The effect of activities based on developing meaning-making skills on reading comprehesion, reading comprehension, reading attitudes, and the use of reading stratedies

This thesis research takes students' reading comprehension problems as its point of departure. Since reading comprehension skills are regarded as the foundation of the entire learning process, it was assumed that these problems could be addressed through meaning-making–based activities implemented in Turkish language courses. Accordingly, the study examined the effects of such activities on students' reading comprehension skills and reading attitudes. The research was conducted with 73 seventh-grade students at a secondary school located in the city center of Tokat during the 2024–2025 academic year. Two classes with similar academic achievement levels were selected; one was designated as the control group (38 students) and the other as the experimental group (35 students). An experimental pre-test/post-test control group design was employed. In the study, the "Reading Comprehension Strategies Scale", the "Attitude Toward Reading Scale" and the "Reading Comprehension Achievement Test" developed by the researcher were administered. A six-week Turkish lesson plan including activities designed to improve seventh-grade students' meaning-making skills was implemented. Data from the pre- and post-tests were analyzed using quantitative data analysis methods. The results revealed that meaning-making–based activities improved students' reading comprehension achievement, use of reading strategies, and attitudes toward reading.