Extended strategy-use instruction to improve students’ reading proficiency in a content subject

Abstract

Background Student reading challenges have been reported worldwide. In many classrooms around the world, teaching students appropriate strategy-use has been a technique used to improve comprehension and improve reading proficiency. However, strategy-use instruction per se may not produce holistic results. Objectives This article reports on an extended strategy-use instruction to improve students' reading proficiency in a particular subject area. The technique of role-play, as well as an integration of affective strategies, was used to improve the cohort of first-year students' reading of subject-specific texts. Method The intervention was conducted by way of tutorials. A questionnaire was used to elicit students' views and opinions after the intervention. The responses were analysed using content analysis of emerging themes. Results Students reported benefiting from the intervention with respect to reading their assigned texts, as well as increased motivation. Conclusion It is recommended that strategy-use instruction include other innovative techniques such as role-play to improve students' reading proficiency in a specific subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]