The Effects of Comprehensive Reading Strategy Instruction on Elementary Students’ Reading Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Surismiati Surismiati; Gunawan Gunawan; Ayu Wulandari; Mustofa Mustofa; Danto Danto; Kurnia Saputri; Jeni Amiriski

doi:10.35445/alishlah.v18i1.9462

The Effects of Comprehensive Reading Strategy Instruction on Elementary Students’ Reading Comprehension: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Surismiati Surismiati, Gunawan Gunawan, Ayu Wulandari, Mustofa Mustofa, Danto Danto, Kurnia Saputri, Jeni Amiriski

Abstract

Reading comprehension is a fundamental literacy skill that significantly influences the academic achievement of elementary school students. Despite its importance, classroom reading instruction frequently emphasizes surface-level activities and lacks explicit, integrated teaching of reading strategies. The present study investigates the impact of comprehensive reading strategies on the reading comprehension ability of elementary school students. A quasi-experimental design was employed, utilizing a pretest–posttest control group model. Data analysis was conducted using an independent t-test on posttest scores. The sample comprised 60 grade V students from SD Muhammadiyah 16 Palembang, divided equally into experimental (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). The experimental group received integrated, strategy-based reading instruction encompassing pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading stages, whereas the control group received conventional reading instruction. Reading comprehension was assessed using a test measuring four aspects: literal, inferential, critical, and creative comprehension. Data were analyzed with an independent sample t-test after confirming normality and homogeneity of variance. Results indicated that the experimental group achieved a higher posttest mean score (M = 82.30) compared to the control group (M = 71.25). This difference was statistically significant, t(58) = 4.87, p <.001, with a large effect size (Cohen's d ≈ 1.26). These findings indicate that comprehensive reading strategies are effective in enhancing elementary students’ reading comprehension. Successful implementation of these strategies requires teacher training and systematic integration into the elementary reading curriculum. Limitations of the study include non-randomized group assignments, restriction to a single school, and a relatively short intervention period.

Keywords

reading comprehension; comprehensive reading strategies; elementary education; quasi-experimental research

Full Text:

PDF

References

Afflerbach, P., Pearson, P. D., & Paris, S. G. (2017). Skills and strategies: Their differences, their relationships, and why it matters. The Reading Teacher, 70(2), 145–154. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1520

Cain, K., & Oakhill, J. (2014). Reading comprehension and vocabulary: Is vocabulary more important for some aspects of comprehension? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 123, 410–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2014.01.003

Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading progresses: Communicating advances beyond the simple view of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56(S1), S25–S44. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.411

Duke, N. K., & Pearson, P. D. (2002). Effective practices for developing reading comprehension. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J. Samuels (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction (3rd ed., pp. 205–242). International Reading Association.

Duke, N. K., Pearson, P. D., Strachan, S. L., & Billman, A. K. (2011). Essential elements of fostering and teaching reading comprehension. The Reading Teacher, 65(1), 51–93. https://doi.org/10.1002/TRTR.01020

Elleman, A. M., & Oslund, E. L. (2019). Reading comprehension research: Implications for practice and policy. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 6(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732218816339

Graesser, A. C. (2015). Deeper learning with advances in discourse science and technology. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2(1), 42–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/2372732215600888

Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2017). Engagement in reading. In S. E. Israel (Ed.), Handbook of reading research (Vol. 4, pp. 345–369). Routledge.

Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., & You, W. (2012). Instructional contexts for engagement and achievement in reading. In S. L. Christenson et al. (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 601–634). Springer.

Guthrie, J. T., Klauda, S. L., & Ho, A. N. (2020). Modeling the relationships among reading instruction, motivation, engagement, and achievement. Reading Research Quarterly, 55(3), 335–356.

Kintsch, W. (1998). Comprehension: A paradigm for cognition. Cambridge University Press.

McKeown, M. G., Beck, I. L., & Blake, R. G. (2016). Rethinking reading comprehension instruction. The Reading Teacher, 69(4), 391–397. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1422

OECD. (2019). PISA 2018 results: What students know and can do. OECD Publishing.

Oo, T. Z., & Habók, A. (2020). The Development of a Reflective Teaching Model for Reading Comprehension in English Language Teaching. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 13(1), 127-138.

Pearson, P. D., & Cervetti, G. N. (2017). The roots of reading comprehension instruction. In S.

Perfetti, C. A., & Stafura, J. (2014). Word knowledge in a theory of reading comprehension. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888438.2013.827687

Pressley, M., & Afflerbach, P. (1995). Verbal protocols of reading: The nature of constructively responsive reading. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. RAND Corporation.

Snow, C. E. (2018). Reading and language development: Research and practice. Harvard Education Press.

UNESCO. (2017). Reading the past, writing the future: Fifty years of promoting literacy. UNESCO Publishing.

Vaughn, S., et al. (2021). Effects of a reading comprehension intervention for elementary students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000472

Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v18i1.9462