Do EFL Teachers Reduce the Reading Gap in Qatar? A Study of Strategy Instruction in Government Schools
Abstract
Teachers’ instructional practices are crucial to students’ achievement in reading comprehension. Students’ low English reading competence in Qatar’s government schools raises concerns about not only reading comprehension strategy instruction, but also, subsequently, learning as a natural outcome of teachers’ praxis. This quantitative survey investigated English as a foreign language (EFL) reading comprehension strategy instruction of a broad cross-sectional sample of (1-12) EFL teachers (n=754) of government schools in Qatar. The study examines teachers’ most frequently used strategies and explicit strategy instruction. To relate the findings of an exploratory data analysis, descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and frequencies, were calculated for each 5-point Likert scale questionnaire item using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS-Version 24) statistics software. Results revealed that participant teachers reported a generally moderate and high frequency of using comprehension strategies (lowest mean 3.56 and highest mean 4.52). The seven most used strategies (mean score ?4) were: Identify main ideas, set purpose for reading, predictions, preview text, monitor comprehension, prior knowledge activation, and handle unfamiliar words. Conversely, the five strategies reported a comparatively lower use frequency (mean score ?4) were: Text structure, questioning, visualizing, summarizing, and think aloud. The major findings on explicit strategy instruction indicated that teachers ignored the gradual release of responsibility to students. The implications of these findings suggest that EFL teachers demonstrate moderate use of reading comprehension strategy instruction. Further recommendations for the Ministry of Education, school principals, and teachers are offered.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abbara, T. M. (1991). Testing English as a foreign language: a case study of classroom tests in Qatar (Doctoral dissertation, Durham University).
Ahmed, F. B. J. (2019). Foreign Universities in Qatar: A Critical Review of Policy and Sustainability Issues. Global Economic Observer, 7(1), 50-59.
Al-Khwaiter, J. (2001). Communicative language teaching and curriculum innovation in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language in Qatar: A study of the classroom and its socio-cultural context. (Publication No. DXN062494) [Doctoral dissertation, De Montfort University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Alsamadani, H. A. (2012). Reading Strategy Instruction in Saudi Schools. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 3(5), 829-837. https://doi.org/10.4304/jltr.3.5.829-837
Althewini, A. M. A. (2016). Saudi teachers' beliefs about reading instruction in English as a foreign language (EFL) [Doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Anderson, N. J. (2009). ACTIVE reading: The research base for a pedagogical approach in the reading classroom. In Z. H. Han & N. J. Anderson (Eds), Second language reading research and instruction: Crossing the boundaries (pp. 117-143). University of Michigan Press.
Arabmofrad, Badi, M., & Rajaee Pitehnoee, M. (2021). The Relationship among Elementary English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Hemispheric Dominance, Metacognitive Reading Strategies Preferences, and Reading Comprehension. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 37(5), 413–424. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2020.1846005
Au, K. H. (1998). Social constructivism and the school literacy learning of students of diverse backgrounds. Journal of Literacy Research, 30(2), 297-319.
Azar, M. (2019). Reading Minds: A Cognitive-digital Approach to the Study of Literature (Publication Number 27605841) [Doctoral dissertation, Freie Universitaet Berlin]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/24382
Baker, L. (2002). Metacognition in comprehension instruction. In C. C. Block & S. R. Parris (Eds), Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices (pp. 77-95). Guilford.
Ballou, A. K. (2012). Using explicit strategy instruction to improve reading comprehension [Master's thesis, St. John Fisher College]. Fisher Digital Publications. https://fisherpub.sjfc.edu/education_ETD_masters/221
Barber, A. T., Klauda, S. L., & Stapleton, L. M. (2020). Cognition, engagement, and motivation as factors in the reading comprehension of Dual Language Learners and English Speakers: Unified or distinctive models? Reading and Writing, 33(9), 2249-2279.
Baumann, J. F., Jones, L. A., & Seifert-Kessell, N. (1993). Using think alouds to enhance children's comprehension monitoring abilities. The Reading Teacher, 47(3), 184-193.
Bereiter, C., & Bird, M. (1985). Use of thinking aloud in identification and teaching of reading comprehension strategies. Cognition and instruction, 2(2), 131-156.
Blair, T. R., Rupley, W. H., & Nichols, W. D. (2007). The effective teacher of reading: Considering the “what” and “how” of instruction. The Reading Teacher, 60(5), 432-438.
Brewer, D. J., Augustine, C. H., Zellman, G. L., Ryan, G., Goldman, C. A., Stasz, C., & Constant, L. (2007). Education for a New Era: Design and implementation of K-12 education reform in Qatar. RAND Corporation. https://doi.org/10.7249/MG548
Bruen, J. (2020). Language learning strategies for reading comprehension: Assessing the strategy use of young adults at beginners’ level taking Chinese, German, Japanese or Spanish as foreign languages at university. Language Learning Journal, 48(2), 170–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2017.1370606
Cárdenas-Hagan, E. (2020). Literacy foundations for English learners: A comprehensive guide to evidence-based instruction. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Chamot, A. U., & O'Malley, J. M. (1994). The CALLA handbook: Implementing the cognitive academic language learning approach. Addison-Wesley.
Chien, H. Y. (2019). Effects of Two Teaching Strategies on Pre-schoolers’ Oral Language Skills: Repeated Read-Aloud With Question- and-Answer Teaching Embedded and Repeated Read-Aloud With Executive Function Activities Embedded. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2932–2932. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02932
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2013). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Conner, J. M., & Farr, R. (2009). Purposeful Reading at the Middle Level. Principal, 88(4), 56-57.
Cummins, C., Cheek, E. H., & Lindsey, J. D. (2004). The relationship between teachers’ literacy beliefs and their instructional practices: A brief review of the literature for teacher educators. E-Journal of Teaching & Learning in Diverse Settings, 1(2), 175-188.
Damber, U., Samuelsson, S., & Taube, K. (2012). Differences between overachieving and underachieving classes in reading: Teacher, classroom and student characteristics. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 12(4), 339-366. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798411417376
Darling-Hammond, L., & Baratz-Snowden, J. (2007). A good teacher in every classroom: Preparing the highly qualified teachers our children deserve. Educational Horizons, 85(2), 111-132. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42926597
Darling-Hammond, L., Klein, S. P., & Wise, A. E. (1999). A license to teach: Raising standards for teaching. Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Day, R. (2020). Teaching Reading, Revised Edition. ELT Development Series. TESOL Press. https://doi.org/info:doi/
Duffy, G. G. (2002). The case for direct explanation of strategies. In C.C. Block & M. Pressley (Eds), Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices (pp. 28-41). Guilford.
Duke, N. K., & Pearson, P. D. (2008). Effective practices for developing reading comprehension. The Journal of Education, 189(1/2), 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022057409189001-208
Duke, N. K., Ward, A. E., & Pearson, P. D. (2021). The science of reading comprehension instruction. The Reading Teacher, 74(6), 663-672. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1993
Fang, Z. (1996). A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices. Educational Research, 38(1), 47-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/0013188960380104
Fogarty, R., Kerns, G. M., Pete, B. M., Bryan, J., & Ballou, C. (2020). Literacy reframed: How a focus on decoding, vocabulary, and background knowledge improves reading comprehension. Solution Tree Press.
Galalah, A. (1992). English language in the State of Qatar: An analysis of perceptions and attitudes as a basis for syllabus design (Publication No. U041012) [Doctoral dissertation, Durham University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.314426
GSDP. (2011). Qatar national development strategy 2011–2016. Towards Qatar National Vision 2030.
Golkowska, K. U. (2013). Voice and dialogue in teaching reading/writing to Qatari students. Journal of International Education Research, 9(4), 339-344. https://doi.org/10.19030/jier.v9i4.8085
Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Ernst Klett Sprachen.
Grabe, W. P., & Stoller, F. L. (2013). Teaching and researching: Reading. Routledge.
Hall, L. A. & Piazza, S. V. (2008). Critically Reading Texts: What Students Do and How Teachers Can Help. Reading Teacher, 62(1), 32-41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1598/RT.62.1.4
Hamouda, A. (2021). The Effect of Lexical Inference Strategy Instruction on Saudi EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension. Education Quarterly Reviews, 4(1). https://ssrn.com/abstract=3791100
Hayes, S. S. (2012). The effect of multiple strategy instruction on the reading comprehension of first-grade students. Trevecca Nazarene University.
Hernandez-Laboy, O. I. (2009). Reading strategies ESL teachers utilize to enhance comprehension in students: Implications for classroom practices [Doctoral dissertation, University of Puerto Rico]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
Hollingsworth, J. R., & Ybarra, S. E. (2017). Explicit direct instruction (EDI): The power of the well-crafted, well-taught lesson. Corwin Press.
Iwai, Y. (2011). The effects of metacognitive reading strategies: Pedagogical implications for EFL/ESL teachers. The Reading Matrix 11(2), 150,159.
Kadah, R. B. (2005). Learning strategy instruction in the foreign language classroom: An exploratory study of strategy instruction for reading comprehension in Arabic in the United States [Master's thesis, The George Washington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Keene, E. O. (2009). To understand. In K. Ganske & D. Fisher (Eds), Comprehension across the curriculum: Perspectives and practices K-12 (pp. 7-22). Guilford.
Koç, M., & Fadlelmula, F. K. (2016), Overall review of education system in Qatar. Lambert Academic Publishing.
Koda K. (2005). Insights into second language reading: A cross-linguistic approach. Cambridge University Press.
Kuzborska, I. (2010). The relationship between EFL teachers' beliefs and practices in reading instruction to advanced learners of English in a Lithuanian university context (Publication No. U510300) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Essex]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Lai, Y.-L. (2006). Using comprehension strategy instruction with English language learners: Insights from three elementary school classrooms (Publication No. 3274287) [Ed.D., University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Mathes, P. G., Pollard-Durodola, S. D., Cárdenas-Hagan, E., Linan-Thompson, S., & Vaughn, S. (2007). Teaching struggling readers who are native Spanish speakers: What do we know? Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 38(3), 260-271. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2007/027)
MDPS. (2015). Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.arabdevelopmentportal.com/sites/default/files/publication/873.qatar-education_statistics_2014.pdf
McLaughlin, M. (2012). Reading Comprehension: What Every Teacher Needs to Know. The Reading Teacher, 65(7), 432-440. https://doi.org/10.1002/TRTR.01064
McMillan, J. H. (1996). Educational research: Fundamentals for the consumer. HarperCollins College Publishers.
McMunn Dooley, C., & Matthews, M. W. (2009). Emergent comprehension: Understanding comprehension development among young literacy learners. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 9(3), 269-294. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1468798409345110
Nasser, R. (2013). A Literacy Exercise: An extracurricular reading program as an intervention to enrich student reading habits in Qatar. International Journal of Education & Literacy Studies, 1(1), 61. http://dx.doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.1n.1p.61
Nasser, R. (2017). Qatar’s educational reform past and future: Challenges in teacher development. Open Review of Educational Research, 4(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/23265507.2016.1266693
Negari, G. M., & Askani, S. (2014). The effect of explicit instruction of metacognitive strategies on reading comprehension among Iranian high school students. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 4(3), 19-29.
Neufeld, P. (2005). Comprehension instruction in content area classes. The Reading Teacher, 59(4), 302-312. https://doi.org/10.1598/RT.59.4.1
OECD. (2020). PISA 2018 Data. https://doi.org/10.1787/7d34d111-en
OECD, PISA. (2014). Results: What students know and can do: Student Performance in Mathematics. Reading, and Science, 1. Programme for International Student Assessment.
Oster, L. (2001). Using the think-aloud for reading instruction. The Reading Teacher, 55(1), 64-69.
Palmer, D. J., Sadiq, H. M., Lynch, P., Parker, D., Viruru, R., Knight, S., Waxman, H., Alford, B., Brown, D. B., & Rollins, K. (2016). A classroom observational study of Qatar's independent schools: Instruction and school reform. The Journal of Educational Research, 109(4), 413-423. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.979908
Pressley, M. (2001). Comprehension instruction: What makes sense now, what might make sense soon. Reading online, 5(2), 1-14.
Pressley, M., & Allington, R. L. (2014). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching. Guilford Publications.
Pressley, M., & Hilden, K. (2002). How can children be taught to comprehend text better. Successful reading instruction: Research in educational productivity, 33-51.
Pressley, M., & Hilden, K. (2006). Cognitive Strategies. In D. Kuhn, R. S. Siegler, W. Damon & R. M. Lerner (Eds), Handbook of child psychology: Cognition, perception, and language (pp. 511–556). John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Pressley, M., & Woloshyn, V. (1995). Cognitive strategy instruction. Cambridge: MA Brooklynn Books.
Quigley, A. (2020). Closing the reading gap. London: Routledge.
Reyna-Barron, E. Y. (2016). An analysis of the comprehension instruction and reading comprehension and vocabulary strategies used by teachers to facilitate students' ability to understand text [Ph.D., Texas A&M University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Ruddell, R. B. (2008). How to teach reading to elementary and middle school students: Practical ideas from highly effective teachers. Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Sahlberg, P. (2021). Finnish Lessons 3. 0: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers College Press.
Sheorey, R., & Mokhtari, K. (2001). Differences in the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies among native and non-native readers. System, 29(4), 431-449.
Sinatra, G. M., Brown, K. J., & Reynolds, R. E. (2002). Implications of cognitive resource allocation for comprehension strategies instruction. Comprehension instruction: Research-based best practices, 62-76.
Spencer, M., Wagner, R. K., & Petscher, Y. (2019). The reading comprehension and vocabulary knowledge of children with poor reading comprehension despite adequate decoding: Evidence from a regression-based matching approach. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000274
Treiman, R. (2018). What Research Tells Us About Reading Instruction. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 19(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100618772272
US Department of Education. (2005). Simple Strategies for Creating Strong Readers. Helping Your Child Become a Reader. U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/reader/partx4.html
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: the Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Willingham, D. T. (2015). Raising kids who read: What parents and teachers can do. John Wiley & Sons.
Winograd, P., & Hare, V. C. (1988). Direct instruction of reading comprehension strategies: The nature of teacher explanation. In Claire E. Weinstein, Ernest T. Goetz, Patricia A. Alexander (Eds), Learning and study strategies (pp. 121-139). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-742460-6.50014-1
Zipoli. (2017). Unravelling Difficult Sentences: Strategies to Support Reading Comprehension. Intervention in School and Clinic, 52(4), 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053451216659465
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
e-ISSN: 1694-2116
p-ISSN: 1694-2493