The effects of juvenile fictions on reading skill and the analysis of these novels in terms of value transmission

This study has been done to determine the effects of reading juvenile fictions on reading attitude, use of reading strategies, reading speed, comprehension and significance given to the values and to determine the values transmitted in the juvenile fictions that were used as the reading materials during the experimental process.In the study itself, pretest-posttest design with both experimental and control groups was used. The data was gained and studied via quantitative research techniques. Besides, descriptive analysis, one of the qualitative research techniques, was also used to study the answers of teachers and students to the questions in a semi-structured questionnaire and to investigate the previously read juvenile fictions in terms of values.The process of research was carried out in the city of Kırşehir in the first semester of the 2010-2011 academic years. As the experimental group, two tenth grade classes (17), (16) from Prof. Dr. İlhan KILIÇÖZLÜ Science High School and as the control group one tenth grade class (17) from Kırşehir Anatolian Teacher Training High School were chosen considering their SBS (High School Placement Test) results. As pre-test for the experimental and control groups, Reading Attitude Scale (RAS), Determination of Reading Strategy Scale (DRSS), Humanistic Values Scale (HVS), forms to determine the significance given to the values, different kind of texts to determine the reading speed of students, and also achievement tests related to these texts were used. The experimental groups were made to read ten juvenile fictions in 13 weeks? time. After completing the experimental process, the same scales, similar texts to the ones in pre-test and the achievement tests related to these texts were used as post-test. To analyse the gained data, SPSS 15 and Lisrel 8.80 software were used.At the end of the research, it was seen that students? attitude toward reading, their reading speed and their level of comprehension has increased in a positive and meaningful way. Moreover, there are changes in the order of significance given to the values by the experimental groups. On the other hand, in use of reading strategies, although there is a difference in favour of the experimental groups, this difference is not noteworthy and this experimental process did not cause a remarkable difference in the points obtained in the Humanistic Values Scale.The juvenile fictions used in the experimental process were also examined according to the classification presented in Social Science Course Curriculum. In the fictions, it has been confirmed that love, honesty, unity of family, being scientific and tolerance are covered more often than the values such as independence, patriotism, sensitiveness, peace, hospitality and aesthetic.