An Exploration of the Practice of Teaching Reading Skills in Grade 9 at Shewit Secondary School
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Date
2024-08
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to explore the strategies used in teaching reading skills in Shewit secondary school. To this end, special attention was given to incorporate various kinds of teaching reading strategies which are identified by scholars. In order to carry out the research, questionnaires were used as a major data gathering tools. The questionnaires were distributed to thirty five grade nine students who were attending class in Shewit secondary school in2012 academic year. Besides, interview was conducted with three teachers who are currently teaching English in the stated school. There were 350 grade nine students in Shewit secondary school. Out of these students, thirty five students were selected using random sampling in a lottery system. Interview was conducted with all the English teachers who were teaching grade nine students in the stated academic year. The data collected through interview was analyzed using percentage and mean. The data gathered through questionnaire was analyzed qualitatively. The study indicated that grade nine teachers’ implemented number of teaching reading strategies when they teach reading skill in English classroom. They mainly used interactive teaching reading strategies such as inferring, questioning and answering, predicting, confirming or disconfirming. They also implemented some text initiated strategies such as using text structure, focusing on vocabulary, summarizing, restating the text, paraphrasing, using context, rereading, decoding. Teachers implemented rarely reader initiated teaching reading strategies. Based on the finding, it has been recommended that teachers should be encouraged to use different types of teaching reading strategies cooperatively so as to help them their students improve their reading skill.