published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Phase Two study consists of 548 non-English major sophomore students in a large-scale survey on the relationships among metacognitive knowledge, vocabulary size and EFL reading comprehension ability. The instruments include Questionnaire on the Metacognitive Knowledge of EFL reading comprehension, Vocabulary Levels Test (Nation, 1990) and EFL Reading Comprehension Test. The findings reveal that Chinese tertiary EFL readers have a good command of 2,000-word level and approach 3,000-word level. Vocabulary size does not only exert direct influences on EFL reading comprehension ability, but also plays a significant moderating role in regulating the effect of metacognitive knowledge on EFL reading comprehension ability. When the vocabulary size reaches above the threshold of 3,000 words, metacognitive knowledge plays an increasing role in EFL reading comprehension ability. / The present study sets out to investigate how Chinese tertiary EFL readers utilize metacognitive knowledge in their academic reading process, to discover the possible differences between less successful readers and successful readers in utilizing metacognitive knowledge in their reading and to map out the relationships among metacognitive knowledge, vocabulary size and EFL reading comprehension ability. / The study consists of two phases. Five less successful and five successful Chinese tertiary EFL readers participated in the think-aloud reading task and the interviews in Phase One study. Twenty-nine types of metacognitive knowledge were identified and categorized into nine subcategories under two major categories of person knowledge and strategy knowledge following Flavell's metacognitive framework (1979). Less successful readers used more frequently most types of metacognitive knowledge than their successful counterparts. Vocabulary was found to be the major obstacle hindering the students' reading progress for both groups of students. However, successful readers deployed strategy knowledge more flexibly to address the vocabulary gap than less successful readers. Differences were also discovered on the motivational and affective characteristics such as reader role, goal of reading, interest and self-efficacy between the two groups. Successful readers were more actively engaged in reading and provided interpretations of the text on their own authority. They also demonstrated an accurate self-knowledge and higher levels of task-mastery goal and interest toward reading. / The theoretical, empirical and educational contributions of these findings for L2 reading are discussed, as are suggestions for future research. / Li, Jie. / Advisers: Yujing Ni; Kawai Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: 1923. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 172-193). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Hu, Jingjing. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 257-270). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning. It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, of sharing information and ideas. It is a complex interaction between the text and the reader and shaped by the reader’s prior knowledge, experiences, attitude, and language of the community. This literacy skill is very important to be successful in academic work. However, it may challenge early grade learners from Grade 1 up to 4. For instance, Ethiopia has been witnessing an escalation in early grade reading difficulties in primary schools. However, mastering reading by the end of Grade 3 is very important. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate “The effect of Cognitive Foundation of Learning to Read (CFLR) on the reading skill of Grade 3 learners at 10 selected primary schools in Hawassa and Dilla towns in Ethiopia.” In order to address the research questions, the researcher employed a mixed-method approach, consisting of a quasi-experimental and qualitative research design. Quantitative data were collected by administering a reading achievement test. Questionnaires were also administered to determine the demographics of learners and teachers. Qualitative data were collected through classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were analysed by One-way Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and t-test. SPSS version-20 was used to analyse the data. Qualitative data were analysed by thematic analysis. Transcribed interviews and coded observation were classified according to similar themes; and grouped under sub-headings that had relation to the main research questions. Following this activity, interpretation of data was done. The findings of the study indicated that Grade 3 learners who attended reading instruction through CFLR in the experimental group show good performance than control groups. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the CFLR is better than the Conventional Teaching Method (CTM). Finally, it was suggested that the results of the study are important to improve Grade 3 English reading instruction. It was also recommended that teachers should use a socially, culturally and linguistically responsive, inclusive instructional approach in teaching reading. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The focus on this study was on improving the oral reading fluency of third grade students who struggle in reading. One third grade teacher and six of her students participated in this 4 week study that examined the effect on fluency of newspaper reading and various constructive reading and engagement activites. These six students were assigned to an Optimal Learning Model pull-out fluency instruction using the newspaper as text. Results from the Developmental Reading Assessment instrument reveal significantly improved effects in the number if miscues, correct words per minute, and prosody for the six students. From the results, it is evident that struggling readers benefit from high-quality fluency instruction.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (MPhil )--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An increasing number of studies indicate that South African learners' literacy levels are deplorably low. According to one international study, the Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS), conducted in 2006, South African grade 4 learners' literacy levels are the lowest of the 40 countries that participated in the study. The results of the first Annual National Assessment (ANA), conducted in 2011, show that the average literacy performance of grade 3 learners in South Africa lies at 35%. Even though numerous reasons can be presented for these low literacy levels - amongst others, large classes, insufficient teacher training, insufficient educational practices (especially the fact that so little time is spent on reading instruction), and a lack of teaching material - the blame is often cast on the insufficient language proficiency of South African learners. South African learners often receive education in a language which is not their first language. A large number of learners only receive education in their first language for the first three years of their school career and thereafter English usually becomes the language of learning and teaching. It is, however, not only those learners who receive education in their second language who have low literacy skills. Learners who receive education in their first language also encounter problems. The aim of this study was to determine whether a reading intervention programme, designed on the basis of the most recent research on reading, could improve the reading comprehension skills of grade 8 learners in their first language Afrikaans and whether these skills could be transferred to their second language English. The study showed that there was a significant improvement in the participating learners' reading comprehension skills in their first language Afrikaans, as well as in their second language English, even though the reading intervention was only offered in Afrikaans. According to the results of this study, it seems that reading comprehension skills which are acquired in the first language can indeed be transferred to a second language. The implications of these findings for first and second language literacy development are discussed in the final chapter of the thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Toenemende aantal studies dui daarop dat Suid-Afrikaanse leerders se geletterdheidsvlakke kommerwekkend laag is. Volgens een internasionale studie, die Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS), wat in 2006 gedoen is, is Suid-Afrikaanse graad 4-leerders se geletterdheidsvlakke die laagste van die 40 lande wat deelgeneem het. Die resultate van die eerste Annual National Assessment (ANA) wat in 2011 gedoen is, wys dat graad 3-leerders in Suid-Afrika se gemiddelde prestasie vir geletterdheid slegs 35% is. Hoewel talle redes vir hierdie lae geletterdheidsvlakke aangebied kan word - waaronder groot klasse, onvoldoende onderwyseropleiding, onvoldoende onderrigpraktyke (veral dat daar te min tyd aan leesonderrig bestee word) en 'n gebrek aan onderrigmateriaal - word die blaam dikwels geplaas op die onvoldoende taalvaardighede van Suid-Afrikaanse leerders. Suid-Afrikaanse leerders gaan dikwels skool in 'n taal wat nie hul eerste taal is nie. Talle leerders ontvang slegs vir die eerste drie jaar van hul skoolloopbaan onderrig in hul eerste taal en daarna word Engels gewoonlik die taal van leer en onderrig. Dit is egter nie net die leerders wat in hul tweede taal onderrig ontvang, wat lae geletterdheidsvlakke het nie. Leerders wat in hul eerste taal onderrig ontvang, ondervind ook probleme. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vas te stel of 'n leesintervensieprogram, wat geskoei is op die nuutste navorsing oor lees, die leesbegripsvaardighede van graad 8-leerders in hul eerste taal Afrikaans kan verbeter en of hierdie vaardighede oorgedra kan word op hul tweede taal Engels. Die studie het aangedui dat daar 'n beduidende verbetering in die leerders se leesbegripsvaardighede in hul eerste taal Afrikaans sowel as hul tweede taal Engels was, alhoewel die leesintervensie slegs in Afrikaans aangebied is. Volgens die resultate van die studie wil dit voorkom asof leesbegripsvaardighede wat in die eerste taal verwerf word, oorgedra kan word na 'n tweede taal. Die implikasies van hierdie bevindinge vir die ontwikkeling van geletterdheid in 'n eerste en tweede taal, word in die finale hoofstuk van die tesis bespreek.

At every educational level reading is a powerful tool for academic success because it provides students with access to information. Comprehension is crucial to reading. Many students at Lobatse College of Education, Botswana, have problems comprehending L2 reading materials and thus struggle academically because English is the medium of instruction. To some extent, methods of teaching L2 reading contribute to students’ reading failure. It is said that how we teach is as important as what we teach. Thus, how L2 reading is taught is important for improving students’ understanding of texts and their L2 academic performance. This study focuses on teaching reading as a process which involves an application of reading strategies in order to facilitate comprehension of texts. The overall aim of the research is concerned with the improvement of methods of teaching L2 reading comprehension in Botswana Colleges of Education. The specific objective was to implement reading strategy instruction programme (RSI) to see what effect it would have on (i) on L2 students’ use of strategies during reading (ii) on L2 students’ reading comprehension, and (iii) on L2 students’ English academic performance. Using a quasi-experimental pre-posttest design, an explicit RSI programme was implemented over six-week period in a Botswana College of Education. Two intact cohorts of second-year teacher trainees were randomly assigned to a control and intervention groups. A reading strategy questionnaire and a reading comprehension test were used to examine the relationship between strategy use and level of comprehension. A discrepancy emerged between the self-reports responses of the participants and their actual performance in reading text. Although they claimed to be strategic readers the results suggested that they were not in fact reading strategically.The Cohen’s d analysis yielded a large effect size. This corroborates the significant differences that emerged between the two cohorts in their posttest comprehension results. The intervention group showed significant gains in strategy use and reading comprehension after the six-week intervention period. This suggests that even a short period of intervention can be beneficial to L2 students. However, these effects did not manifest themselves in the students’ English academic performance. This suggests that students need more exposure and more opportunities to practice applying strategies to texts that they read before the effect spill over into academic performance in general. The findings from this study have important implications for the teaching reading in Botswana in both L1 and L2 context. This research also point to further avenues for reading research in Botswana, and cautions against a reliance on questionnaire data alone in reading research; the triangulation of data is important to gain an accurate and deeper understanding of reading practices and reading performance. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Applied Linguistics)

Resultaten av de internationella undersökningarna PISA 2011 och PIRLS 2011 visar att de svenska elevernas resultat inom läsförståelse försämrats. I Skolinspektionen granskning framkommer det att diskussioner och textsamtal har en relativt liten del av undervisningen av läsförståelse i Sverige idag. Tidigare forskning har ringat in fyra metoder som anses effektivast för elevers utveckling av läsförståelse. Textsamtal, diskussioner och reflektioner har avgörande roller inom alla fyra undervisningsmetoder. Syftet med denna studie är att synliggöra hur sex lärare tänker kring, samt konkret arbetar med, undervisningen av läsförståelse, för att se om de fyra metoderna går att återfinna i de sex lärarnas undervisning. Metoderna som används är semistrukturerade intervjuer samt strukturerade observationer. Resultatet av studien visar att den strategiinriktade undervisningen dominerar undervisningen bland de sex lärarna, och att innehållsorienterad undervisning, vilken visats effektivast i forskningen, är ytterst begränsad. Samtidigt beskriver samtliga lärare att samtal och diskussioner bör vara en stor del av undervisningen inom läsförståelse. En slutsats av studien är att synen på undervisningen av läsförståelse varierar mellan de sex lärarna, samt att allt undervisningsmaterial är baserat på läsförståelsestrategier. Dock förekommer knappt diskussioner och samtal i samband med undervisningen av strategier, vilket är en viktig del för att arbetet med strategiinriktad undervisning ska kunna utveckla elevernas läsförståelse på bästa sätt. / <p>Svenska</p>