VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ---- rh Leos PHAM THI MINH THUY COGNITIVE READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES: FROM TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES TO THEIR CLASSROOM PRACTICES và việc áp dụng vào thực tiễn lớp học) MA. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231.01 Hanoi, 2024 VIET NAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES ---- oh Ll eos PHAM THI MINH THUY COGNITIVE READING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES: FROM TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES TO THEIR CLASSROOM PRACTICES và việc áp dụng vào thực tiễn lớp học) MA. MINOR THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 8140231. Nguyen Thi Huong Hanoi, 2024 DECLARATION I, Pham Thi Minh Thuy, hereby declare that the thesis titled “Cognitive Reading Comprehension Strategies: From Teachers’ Perspectives to Their Classroom Practices,” submitted for the fulfillment of the Degree of Master of Arts at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, is entirely my own work.
This thesis represents original research conducted under the guidance of my supervisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong. All sources of information and materials used for this research have been duly acknowledged and referenced. Any text, figures, or ideas borrowed from external sources are appropriately cited in the references.
Hanoi, February 2024 Student’s signature Pham Thi Minh Thuy Approved by SUPERVISOR (Signature and full name) Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong Date:. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong, for her invaluable guidance, unwavering support, and insightful feedback throughout the process of conducting and completing this research.
Her expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping the direction of this study. I am also thankful to the faculty members of the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, for providing an enriching academic environment that has nurtured my growth as a researcher. My sincere appreciation goes to the teachers and administrators of the school for their cooperation and willingness to participate in this study. Their insights and contributions have been integral to the collection of valuable data.
I extend my gratitude to my family and friends for their continuous support, encouragement, and understanding throughout this journey. Their belief in my abilities has been a driving force to fulfill my study. ii ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate teachers' perspectives and actual classroom practices in teaching cognitive reading comprehension strategies to non-gifted students at a public high school in Ninh Binh province. All nine English teachers from the school participated in the mixed methods research with questionnaires, observations and interviews as data collection tools.
The results indicated that the cognitive reading comprehension strategies were generally familiar to the teachers, who demonstrated a certain level of awareness regarding their purpose and importance. Among the evaluated cognitive strategies, some were deemed more essential to teach than others. Notably, strategies pertaining to the ‘while reading’ phase were collectively regarded as more significant than those in the other phases. A positive correlation was observed between teachers' beliefs and their self-reported implementation of cognitive reading strategies in the classroom.
This self-reported instruction closely aligned with actual practices, as the strategies reported to be more frequently taught garnered increased attention from teachers during class sessions. Consequently, this study concludes that cognitive reading comprehension strategies contribute to students’ reading comprehension skills, and suggests that there is room for enhancing both teachers' and students’ awareness of effective cognitive reading comprehension strategy instruction. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION 00107. 0 HH HH HH HH ng ii L5) (00.
11 LISTS OF TABLES AND EFIGURES.- -Q- Q ng, vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION. Aim and Objectives of the SfUCỈY.- G5 11121191 TS TH ng ng 3 3. Scope Of the Study 21. Significance Of the SfUỦy.
-- G1 ST ng HH nh tt 4 7. Organization Of the S{UỈY. -- 2c 1112111911111 1H TH TH HH ng 4 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEWW. LH HH rêu6 2.
The nature of reading and reading comprehensIOn. Definitions of reading 00. Definitions of reading comprehenSIOn. Models of reading comprehenSIOI.
-- - c1 TH HH TH HH HH Hy 14 2. Definition of reading strategies. Classifications of reading SfTAt€B1S. Relationship between reading strategies and reading comprehension.
The importance of teaching reading strategies. Cognitive reading SÍTAf€Ø1€S.-- «nh HH TH HH Hàng giàn 21 2. Definition of cognitive reading SfTAt€Ø1©S.- -- se ng re, 21 2. Classification of cognitive reading strategies.
The teachers’ instructional practice utilizing cognitive reading strategies. Correlation between teachers’ perspectives and classroom practices. Previous studies on cognitive reading comprehension sírateg1es. 32 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY.-- HH HH re, 33 iv 3.
The setting of the S{UCỈY.- -G c SH ng TT HH ky 33 3. -- -- s1 TH TH HH ng re 34 3. Data collection 11SfTUTNTIES.s- G5 2s 111691018931 9119 1 9 1 nh ng ng ng giết 34 3. Classroom Obs€TVAfIOTS.
Semi-structured ITf€TVICWS. - ch HH ng TH nh HH hệt 39 3. Data analysis procedure .- Ác 1S SH TT KH HH krry 40 Ea .Ô 41 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS. The teachers’ perspectives on using cognitive strategies.
Teachers’ implementation of cognitive reading strategies in their teaching. 5 «5 + 13 E1 9E ni ng ngư 52 4. Classroom observation TÏndTIØS.- --- --- + + + xxx ng HH giết 55 4. 0 HH ng TH HH nh 58 4.
What are the teachers’ views about cognitive reading strateg1es?. What are common cognitive reading strategies teachers adopt in their teaching?. 62 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION. QUESTIONNAIRE ON READING STRATEGIES.
OBSERVATION CHECKLIST OF COGNITIVE READING kX\).SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (ENGLISH M.SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FOR MAPPING THE TEXT. VII LISTS OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 4. Teachers’ beliefs about the importance of teaching pre- reading strategies 1n COgNitive reading COMPLeheNSION. Teachers’ beliefs about the importance of teaching while- reading strategies in cognitive reading COMpreheNsiON.
Teachers’ beliefs about the importance of teaching post- reading strategies in cognitive reading comprehenSIOH. Teachers’ beliefs about the importance and their self-reported frequency of employing cognitive reading SÍTAf€Ø1©S. cv ng ng re. Most-instructed strategies in comparison with importance rankings.
Correlations between self-reported instruction of reading strategies and actual practice were examined using paired samples anaÌyS1S. Teachers’ actual instruction of reading Sfraf€Ø1€S. Teachers’ familiarity with the concept of cognitive reading strategies. Teachers’ reasons for teaching cognitive reading comprehension i20.43 VI CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the study, including the rationale for the research, the defined aim and objectives, specific research questions, the chosen research methodology, the scope of the study, its significance, and an organizational outline 1.
Rationale Reading is a valuable tool for enhancing success in both social and academic aspects of life. Recognized as a fundamental skill in learning English, reading can presumably open the door to the promising path of lifelong learning for language learners (Lai et al. Therefore, the importance of English reading skills for learners' academic achievement should be acknowledged, leading teachers and researchers to focus on identifying the factors that contribute to successful reading comprehension (Kamhi-Stein, 2003). The act of reading would become devoid of significance and purpose without comprehension.
In order to enhance comprehension, teachers should support learners in comprehending and utilizing reading strategies (Yigiter, Saricoban, & Gurses, 2005). As stated by Oxford (1990), language learning strategies “. are especially important for language “ce learning because they are tools for active, self-directed movement, which is essential for developing communicative competence”. Besides, these strategies are believed to be teachable and efficient for even less successful academic language learners.
Consequently, teachers are strongly recommended to foster students’ ability by equipping them with instruction on reading strategies, which is proved to enhance students’ reading comprehension by over 500 studies in the last twenty-five years (Wellingham, 2007, p. When it comes to the immediate situation of teaching and learning English in Vietnam, reading activities in the traditional classroom largely involve decoding reading texts into words and sentences, thereupon understanding the meaning of the whole text. In reading lessons, students frequently encounter a shortage of reading strategies, leading to lower academic achievements and reduced engagement in learning. The same holds true for students studying at a high school located in Ninh Binh province, especially those in grade 10.
Improving the quality of education involves full appreciation of teachers' ideas, behaviors, and attitudes because these factors bear close relation to teachers’ teaching strategies and shape students' learning environments, accordingly influencing student motivation and achievement (OECD, 2009). Many studies in second language reading instruction, on the other hand, have tended to focus on basic explanations and descriptions of the strategies, rather than going into depth. That is to say, the actual implementation of reading strategies instruction into the classroom activities from a teaching perspective as well as teachers’ beliefs of the importance of these strategies earned less consideration (Hua & Kim, 2008). In addition, Kuzborska (2011, p.
103) observes that substantial contributions to understanding the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices of reading instruction have been made in first language education contexts, whereas there has not been much research in the area of second and foreign language. Moreover, despite the researcher's profound comprehension of the importance of reading strategies as an English teacher, the implementation of these strategies in teaching English reading skills is notably ineffective. For all of the aforementioned reasons, there is absolutely necessity for further investigation into correspondence between teachers’ attitudes towards and their actual instructional practices with regard to reading strategies, particularly cognitive reading strategies. By gaining insights into teachers' beliefs, knowledge, and experiences related to these strategies, potential barriers and opportunities for integrating effective reading comprehension instruction can be disclosed.
It is hoped that this mix methods research on the topic given, namely “Cognitive reading comprehension strategies: from teachers’ perspectives to their classroom practices” will bridge the missing gaps, enriching the incomplete picture. Aim and Objectives of the study e To find out teachers’ perspectives, regarding various aspects, including their familiarity, attitudes, perception of the importance, and challenges in applying cognitive reading comprehension strategies for non-gifted students at a public high school. e To examine to what extent teachers’ beliefs and their self-reported instructional practices of adopting cognitive reading comprehension strategies are in line with the actual implementation. Research questions Based on the theoretical framework proposed, the researcher put forward the following research questions: 1.
What are the teachers’ views about cognitive reading strategies? 2. What are common cognitive reading strategies teachers adopt in their teaching? 4. Method of the study To attain the stated aim and objectives, both qualitative and quantitative methods in which data is collected from questionnaires, observations, and interviews are exploited in this mixed-methods research. At first, all nine English teachers at the chosen school are requested to reflect their views on the significance and practice of teaching cognitive reading comprehension strategies on questionnaires.
Later, each teacher is observed in three forty-five-minute lessons accompanied by semi-structured interviews to get direct information on their actual teaching practices. Scope of the study Many interrelated factors may impact a learner's success or failure in learning a language. Using cognitive strategies in teaching reading comprehension should be considered as one of these variables. This research, however, is limited to the teaching of cognitive reading comprehension strategies by a small group of teachers at a high school in Ninh Binh Province.
Therefore, there is no attempt to generalize the findings. Significance of the study The study coincides with the new emphasis on English teaching in Vietnam, which necessitates the use of new teaching techniques that focus, among others, on students' acquisition of critical thinking, decoding, vocabulary knowledge, text structure and organization, schema activation, summarization skills in order to meet contemporary challenges such as globalization and others. Besides, the study takes its importance from the fact that it endeavors to give teachers in the targeted school helpful insights into the current situation of teaching cognitive reading comprehension strategies. Accordingly, certain recommendations for designing activities using cognitive reading comprehension strategies are produced.