. Palincsar and Brown (1984) Alfassi (2004 ) Bruer (1993)
Slide 4
Statement of the Problem Reading comprehension is the heart and
goal of reading All students need to become strong readers and
writers. (Berninger & Shapiro, 2007) claimed that research in
the area of prevention and intervention with reading comprehension
has been sparse and needs to be expanded. Palincsar and Brown
(1984) emphasized that reciprocal teaching is designed to teach
students cognitive strategies that might lead to improved reading
comprehension.
Slide 5
Research Question To fulfill the purpose of this study, the
following research question was addressed: Does reciprocal teaching
have any significant effect on reading comprehension of the
intermediate EFL learners?
Slide 6
Research Hypothesis In order to investigate the above-mentioned
research question empirically, the following null hypothesis was
stated: H0: Reciprocal teaching does not have any significant
effect on reading comprehension of the intermediate EFL
learners.
Slide 7
Significance of the Study Stevenson (1974) points out, few
foreign students will have much occasion to speak and hear English
after graduation, but they will have reason to read a professional
journal or book in the foreign language. King et al. (1975) assert
that reading comprehension is the cornerstone skill from which
listening comprehension as well as speaking and writing ability can
best evolve. They also claim that for many students the desire to
learn a foreign language is synonymous with the desire to read that
language. If reciprocal teaching has an effect on reading
comprehension, it might be beneficial to students.
Slide 8
Definition of Key Terms Reading Comprehension: As the process
of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through
interaction and involvement with written language (Snow, 2002,
p.11). In this research, reading comprehension is opperationalized
by a piloted PET reading comprehension test.
Slide 9
Definition of Key Terms Reciprocal Teaching : is characterized
as a dialogue taking place between the teacher and students (or
student leader and members of the group) that results in students
learning how to construct meaning when they are placed in must read
situations (tests or assignments). The approach derives from the
theory that reading for meaning and retentionwhat is referred to as
study readingrequires effort, a full repertoire of comprehension
strategies (namely, summarizing, generating questions, clarifying
and predicting), and the flexibility to use these strategies as the
situation requires (Carolyn J. Carter and Diane F. Fekete, 2001, p.
23). In this research, reciprocal teaching is approached via the
framework provided by Carolyn J. Carter and Diane F. Fekete
(2001).
Slide 10
Limitations of the Study 1. The researcher had two classes of
14 and 15 subjects in control group and two classes of 14 subjects
in experimental group. 2. The researcher implemented reciprocal
teaching only twelve sessions from sixteen instructional sessions;
because she had to cover all other three skills based on the
institutes syllabus.
Slide 11
Delimitations of the Study Researcher implemented reciprocal
teaching on intermediate students. Because it is assumed that
elementary students are at the basic levels and can not follow the
directions the same as intermediate students. Moreover,
intermediate students are more manageable than elementary level
students.
Slide 12
. Method
Slide 13
Participants Fifty Seven intermediate female students
participate in the study.
Slide 14
Instrumentation Language proficiency test which is called
preliminary English test or PET. One pre-test of reading
comprehension and one post-test of reading comprehension
Slide 15
Instrumentation Books The book was Interchange (II) which is
appropriate for intermediate level learners. Four units were
covered during 16 sessions; the 17th session was the exam session
of students.
Slide 16
Procedure Based on the purpose of the study the researcher
applied reciprocal teaching in twelve sessions and followed
predetermined steps.: First of all, the researcher sat aside one
instructional day to introducing students students each of the
following comprehension strategies of reciprocal teaching including
prediction, summarization, question generation and clarification in
experimental group. All instruction on how to develop and apply the
four cognitive strategies took place during the dialogues. After
the teacher modeled strategy, the responsibility to perform the
four strategies was given to student.
Slide 17
Design and Statistical Analysis This study was a
quasi-experimental one Reciprocal teaching was the independent
variable, reading comprehension the dependent variable, and gender
and language proficiency as control variables. t-test. The
reliability of the English proficiency test (PET) was estimated by
utilizing Cronbach Alpha formula.
Slide 18
. Data Analysis and Result
Slide 19
Pre Test: Language Proficiency Test (PET) in Pilot Phase
Slide 20
Histogram of the Scores Obtained in the Language Proficiency
Test in the Pilot Phase
Slide 21
Reliability of the Language Proficiency Test in the Pilot
Phase
Slide 22
PET Used for Homogenizing the Subjects.
Slide 23
Independent Samples Test of Control & Experimental
Groups
Slide 24
. Descriptive Statistics of the language Proficiency Test in
the Study
Slide 25
Histogram of the Scores Obtained in the Language Proficiency
Test in the Study
Slide 26
One-Sample Kolmogrove-Simirnove Test
Slide 27
Reliability of the Language Proficiency Test in the Study
Slide 28
Posttest: Reading Comprehension Descriptive Statistics of the
posttest in the Pilot Phase Test in Pilot Phase
Slide 29
Histogram of the Scores Obtained in the Posttest of the Pilot
Phase
Slide 30
Reliability of the Posttest in the Pilot Phase
Slide 31
Testing the Hypothesis Descriptive Statistics of the Control
Groups Scores in the Post Test
Slide 32
Histogram of the Control Groups Scores in the Posttest
Slide 33
Descriptive Statistics of Experimental Groups Scores in the
posttest
Slide 34
Histogram of the Experimental Groups Scores in the
Posttest
Slide 35
Group Statistics of the Experimental and Control Groups
Slide 36
Independent Samples Test of the Experimental & Control
Groups
Slide 37
. Conclusion
Slide 38
Conclusion Pearson and Dole (1987) stated that effective
strategy instruction requires the teacher to who provides explicit
explanation of strategies and scaffolding to help students
construct understandings about the content of the text. Explicit
teaching of strategies before reciprocal teaching appears to meet
these requirements. Palincsar and Brown (1984) claimed that that
the cycle of effective reading comprehension instruction begins
with explicit strategy instruction by the teacher. For testing the
presupposed null hypothesis, the researcher conducted an
independent sample t-test between the control and experimental
groups total scores of reading comprehension test. Since t-observed
(2.23) exceeded the critical value of t, 2.00, at 55 degrees of
freedom, it can be concluded that the experimental group out
performed the control group.
Slide 39
Pedagogical Implications Implications for Teaching and Teacher
Training 1. Use of reciprocal teaching in language schools 2. By
training teachers, successively students would benefit from this
effective approach and teachers would have better learners in
reading skill.
Slide 40
Implications for EFL Learners Training Training students
reading comprehension strategies of reciprocal teaching including
questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting seems very
advisable.
Slide 41
Implications for Material Designers In reading comprehension
skill designing especial tasks based on reciprocal teaching reading
comprehension strategies seems very advisable.
Slide 42
Suggestions for Further Research It is suggested that similar
studies could be conducted with other participants including male
or male and female ones. It is suggested that similar studies could
be done with learners with higher or lower levels of language
proficiency. It is suggested that similar studies could be done
with other methods in the other group such as applying guided
reading in the second group. In other words, researchers could
compare two reading interventions including reciprocal teaching and
guided reading simultaneously.