Investigating The Effects Of Critical Reading Skills On Students’ Reading Comprehension PDF

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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number1. March 2022 Pp. 366-381

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no1.24

Investigating the Effects of Critical Reading Skills on Students’ Reading Comprehension

Muhammad A. Al Roomy

Department of English, College of Science and Health Professions

King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard

King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC)

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Email: [email protected]

Received:11/1/2021 Accepted: 3/2/2022 Published:3/24/2022

Abstract

Critical reading is an indispensable learning skill that students need both inside and outside the

classroom. Even though many attempts haave been made to unravel the impact of critical reading

on Second Language (L2) reading, there is a paucity of investigations examining the effect of

critical reading combined with students’ active role. The study raises three questions. They are:

1) What are the students’ views about reading comprehension and critical reading skills? And2)

What difficulties do students encounter when they read? And3) how can critical reading

strategies improve students’ reading comprehension? Therefore, the aim of this study is to

investigate how critical reading skills can enhance students reading’ comprehension while

working in groups. For the sake of this study, data were gathered from an open-ended

questionnaire distributed to university students before intervention, learning logs, and participant

observations. The results of the study revealed significant effects of critical reading skills on

students’ reading comprehension at different levels. Students viewed reading as an active

dynamic process that motivated the activation of higher order thinking skills and helped students

tap into their prior experiences to approach the reading materials. It also showed how

implementing a rich repertoire of critical reading skills enabled students to overcome reading

problems as they could read not just what is directly stated but what is being communicated

between and beyond the lines. The findings offered several pedagogical implications and

recommendations for further research.

Keywords: critical thinking, reading skills, group work, critical reading skills, reading

comprehension

Cite as: Al Roomy, M. A. (2022). Investigating the Effects of Critical Reading Skills on Students’

Reading Comprehension. Arab World English Journal, 13 (1) 366-381.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol13no1.24

Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number 1. March 2022

Investigating the Effects of Critical Reading Skills on Students’ Reading Al Roomy

Arab World English Journal www.awej.org

ISSN: 2229-9327

367

Introduction

Critical thinking and reading are key skills that EFL students need the most to expedite

and promote the learning process. This is primarily because reading plays a pivotal role in

developing English in general and is the principal activity through which students learn in

English in their academic courses. The strong relationship between the ability to read critically,

academic success, and the need for critical thinking in the workplace or daily lives have been

observed by researchers (Edman, 2008; Ennis, 2018; Hervás & Miralles, 2006; Huijie, 2010;

Wade, 2008). Unlike poor readers, students who are good readers often pass their exams with

high marks because they implement a rich repertoire of strategies to approach reading texts and

overcome textual difficulties (Kim, 2020). Deploying these strategies properly turns students into

critical readers who apply higher-order thinking skills. Meanwhile, in some contexts, being

critical might be ambiguous. In the language learning context, the word “critical” does not imply

negative meanings, i.e., looking for mistakes and flaws; Milan (1995) stated that being critical

entails “using careful evaluation, sound judgment, and reasoning powers” (p. 218).

However, the issue of power relations inside the classroom must be considered because

students’ active role is endangered by their teachers’ role (Harmer, 2015; Richards & Rodger,

2014; Surkamp & Viebrock, 2018). Students should be more independent and develop a critical

stance about the knowledge they receive and produce when they read. The authoritative role

played by teachers in foreign-language pedagogy might deprive students of the potential to have

more freedom, engagement, and empowerment over their learning due to some cultural, social,

or political reasons.

In Saudi Arabia, there are standards in any educational programme that should be met to

raise the quality of Saudi university education. The National Commission for Academic

Accreditation and Evaluation (NCAAE) (2008) clearly stated and defined these standards which

include the teaching and learning process. Teachers must vary their teaching strategies with a

focus on those that invite higher order thinking skills and encourage students to be active,

making learning student-centered. In teaching reading in a Saudi context, Khojah and Thomas

(2021) assert that using different strategies has a positive effect on students’ reading motivation.

Nevertheless, not all English teachers abide by these standards and still implement traditional

teaching methods where there is no room for students to have more capacity and become active

participants (Richards & Rodgers, 2014).

Hence, teachers need to cede some of their control to students to enable them to hone

critical reading skills in a systematic framework (Paul & Elder, 2005). Critical reading requires

students to think more actively and deeply to understand a text and analyze it, i.e., to read

between the lines and beyond the lines rather than focusing on just reading the lines. Group work

is an effective strategy that gives students active roles to play when they read and, therefore,

cultivates their critical reading skills. Beside improving reading comprehension, students who

work in groups develop certain collaborative skills such as being more sensitive and able to

make more effective decisions due to high-level participation and interaction (Gonzales &

Torres, 2016).

The study will be useful for student to improve their reading comprehension by

combining critical reading with their active role. Upon completion of this study, it is hoped that

teachers incorporate critical reading skills into the curriculum and teach them explicitly to

Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 13. Number 1. March 2022

Investigating the Effects of Critical Reading Skills on Students’ Reading Al Roomy

Arab World English Journal www.awej.org

ISSN: 2229-9327

368

students. Also it is hoped that researchers conduct further research to explore the impact of

introducing critical reading skills with different sexes, ages, and fields of study at different stages

in a Saudi context. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how critical reading skills can

enhance students reading comprehension while working in groups. Three research methods were

used to collect data. An open-ended questionnaire was distributed to students to determine their

views about their role in the classroom, students’ learning logs as a way to help students to

stimulate their reflections and to increase their cognitive control over their learning and

participant, and observations carried out by the researcher to gain insight into what was taking

place while students were working on assigned tasks. The study raises three questions. They are:

1) What are the students’ views about reading comprehension and critical reading skills? And2)

What difficulties do students encounter when they read? And3) How can critical reading

strategies improve students’ reading comprehension?

Literature Review

Critical Thinking

Improving the critical thinking ability of students has become more than just a fad, it has

become central to their learning. Edman (2008) pinpointed that although faculty members see the

need for teaching critical thinking to their students in different institutions and see it as an

important educational goal, they do not state exactly what they mean by “critical thinking.”

Students must be able to think critically inside the classroom for academic purposes and outside

the classroom as well. Students are exposed to a vast volume of authentic materials, most

noticeably, while surfing the net. Students also need critical thinking to deal with the challenges

they encounter in their workplace after graduation or in their daily lives. Another benefit of

introducing critical thinking is that it can enable students to deal with the technological world

and keep up with emerging trends in technology (Edman, 2008; Ennis, 2018; Hervás & Miralles,

2006; Huijie, 2010; Wade, 2008).

Several definitions have been provided by various authors to define critical thinking. For

example, Facione (2011) defined critical thinking as “purposeful, self-regulatory judgment which

results in interpretation, evaluation, and inference as well as explanation of the evidential,

conceptual, methodological, criteriological, or contextual considerations upon which judgment is

based” (p. 826). A similar definition is suggested by Astleitner (2002), who viewed critical

thinking as a higher-order thinking skill which includes evaluating arguments, and is a

purposeful, self-regulatory judgment that ends in interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and

inference. It is clear from the two definitions that critical thinking requires many things to be

achieved. This is shown by Halonen & Gray (2000), who maintain that critical thinking is not

one activity; rather, the term refers to a collection of thinking skills that advance intellectual

focus, motivation, and engagement with new ideas. These thinking skills include the ability to

recognize patterns; to solve problems in practical, creative, or scientific ways; to engage in

psychological reasoning; and to adopt different perspectives when evaluating ideas or issues.

Teaching students to think critically inside or outside the classroom improves their abilities to

observe, infer, question, decide, develop new ideas, and analyze arguments. However, students

have to be involved in different activities to hone their critical thinking skills. Astington and

Olson (1995) asserted that it is hard to tell how students process thinking in their minds because

thinking has no behavioral standards, but rather you can deduce how students process thinking

by observing their actions as they are involved in different tasks. In the case of reading, reading

Overview

Investigating The Effects Of Critical Reading Skills On Students’ Reading Comprehension

Critical reading skills significantly enhance students' reading comprehension, as explored in this research paper by Muhammad A. Al Roomy. The study investigates how critical reading strategies can improve understanding and engagement with texts among university students. It highlights the importance of active participation in reading and the role of group work in fostering critical thinking. The findings suggest that integrating critical reading skills into the curriculum can help students overcome reading challenges and develop a deeper understanding of the material. This research is particularly relevant for educators and students in English language learning contexts. Key Points Explores the impact of critical reading skills on comprehension Analyzes the role of group work in enh…

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FAQs

what are the effects of critical reading skills on students’ reading comprehension

The study investigates the effects of critical reading skills on students’ reading comprehension.

Critical reading enhances students' ability to understand texts beyond surface meaning.
Students reported improved skills such as making inferences and activating prior knowledge.
Engaging in group work fostered collaboration and deeper comprehension.

how can critical reading skills improve reading comprehension

Critical reading skills can significantly improve reading comprehension by enabling students to analyze and evaluate texts effectively.

Students learn to identify main ideas and supporting details.
They develop the ability to make inferences based on context.
Critical reading encourages dialogue with the text, enhancing engagement and understanding.

what difficulties do students face when reading critically

Students encounter several difficulties when applying critical reading skills.

Common challenges include dealing with difficult vocabulary and insufficient exposure to varied texts.
Many students struggle to identify main ideas and make inferences.
Limited practice and training in critical reading strategies contribute to these difficulties.

what are students’ views on critical reading skills

Students have diverse views on critical reading skills, often defining them in various ways.

Some see critical reading as a way of thinking or a set of complex questions.
Others view it as an essential skill for understanding deeper meanings in texts.
Many students acknowledge the importance of critical reading for academic success.

how does group work impact critical reading skills

Group work positively impacts critical reading skills by fostering collaboration among students.

It encourages students to share different perspectives and insights.
Working in groups allows for discussion, which enhances understanding of the material.
Students become more engaged and responsible for their learning process.

what methodologies were used in the study on critical reading skills

The study employed various methodologies to investigate critical reading skills.

Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires to gauge students' views.
Learning logs were utilized to stimulate reflections and enhance cognitive control.
Participant observations provided insights into student interactions during reading tasks.

what findings were revealed about critical reading skills

The findings revealed significant effects of critical reading skills on students’ reading comprehension.

Students improved their ability to read between and beyond the lines of texts.
They reported enhanced motivation and engagement with reading materials.
Critical reading skills helped students overcome common reading problems.

how does critical reading relate to academic success

Critical reading is closely linked to academic success, as it fosters essential skills for understanding complex texts.

Students who read critically tend to perform better academically.
It enables them to engage with materials more deeply, enhancing retention and comprehension.
Critical reading also prepares students for real-world challenges beyond academia.