Relationship between reading comprehension revels of the primary school age students and their metacognitive strategies

VI ABSTRACT The aim of the study to identify the relationship between reading comprehension revels of the primary- school age students and their metacognitive strategies and to make students aware of their metacognitive strategy use and to improve these strategies. A total of 222 fifth-grade students and 6 teachers participated in the study. These students were attending to the following schools during 2001- 2002 school year. After excluding those students who did not participate in all study activities or those who did not take part in pre test or post test, a total of 190 students formed the sample of the study. Experimental group n: 95, control grup n: 95. Two data collection tools were used, 1- Reading Comprehension Test (OAT) and 2- Metacognitive Strategies Awareness Scale (BÖSFÖ). Furthermore, 3- Teacher Observation Form (ÖGF) was devoloped in order to help the teacher in solving possible problems during the study and to guide the teacher in accordance with the aims of the study. The mean scores of experimental and control groups were compared using arithmetical mean, standard deviation, dependent and independent t-test. In order to find the effect of the use of metacognitive strategies on reading comprehension level, simple regression analysis was employed. The findings of the study can be briefly stated as follows: 1- In the pre test, there was no difference between the scores of the experimental group and those of control group concerning reading comprehension. 2- Regarding achievement scores on reading comprehension of experimental and control groups it was found that increase in mean scores ofvıı experimental group on rinding the main theme of text was not statistically significant but the increase in their mean scores on estimating the conclusion statistically significant acoording to t- test. 3- Post test findings showed that reading comprehension skills towards estimating conclusion in experimental group is higher and more succesful in contrast to control students. On the other hand, there was no difference between control group and experimental group regarding rinding the main theme skill. This rinding suggests that changes observed in student achievement can be regarded as a result of activities performed in expermental group. 4- Any statistically significant difference was found between the pre test scores of experimental students on such metacognitive strategies as planning, monitering, evulation and overall strategies use and the pre test scores of control students on the use of metacognitive strategies. However, it is quite natural because when control and experimental groups were formed, the students were matched. 5- In order to see whether or not achievement scores of both groups on the use of such metacognitive strategies as planning, monitoring, evulation and overall use of these strategies, comparision was made. It was found that the use of metacognitive strategies and achievement scores concerning these strategies of experimental group were increased at a statistically significant level. Therfore, it may be argued that experimental students acquired these skills. 6- The results of post test revealed that the use of metacognitive strategies in experimental group is both higher and more common in contrast to control group. Thus, the increase in the use of metacognitive strategy skills may be regarded as a result of experimental activities in the studuy.