The effect of main idea strategy instruction on finding main idea and reading comprehension

Recent studies have pointed the importance of the main idea determination and researchers always give a top place to the skill of the finding main idea in lists of reading comprehension skills they prepared. As a matter of fact, some researchers define the main idea as ?the center of the reading comprehension wheel?. In this study, the impact of teaching finding main idea strategies on the finding main idea and reading comprehension was investigated. Teaching finding main idea strategies applied to the students in experimental group and traditional teaching method applied to students in control group were compared on the basis of the impact on the improvement of reading comprehension and finding main idea skills. For this purpose, the answers of the following questions were searched: Between the experimental and control groups; 1. Is there any difference in finding main idea skills? 2. Is there any difference in finding the topic? 3. Is there any difference in reading comprehension skills? Between the experimental and control groups; 4. Does the skill of finding topic differ depending on the type of text? 5. Does the skill of finding main idea differ depending on the type of text? 6. Does the skill of reading comprehension differ depending on the type of text? In this study, a pretest-posttest with control group model approach was used. A pilot study was conducted for 3 weeks to determine the applicability and the effectiveness of the finding main idea strategy in the application. One of these group was out of control and experimental group, while, the other group was experimental group. v The study groups comprise 5/A (control group) and 5/B (experimental group) classes in Emin Saglamer Primary School, a public school in which instruction was conducted by Ministry of National Education. While experimental group was taught finding main idea strategies, traditional teaching was continued in control group. The same texts were used in both groups during the study. Data were collected using Observation Forms, Interview Forms for Students and Teachers, Reading Comprehension and Finding Main Idea Forms as pretests-posttests, which were developed by the researcher. In the analysis of qualitative data, some statistical techniques, such as; percentage, frequency, average and t test for independent groups were used, while, the analysis of quantitative data were done using descriptive statistical method. Study results showed that between experimental and test groups; 1. A significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding finding main idea skills. 2. A significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding skills of finding topic. 3. A significant difference was found in experimental group?s favor regarding reading comprehension skills. 4. Regarding the skills of finding topic; although no significant difference was observed between groups in expository texts, a significant difference was observed in experimental group?s favor in narrative texts. 5. Regarding the skills of finding main idea; although no significant difference was observed between groups in expository texts, a significant difference was observed in experimental group?s favor in narrative texts. 6. Regarding reading comprehension skill, a significant difference was observed in experimental group?s favor not only in expository texts, but also in narrative texts