MACRO READING SKILLS INCORPORATED IN GAZA PREPARATORY STAGE ENGLISH TEXTBOOKS AND TEACHERS' PROBLEMS WITH INSTRUCTING THEM

Abstract

The final goal of any reading activity is to extract the macro-level meaning (Sadeghi, 2021). The study aimed to examine macro-reading skills incorporated in Gaza preparatory stage English textbooks. The study also aimed at investigating the preparatory stage teachers' problems with instructing such skills. The researcher employed an evaluation checklist to examine macro-reading skills included in Palestinian preparatory stage English textbooks. Then, she conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 teachers teaching English to preparatory school students (seventh, eighth, and ninth graders) in Gaza so as to identify their problems with teaching macro-reading skills. Results indicated that the three English textbooks neglected many important macro skills of reading (e.g., identifying implied meaning in a passage, recognizing a sequence, making comparisons, and identifying the rhetorical form of the text). Additionally, the interview data revealed the participants' problems with teaching macro skills of reading (e.g., teachers' focus on micro skills at the expense of macro skills of reading and teachers' lack of knowledge about macro-reading skills). Article visualizations: