The Effect of Student-Related and Text-Related Characteristics on Student’s Reading Behaviour and Text Comprehension: An Eye Movement Study

Abstract

The focus of the present study was on the mediation and moderation effects of reading processes as evidenced from eye movements on the relation between cognitive and linguistic student characteristics (word decoding, vocabulary, comprehension skill, short-term memory, working memory, and nonverbal intelligence) and text comprehension. Forty 4th graders read 4 explanatory texts and afterward answered text comprehension questions. During their reading, eye-movements of gaze, look back, and second pass duration were examined for the heading, first sentence, and final sentence. The result show differential effects of reader and text characteristics on skipping probability, driven by decoding and nonverbal intelligence. Regression probability and regression path duration are also influenced by decoding. Concluding, this study shows reading behaviour to be related to both students’ skills and text comprehension measures.