The effects of active learning on reading comprehension, critical thinking and classroom interaction

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of active learning and traditional teaching methods on reading comprehension, critical thinking skills and classroom interaction, and to determine the relationship between reading comprehension and critical thinking skills.The method of the research study included pre-tests and post-tests with an experimental and control group, and the study took place in two different eight grades of a middle socio-economic status school in the second semester of 2006-2007 academic year. While active learning methods and instructional tasks were used in experimental group, traditional teaching methods were used in control group for 13 weeks.Data of the research were gathered by a reading comprehension test developed by the researcher, Ennis- Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test translated into Turkish, and audio recordings.Mean, Standard Deviation, t Test, Analysis of Variance, Scheffé Test, and Correlation methods were used in the analysis of quantitative data whereas audio recordings were analysed after being coded and categorised by the researcher.The research results indicate that active learning methods are more effective than traditional teaching methods on reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. A medium correlation has been found between reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. Reading comprehension skills did not show a difference in terms of gender; however, critical thinking skills were determined to show a significant difference in terms of gender. The active learning groups were found to employ answering the questions/explaining, leading the group/role of the instructor, reading the questions aloud, joining the group work/work and completion behaviours more frequently than the other specified categories.