Teaching Beyond the Text: How Gender, Experience, and Grade Level Shape Reading Comprehension Instruction among EFL Teachers in Qatar

Abstract

Persistent gaps in reading achievement among students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Qatar have raised concerns about the effectiveness of reading comprehension instruction. This quantitative, descriptive study investigates the ways in which EFL teachers’ reading comprehension instruction in Qatar government schools varies according to each teacher’s gender, length of teaching experience, and grade level. Data were collected from 754 EFL teachers via an online questionnaire distributed through the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. The survey measured teachers’ use of reading comprehension strategies and explicit instruction. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed significant trends and variations across these variables. Female teachers scored higher in both the implementation of reading strategies (M = 50.68) and explicit strategy instruction (M = 24.68) compared to male teachers (M = 48.46; M = 23.8). Conversely, no significant multivariate effect was found for teaching experience or grade level, although novice (0–5 years) and secondary-level teachers consistently reported lower strategy use than their peers. The implications of these findings suggest the need for targeted professional development to enhance strategy use, particularly among male and secondary-level teachers, and tailored programs to support novice teachers’ transition from explicit to flexible instruction. The study contributes to a better understanding of the demographic influences on reading comprehension instruction in EFL contexts and informs efforts to improve literacy outcomes through teacher development.