Interference of Text Related Factors with Reading Comprehension Practices in English Classes

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2012 in the subject Didactics - English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: Excellent (A), Haramaya University (College of Social Sciences and Humanities), course: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Speaking, language: English, abstract: In this study, an attempt was made to examine text related factors that impeded on students¿ reading comprehension practices in English language classrooms in a secondary school grade nine. To attain this objective a qualitative research design was employed. The required data for the study were collected using semi-structured interviews, written reflection questions, textbook analysis, and classroom observations.

Six grade 9 English teachers were interviewed and asked for reflections on the written questions. To cross-check the information given by teachers, a similar tool, semi-structured interviews and written reflection questions, were administered to 30 students and all responded to the items fully. The reading texts of all reading comprehension sections of the textbook were analyzed using a checklist.

Among the 21 classes, six classes were observed (each two times) to see how students actually practiced the reading comprehension activities and what key text related factors impeded the reading practice. An inductive approach was applied in data analysis in coding categories in searching for recurring patterns and identification of themes.

The findings of the study therefore revealed that vocabulary of the texts, sentence complexity, text cohesion and coherence, elaboration of texts, length of the text and text structure were the main factors that impeded students¿ reading comprehension practice. Moreover, the study depicted that English language teachers¿ reading comprehension instructional practices and decisions were affected by text related factors.

Findings of the study also showed that teachers and students dealt with text related factors by using different strategies and techniques of reading comprehension in each reading comprehension phase. Finally, based on the research findings, recommendations were provided towards the decrements of text related problems in the students¿ reading comprehension practice.