Effects of two Reading Approaches on the Achievement and Attitudes of Polytechnic Students in large classes
Effects of two Reading Approaches on the Achievement and Attitudes of Polytechnic Students in large classes
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Date
1997
Authors
Margaret, 0. Osasona
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Abstract
The problems of reading comprehension have been
identified as serious impediments to learning at all the
educational levels In Nigeria. These problems are
complicated by the large class situation that is prevalent in
the tertiary institutions, especially at the Polytechnic level
of education. The knowledge of those complex shortcomings
have been responsible for the present study.
Two teaching approaches, interactive and the
conventional or traditional were put side by side in order
to see which of them would be more effective, or the aspects
of the two that could be blended for the teaching of reading
comprehension in large classes.
Two types of instruments were used for collecting data
for the study. The reading comprehension test was used
for measuring the subjects' achievement at the pre, post and
feedback levels. The attitude questionnaire was administered
on the subjects at the pre- and post-treatment levels in order
to collect data for the five attitudinal variables investigated.
One hundred and eighty students drawn from two
departments in the College of Administrative and Business
Studies* consisting of ninety students from Accounting and
Finance and ninety from Business Administration formed the
subjects for the study. The research sample was made up
of two groups of experimental and control. Sixty hours (60)
of teaching, thirty in each group were the treatment period
(10 weeks). The theoretical framework adopted took into
cognisance the linguistic, psycholinguistic, socio-linguistic
and pedagogical parameters which are necessary for reading
comprehension.
The statistics used for the computerized analyses of
data were T-test, the ANOVA and the frequency
distribution. The SPSS package at the Institute of
Agricultural Research, ABU, Zaria and the Computer
Centre, Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna were used for data
analyses.
Various investigations through the achievement test
showed that the interactive approach was better in some
cases while the conventional was better in some others for
the teaching of reading comprehension in large classes.
This study therefore recommends a combination of specific
aspects of the two approaches for teaching reading
comprehension in large classes. Majority of the responses
to the attitude questionnaire in both groups favoured the
teaching of reading comprehension in large classes.
The study ends with various implications and
suggestions for teaching reading comprehension in large
classes.
Description
A Research Thesis submitted to
The Postgraduate School
Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
the teaching of English
as a Second Language (TESL)
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY
ZARIA
Keywords
EFFECTS,, Reading,, Approaches,, Achievement,, Attitudes,, Polytechnic,