Students use of reading strategies: a case of grade twelve students

Abstract

This study attempted to gain an understanding of language learning strategies used by Grade 12 students in EFL reading with the following purposes. The objectives of the study were 1) to describe the reading comprehension strategies which Grade 12 students used in EFL reading and 2) to identify the differences of reading comprehension strategies which either high-proficiency or low-proficiency Grade 12 students used in EFL reading. The research questions addressed in this study were: 1) What are the reading comprehension strategies which Thai Grade 12 students said they used in EFL reading? 2) What are the reading comprehension strategies used by Thai Grade 12 students who are either high-proficiency or low-proficiency EFL readers? The data for this study was collected from two sets of instruments:-1) the Learning Strategy Questionnaire, given out to 8 students 8 times after they took a reading test so that they were put in the real situations and responded what they had just used and how they had approached the reading texts and 2) the Background Questionnaire (given out only to the same 8 research participants of which 4 were high proficient students, whereas the other 4 were low proficient students. The findings from the Learning Strategy Questionnaire showed that students were not different in their attempts to use some reading strategies (x=3.79 SD=0.98) Of the two groups, high proficient readers and low proficient readers, the common reading strategies they used were a problem solving strategy (When the text becomes difficult, students would re-read the text to increase their understanding (X=4.36 SD =.740) to be followed by just one GLOBAL Strategy at X=4.30 SD = .749) “I have a purpose in mind when I read.” Other three GLOBAL Strategies were “I read slowly and carefully to make sure that understand what I am reading” (X=4.28 SD =.744), I try to get back on track when I lose concentration (X=4.25 SD =.963) and When I read, I guess the meaning of the unknown words or phrases (X=4.10 SD =.882). However, the two groups were different in their use of certain reading strategies, such as in the use of support strategy. The low proficient reader group chose “I use reference materials (e.g. a dictionary to help me understand what I read)” (X=4.12 SD =.079). When comparing the top five preferred reading strategies, it was found that the high proficient readers use problem-solving and global strategies only without support strategies (X=3.34 SD=.80). As for the low proficient readers, the mean score of the top five preferred reading strategies is 4.11 SD.=.85. The findings from the Background (Personal) Questionnaire that showed qualitative data pointed out that the two groups were similar in their attempt to find the right strategies for themselves and they realized that the more practice, the better learner they became. However, the low proficient reader groups presented a slight need for teacher support or the importance of classroom learning.