閱讀策略教學對國中生英文閱讀能力之成效

Abstract

本研究的目的是在探討「明示閱讀策略教學」對於台灣國中生英文閱讀能力之效益，並研究此教學策略對國中生在閱讀測驗中不同題型的成效。此外，更深入研究國中生對閱讀策略的使用及對閱讀策略教學的回應。\r\n研究對象是桃園市某國中76位八年級的學生，隨機分派為一實驗組，一控制組。實驗組學生在十五週中接受六種閱讀策略的訓練，包括預測、略讀找出大意、瀏覽找到特定資訊、推測、利用上下文猜生字意思、自我修正。訓練方式採「明示策略教學」，強調老師說明及示範、引導練習、自我練習及應用。研究的主要工具是前、後測（採自全民英檢閱讀測驗）、學生應用閱讀策略問卷、及學生對此教學策略的回饋問卷。\r\n研究結果發現：\r\n(一) 教授閱讀策略技巧有助於學生的閱讀理解。接受閱讀策略教學的實驗組學生於後測階段，在閱讀理解測驗的表現明顯優於未接受閱讀策略的控制組學生。\r\n(二) 閱讀策略教學有助於學生對各類型測驗題目（確認大意、文章細節、推論、猜測字意等）之掌握與理解。\r\n(三) 明示閱讀策略教學有助於增強學生對閱讀策略的觀念及用法。大部分受\r\n試者在實驗前不知道這些策略，但於教學後都了解並喜歡使用這些策略。\r\n(四) 問卷結果顯示：大部分的實驗組學生對於「明示閱讀教學」在英語閱讀表現上的成效抱持肯定態度，尤其以利用瀏覽找特定資訊及略讀了解主旨為大多數學生認為是最實用的閱讀策略。\r\n\r\n本研究者建議國中生應學習閱讀策略以提昇閱讀理解能力，而英文老師應於國一時即有系統地將閱讀策略教學融入英文課中，以幫助學生長期並廣泛地使用閱讀策略。此外，老師們應加強學生靈活運用由上而下及由下而上的閱讀策略，以達到有效的閱讀。再者，老師們應加強學生使用閱讀策略回答測驗問題的能力。最後，老師們應藉由策略教學及有趣的教材提高學生的閱讀興趣及動機。

This study explores the effects of the explicit instruction of reading strategies on EFL junior high school students’ reading comprehension. The study further investigates if there are significant effects of reading strategies on reading comprehension for students in different types of questions. It also examines the students’ use of reading strategies and their responses to the strategy instruction.\r\nThe participants of this study were 76 eighth-grade students from two classes at a junior high school in Taoyuan. Class 802 was the experimental group, and Class 825 was the control group. A fifteen-week explicit strategies instruction with its focus on six strategies (making predictions, skimming for the main idea, scanning for important information, making inferences, guessing the meanings of unfamiliar words from context, and self-monitoring) was given to all the participants in the experimental group. These strategies were taught explicitly, with their emphasis on modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and application. The reading comprehension test of GEPT－elementary level was used as the pretest and posttest to measure the participants’ reading comprehension ability before and after the instruction. A questionnaire was conducted to investigate the use of reading strategies both in the pretest and posttest. \r\nThe major findings of the study are summarized as follows.\r\n1. The strategies instruction was effective in promoting the participants’ reading comprehension. There is a significant difference in the reading performance between the experimental group and control group. When reading strategies are instructed to the experimental group, the group has the significant improvement in reading comprehension.\r\n\r\n2. The strategies instruction helped the participants better comprehend main idea questions, detail questions, inference questions, and word-guessing questions.\r\n3. The strategies instruction helped the participants build up knowledge and use the instructed strategies. Most of the participants did not have a clear idea of these strategies before the instruction, but they had learned to use these strategies and liked to use them after the instruction.\r\n4. Most of the subjects had a positive response toward the strategies instruction. The strategies regarded by the participants as the most practical ones were “scanning for important information” and “skimming for the main idea”.\r\n\r\nThe study provides several pedagogical implications. First, EFL junior high school students should learn reading strategies to improve their reading comprehension, and EFL teachers should provide them with explicit strategies instruction in a systematic way from the first year. Second, the strategy instruction should be incorporated into regular English class to help strengthen students’ long-term strategy use. Third, EFL teachers should help students use flexibly both top-down and bottom-up models to achieve effective and efficient reading. Fourth, in assessing students’ reading comprehension, EFL teachers should strengthen students’ use of strategies in answering comprehension questions. Last but not least, EFL teachers should arouse students’ interest and motivate them in English reading through strategy instruction and attractive text resources.