MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING QUY NHON UNIVERSITY PHAM THI HONG NGUYEN EFFECTS OF READING STRATEGY INSTRUCTIONS ON ELEVEN GRADERS’ PERFORMANCE: A STUDY AT A HIGH SCHOOL IN KHANH HOA PROVINCE Field: Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching Code: 8040111 Supervisor: Assoc. Nguyen Quang Ngoan BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC QUY NHƠN PHẠM THỊ HỒNG NGUYÊN ẢNH HƯỞNG CỦA VIỆC HƯỚNG DẪN CHIẾN LƯỢC ĐỌC VỚI KẾT QUẢ CỦA HỌC SINH LỚP 11: ĐIỂN CỨU TẠI MỘT TRƯỜNG TRUNG HỌC PHỔ THÔNG Ở TỈNH KHÁNH HÒA Ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh Mã số: 8040111 Người hướng dẫn: PGS. Nguyễn Quang Ngoạn i STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP I confirm that the work presented in this research report has been performed and interpreted solely by myself except where explicitly identified to the contrary. I confirm that this work is submitted in partial fulfilment for my M.
degree in Theory and Methodology of English Language Teaching and has not been submitted elsewhere in any other form for the fulfilment of any other degree or qualification. This paper does not contain any material or content previously published or written by another paper or anyone else. Binh Dinh, November 2023 Pham Thi Hong Nguyen ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to the completion of this master's thesis. First and foremost, I am deeply thankful to my esteemed supervisor, Assoc.
Nguyen Quang Ngoan, for his invaluable guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support throughout this research journey. His expertise, insightful feedback, and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the direction and quality of this work. I am also indebted to the lecturers of the Department of Foreign Languages for their encouragement and valuable input during my study. Their lectures, seminars, and academic discussions have broadened my knowledge and honed my research skills.
I would like to offer my profound gratitude to all the participants who generously shared their time and insights, without whom this research would not have been possible. Last but not least, special thanks are due to my family for their constant love, encouragement, and belief in my abilities. Their unwavering support and understanding during moments of stress have been a constant source of motivation. In one word, the successful completion of this thesis would not have been possible without the collective efforts and encouragement of all the individuals mentioned above.
Their contributions have left an indelible mark on my academic and personal growth, for which I am sincerely grateful. iii ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of reading strategy instructions on the academic performance of eleventh-grade students at a high school in Khanh Hoa Province. The aim of this study is to explore whether explicit instructions on reading strategies positively influence students' reading comprehension and overall academic achievement. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods.
A pre-test and post-test design is utilized to assess the students' reading abilities before and after the implementation of the reading strategy instructions. Additionally, focused group interviews are conducted to gain insights into the students' perceptions and experiences regarding the intervention. The findings reveal that the provision of explicit reading strategy instructions significantly improves the students' reading comprehension and academic performance. Students demonstrate a higher level of engagement with the reading material and exhibit improved critical thinking skills, allowing them to better process and analyze the content.
The qualitative data further elucidates the students' positive attitudes towards the reading strategy instructions, highlighting the perceived benefits and challenges encountered during the intervention. The implications of this research emphasize the importance of integrating explicit reading strategy instructions into the curriculum to enhance students' reading abilities and overall academic achievement. Educators and policymakers can use these insights to develop effective teaching methodologies that promote a deeper understanding of texts and foster a more positive learning environment. This study contributes to the existing literature on reading instructions and provides valuable insights for educators seeking to optimize reading comprehension skills among high school students.
Keywords: reading strategy instructions, reading comprehension skills, performance, benefits, challenges, intervention, reading abilities iv TABLE OF CONTENTS STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .vii LIST OF TABLES. viii LIST OF FIGURES.
Research Aim and Objectives. Structure of the Thesis. Definition of Reading. Pre-reading Activities.
While-reading Activities. Post-reading Activities. Difficulties in Reading Comprehension. Social/ Affective Strategies.
The Importance of Strategies in the Learning Process. Reading Strategy Instruction. Types of Reading Tasks in the Textbook “TIẾNG ANH 11” and Strategies in Reading Comprehension. True/ False/ Not Given Statements.
Multiple Choice Questions. Finding Out the Main Idea. Dealing With Vocabulary. Previous Related Studies.
Research Setting and Participants. The Pre-Test and Post-Test. Findings and Discussion. Findings from the Pre-Test.
Summary of Pre-Test Administered to Participants. Presentation of Pre-Test Scores and Performance. Findings from the Post-Test. Summary of Post-Test Administered to Participants.
Presentation of Post-Test Scores and Performance. Comparison between Pre-Test and Post-Test Results. Findings from the Questionnaire. Participants' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill.
Summary of the Questionnaire Administered to Participants. Results of Participants' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill. Participants' Perceptions Toward Effects of Reading Strategy Instructions. Summary of the Questionnaire Administered to Participants.
Results of Participants' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill. Findings from the Interview. Students' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill. Participants' Perceptions Toward Effects of Reading Strategy Instructions.
Summary of Key Findings of the Study. Limitations and Suggestions for Further Research .27 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS EFL: English as a Foreign Language ESL: English as a Second Language EL: English Language SPSS: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Software MSI: Metacognitive Strategy Index L1: First Language L2: Second Language T1: Pre-test T2: Post-test viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Mean Pre-Test Scores of the Experimental Group and Control Group. Distribution of Pre-Test Scores by Question Type.
Mean Post-Test Scores of the Experimental Group and Control Group. Distribution of Post-Test Scores by Question Type. Comparison of Pre-Test and Post-Test Results. Participants' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill.
Participants' Perceptions toward Effects of Reading Strategy Instructions 54 Table 10. Results from Interview Question 1. Results from Interview Question 2. Results from Interview Question 3 .70 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.
Conceptual Framework of the Study. Comparison of Post-Test & Pre-Test Average Scores between Experimental group and Control group. Participants' Perceptions of Difficulties in Learning the Reading Skill. Participants' Perceptions toward Effects of Reading Strategy Instructions.
Introduction This chapter presents the rationale of the study, which includes theoretical and contextual background for the study that discusses why the researcher decided to undertake this research. Also, details about the aim and objectives, research questions, scope, significance, and organization of the thesis are introduced. Theoretical Reasons English is widely utilized in a variety of fields, including politics, economy, tourism, telecommunication, culture, science, and technology. Since Vietnam implemented its open-door policy toward regional and international integration, English has gained increasing importance.
As a result, to meet the expanding demands in a rising nation like Vietnam, Vietnamese students must have a strong command of English. Along with speaking, listening, and writing, reading is one of the four language skills taught in the English language learning process. Reading is regarded as the most crucial skill among all others. Snow (1998) stated that “reading is essential to success in our society.
The ability to read is highly valued and important for social and educational advancement.” In addition, according to Komiyama (2009), “reading supports the development of overall proficiency and provides access to crucial information at work and in school.” Reading in a second or foreign language has been a significant component of language learning over the past forty years (Zoghi et al. This significance has made reading education an important issue in educational policy and practice for English language learners (Cheung & Slavin, 2005) However, reading is a complex, interactive cognitive process of extracting meaning from text. There are a lot of difficulties for the learners to achieve the goal of mastering the content of the text and completing the enclosed task in the reading 2 requirement. In 1998, Vogel indicated that about 52% of adults with reading problems had difficulties in learning a foreign language (Vogel & Reder, 1998).
Schiff and Calif (2004) further explained that EFL students had reading problems due to a lack of understanding and awareness of how to use reading strategies. The researcher needs to determine the causes of the learners' problems with English reading comprehension. On the other hand, the main objective of all reading is about the competence to understand a reading text. It implies that reading can be effective if readers can fully understand the reading text.
The process of comprehending the reading text is not an easy task for the students. In this case, the teacher should employ various techniques to enhance the learners' reading comprehension. It aims to aid students in remembering new lexical items from the reading text in addition to helping them quickly absorb general information in the reading text. Olviyanti et al.
(Olviyanti et al., 2011) claimed, “Reading comprehension strategies are tools that proficient readers use to solve the comprehension problem they encounter in texts.” As a result, EFL students must acquire sufficient reading strategies to construct the text's meaning. Contextual Reasons Many high school students find reading comprehension to be one of the most difficult aspects of the graduation examination. The difficulties encountered by these language learners may be explained by a lack of reading strategies and a lack of background knowledge of the given topics or the world in general. It is easy to see that reading is an everyday ordinary task to which little thought is given, yet it is one of the most important skills that learners acquire at school because it serves as the foundation for all further learning.
When reading in a foreign language is a laborious, unpleasant, and unsuccessful experience, readers are often unwilling to read in the target language. This explains why most EFL students dislike reading in English. In addition, the parents’ unstable income which still depends much on the farm work influences partly the quality of education because most of the family cannot afford to invest in their children’s studies. Another reason is that a few parents whose 3 thought is not progressive are unaware of the importance of English and let their children focus on Maths, Physics, and Chemistry.
Moreover, the student’s background of knowledge is rather lower than other schools in the region. Besides, English is a foreign language in Vietnam, and English language students may have difficulties in comprehending reading text. Many high school students find reading comprehension the most difficult when taking their graduation exams. These language learners' difficulties may be explained due to a lack of reading strategies and background knowledge of the topics.
Locally, the issue is frequently raised in group meetings. As an English teacher, the researcher has always understood the significance of developing students' reading skills. Teachers must discover what motivates students to read. Teachers must reawaken adolescent students' passion for reading.
Therefore, teachers must investigate the difficulties that individual students face. By examining the issue, teachers can not only assist their students in overcoming reading challenges but also foster and develop the motivation that already exists in engaged readers. In addition, practicing reading skills regularly is always an interest of the researcher. After reviewing related studies in terms of content and subject, the researcher found some literature gaps that could be addressed in this study such as the research participants, sample size, local student population, and research tool.
