The effect of reading strategies on English reading comprehension

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of reading strategies on reading comprehension and how these strategies affect the scores of the participants at SSPC. The study was a 15-week action research, whose participants were 9 agricultural engineers, learning English as a foreign language and for academic purposes. Data were collected through daily notes kept by the researcher, perception questionnaires, interviews were audio-taped, and SSPC standard exams were applied at the end of the study. The first three data collection instruments were assessed via content analysis, and the statistical values of the SSPC standard exams were assessed through Friedmann Test. The increasing comprehension level was found to be significant. The findings of all the instruments support one another. Results of the study indicate that while reading through the using of reading-strategies affects the comprehension level and the scores of the participants positively. In the course of the effects of seven reading strategies were studied and among them summarizing and ask-and-answer questions strategies were found to be more effective, provided more positive results and motivation. Key Words: Reading Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Action Research, SSPC Standard Exams, Content Analysis