Primary school teachers' processes and experiences in using strategies to improve reading comprehension skills

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the strategies used by primary school teachers to improve reading comprehension skills and their experiences during the classroom implementation of these strategies. Material and Method: The study was conducted using the phenomenology design within the framework of the qualitative research approach. The study group consists of primary school teachers with different professional experiences. The data were collected through a semi-structured interview form and analyzed using the content analysis method. During the analysis process, the data were coded, and similar codes were grouped together to form themes. Results: As a result of the research, it was determined that primary school teachers perceive reading comprehension skills as a central element not only for Turkish lessons but for all academic achievements. It was found that teachers frequently use strategies such as activating prior knowledge, questioning, visualization, and summarizing during the teaching process; they take student level, text type, and learning outcomes as the main criteria when selecting these strategies. Furthermore, despite the importance given to material diversity, structural problems such as high class sizes and lack of time were seen to limit the use of strategies. Among the findings is that as teachers' professional experience increases, they become more flexible in their strategy preferences and update their methods according to student needs. Conclusion: The research findings reveal that reading comprehension is a fundamental skill affecting academic success in all subjects. It was understood that primary school teachers adopt an approach that is sensitive to student characteristics and develops with experience in strategy use. However, addressing structural problems such as class size and lack of time is of great importance for making strategy use more effective. It is thought that the results of the research will contribute to the professional development processes of primary school teachers and reading instruction practices.