, the conditions for organizing work within the three-phase model were determined, its functional components were identified. The way of progressive integration of four reading strategies into this model was designed with taking into account their role in the realization of functional components.Results and Discussion. Procedural functions reflecting the communicative goals of each stage were identified for each stage of the three-phase model: motivational-informational, interpretive, and reflective. Four reading strategies were integrated into this continuum. The list of strategies includes: previewing, which allows assessing the relevance of the material without direct interaction with the text; skimming, which serves as a way of determining the structure of the text; scanning, which is used for highly accurate understanding of the semantic elements of the text; and the K-W-L table, which is used for retroflexive analysis of the information learned from the text.Conclusion. The three-phase model of reading allows integrating strategies without considerable structural changes. At the same time, the use of the indicated strategies leads to the expansion of potentially forming reading skills during task completion.

The Impact of Peer-Collaborative Strategic Reading and Reflective Journal Writing on Orchestrated Reading Strategy Use and Comprehension

Research indicates that reading strategy instruction improves comprehension. Conceptualizing strategy training as mediating reading strategy use through collaborative and reflective practices, the present study examined the combined effect of peer-collaborative strategic reading and reflective journaling on strategy use and comprehension. Data were collected from 72 ninth-grade participants, employing a pretest-posttest comparison group design, through Reflective Journals, Reading Comprehension Test, and the Survey of Reading Strategies. The experimental group (n=36) participated in strategy training, while the comparison group (n=36) had regular study hours. Reflective journals show that the experimental group improved in rationalizing the conditional knowledge of strategies, using strategy clusters, employing responsive actions, specifying the details of strategy use and verbalizing the reading process. Findings also indicate that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group in post-test in comprehension and frequency of strategy use. The findings imply that reading strategy instruction models and teachers can increase the collaborative and reflective nature of strategy training to develop students’ strategic reading and comprehension.

Preparing Pre-service Teachers to Teach Reading Strategies within a Mixed Reality Simulation Environment

As a language teacher, teacher educator and researcher, to me the name Rebecca Oxford has always been synonymous with language learning strategies across the world and specifically the theme of its teachability. Rebecca has always stated that the language teacher’s role includes strategy instruction even if it achieves only partial success. Research has focused almost exclusively on how reading comprehension strategies, the focus of this study, can be taught to learners, but the preparedness of pre-service teachers to teach reading strategies has seldom been the focus within initial teacher education programs. The purpose of this study was to determine participants’ perceptions of teaching within a mixed reality simulation environment with a specific focus on the explicit instruction of reading comprehension strategies. A case study approach was utilized, and ten second-year pre-service teachers enrolled for the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree as well as one mentor teacher and one teacher educator were purposefully selected to participate in the study. The results indicated that the themes corresponded with the activities during the different stages of a mixed reality simulation action review cycle and included show and tell, collaborative brainstorming, deconstruction of the core teaching practice, anxiety and disbelief, pause and redo, coaching and feedback and focused reflection.

Teaching critical reading in the classroom: A comparison of CLIL and EFL across contexts

Critical reading (Fairclough, 1989, 1995; Kress, 1985; Wallace, 2003) is considered to be one of the instruments that gives the necessary resources to construct meaning in discourse. This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test post-test design on students in the 6th year of primary education (10-11 years old) enrolled in two schools in Spain, one school located in the Basque Country (Content and Language Integrated, CLIL group) and the other in Cantabria (English as a Foreign Language, EFL group). Altogether four groups were selected: CLIL-experimental, CLIL-control, EFL-experimental and EFL-control. The experimental groups received critical reading strategy instruction for seven weeks while the control groups continued with regular classes. The one-way ANCOVA results showed that students in both the CLIL and EFL programmes developed greater mastery in critical reading after the teaching protocol. However, and contrary to our initial hypothesis, experimental students from the EFL context outperformed the CLIL learners. The novelty of the critical reading awareness protocol seemed to have a greater influence on the EFL students, who, unlike the CLIL students, were not so familiar with strategy learning. The new training procedure helped them to promote higher order critical reading skills, taking more advantage of the whole strategy learning protocol.
 

Using Instructional Reading Strategies to Prepare ESL Students for Academic Life

Using Instructional Reading Strategies to Prepare ESL Students for Academic Life