Akula PhD ELE EFL University Developing academic reading skills through strategy training Presentation Introduction Description of the study Theoretical framework Tools used and the data reflection grids interview pre test post test ID: 263603
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Slide1
Sruti Akula (PhD ELE) EFL University
Developing academic reading skills through strategy training Slide2
Presentation
Introduction
Description of the study
Theoretical framework
Tools used and the data (reflection grids, interview, pre test, post test)
Interpretation of the data
Findings
Conclusion
Implications Slide3
Introduction
The study argues that
Explicit strategy instruction needs to be exploited as a valuable teaching/learning tool
Self reflection grids, enabling self evaluation
, (thereby raising meta-awareness) enhances reading comprehension and helps struggling readers to become efficient readersSlide4
The Study
Location: Kakinada A.P.
Target group: undergraduate science students
Focus: Reading strategies
Strategies are conscious techniques used intentionally to solve problems encountered while reading
e.g. skimming, scanning, inferencing, predictingSlide5Slide6
Description of the study
Why
reading strategies?
Readers at the undergraduate level
need to be self-dependent
There is a need to read beyond the
textbooks
It was observed that learners don’t
use reading strategies effectively
Inadequate reading skills seem to hinder academic progressSlide7
Description of the study
Duration-18 hours spread across 12 days
Target group
15 undergraduate science students
Science students as these skills are needed for reading scientific texts (e.g. summarizing, note-taking, note-making)
Intervention
To develop academic reading skillsSlide8
Description of the study
Materials
6 units
Each unit focuses on a reading strategy
Unit consists of reading texts and tasks
Scientific Texts- from popular science
Approach- interactive, task-based discussions
Here, the reading process, appropriate strategy used is more important than arriving at the right answer
Slide9
Unit was divided into A pre-task discussion about the strategy in use, the nature of the texts and tasks
Completion of the tasks
Post task discussion about the
reading processes and strategies used
Filling the reflection gridsSlide10
Theoretical framework
The study operates on the premise that reading is a process involving the use of strategies that can be developed through sustained teaching and practice
Explicit strategy instruction contributes significantly to reading proficiency
Focus and methodology of the intervention carried out for the present study (
diagrammatic representation
) Slide11
Reflection grids
Purpose of the grids
Capturing strategy use
Reflection, self-evaluation
Awareness raising
Grids
had statements that aimed at capturing the reading process, strategy use
6 grids were used for 6 unitsSlide12
Reflection grids
Some statements were common in the grids used while the rest were specific statements focusing on strategy in use
General statements
dealt with aspects like:
Schema/back ground knowledge
Reading style, process (reading at a slow pace; predicting the content from the title; using repetitive ideas, linkers to understand text organization; drawing inferences)Slide13
Reflection grids
Use of L1 while reading in L2
Dealing with unfamiliar words
Specific statements
were about aspects like
Reading style (skipping parts of the text, rereading, reading in chunks)
Note making techniques (underlining key points) Slide14
Structured interview
Responses
Predicting saves time
Using background knowledge made reading effective
Awareness about text organization helped me improve my reading comprehensionSlide15
Structured interview
Underlining key points was helpful in capturing the gist of the text which in turn helped in competing tasks
Skipping and reading in chunks saved time improving reading speed
Note making tables helped while summarizing
Rereading to understand the text better Slide16
Pre test
A Pre-test aimed at assessing learners’ reading proficiency was administered
It had reading texts followed by MCQs, tasks on information transfer, comparing two texts on the same topic and answering short answer questions.
The mean of the pre-test scores of 15 selected students was
50.9% Slide17
Post test
The post-test aiming at assessing the result of the course and learners’ achievement.
It had pre-reading, while reading
and after reading activities/tasks
The mean of the post-test is
66%
Though the tasks were of a higher order when compared to the pre-test there was improvement in the meanSlide18
Interpretation
It is widely agreed that strategies play a crucial role in developing reading skills and that strategy training techniques produce effective readers suggesting that
strategies should be taught explicitly
Given below is the list of strategies most preferred by the target group in the order of priority
Guessing the meaning of the unfamiliar words from the context (100%)Slide19
Interpretation
Predicting what the text is about by looking at the title (95.8%)
Underlining the key points while reading (87.5%)
Rereading the text several times going back and forth to understand the text better (80%)
Reading the text word by word at a slow pace to enable understanding (64%)
Drawing inferences from the text with the help of the clues provided by the writer (61%)Slide20
Interpretation
Trying to link new ideas presented in the text with existing knowledge while reading a text on a familiar topic (57%)
Skipping some parts of the text that are not needed (53%)
Looking for repetitive ideas and words to understand the connection between different parts of the text (53%)Slide21
Interpretation
Taking the help of linkers to understand the way text is organized and to get a clear idea about arguments developed in the text (50%)
Reading the entire text quickly once to get the gist and then reading paragraph by paragraph for deeper meaning (50%)
Reading in chunks (47%)
Strategies related to using L1 while reading in L2 were least preferred Slide22
Findings
Explicit strategy training
can be done through reading tasks, awareness raising discussions and reflection grids
It enhances the academic reading skills of the students, improves reading fluency, and builds their confidence to read and comprehend academic texts
Awareness raising
using grids and discussions led students to reflect on their reading processes (meta awareness) Slide23
Conclusion
A specially designed course in strategy training results in improved reading performance
Self-reflection and self-evaluation enable learners to become better readers Slide24
Implications of the study
Reflection- for the learners as well
Teacher- action research
Teacher education- course design Slide25