Extended essay Nataly -Tiara-Ximena

Introduction

Reading is one of the four skills that students have to develop in order to learn and improve their
knowledge of english or other languages because it helps them to discover new vocabulary.
However, anxiety is a factor that could affect students therefore the level of students’ anxiety may
influence reading performance.Nowadays, it is important to add the pandemic context that
students are living in relation to online classes could be a factor that affects their anxiety in reading
performance hence teachers strategies may help to reduce this situation.

To start, it is essential to emphasise that anxiety is a human emotion that causes a feeling of fear,
tension and frustration (Jafarigohar, 2012), Vasa and Pine (2004) said that anxiety could affect in
three aspects such as behavioral, cognitive and physiological,that is why it can affect the learning
process of a second language. According to Jafarigohar (2004), anxiety could cause negative as well
as positive reactions in people, could be facilitating affecting learning and performance positively,
being stimulating, because sometimes it is necessary to be ready to face challenges. To the contrary,
anxiety can be out of control, affecting in a bad way, adopting an avoidant behaviour with the new
task. If anxiety is used as an advantage, it could be said that it works as a motivation, if it is described
as a disadvantage, it could be described as debilitating. In addition,there is a special type of anxiety
which directly affects the process of learning a new language which is called Foreing Language
Anxiety.

Teachers need to pay attention and analyze this factor when they are teaching to reach significant
learning as Zheng (2008) says “Anxiety can interfere in all language acquisition stages: input, process,
and output. In other words, understanding the causes and consequences of language anxiety from a
contextual point of view is vital in facilitating the language acquisition process and development” In
the same way, the teaching methods that teachers use in classes may help to reduce reading
anxiety, for that reason topics can be related with topics that provoke interest in their students as
Sellers (2000) mentions “ they are likely to facilitate language learning through providing a
supportive and friendly environment, applying non threatening teaching methods and making use of
interesting topics and themes which are relevant to the learner’s lives and interests” As a
consequence, the strategy that teachers apply in classes can be a good method against their
students’ reading anxiety.

As we mentioned before these types of strategies should be useful for the students to feel more
comfortable and less anxious, but it is not only the methods which teachers can apply in classes. It is
important how students use their own tools when they are reading by themselves, for instance:
online classes, at home etc. Lien (2011) mentions some strategies as, reading aloud, paraphrasing,
guessing, re-reading a text, translation, using a dictionary etc. The successful use of reading
strategies benefits learners’ reading comprehension (Huang, Chern, & Lin, 2009). Additionally,
several studies have shown reading strategy use is also positively correlated with reading
comprehension (AlNujaidi, 2003; Darabie, 2000; Song, 1999). So “it is clear Reading strategies are
techniques or conscious actions taken to improve understanding and solve difficulties encountered
in reading”.(Lin,2011).
.

Referencias

Jafarigohar, M., & Behrooznia, S. (2012). The Effect of Anxiety on Reading Comprehension
among Distance EFL Learners. International Education Studies, 5, 159-174.

Sellers, V.D. (2000), Anxiety and Reading Comprehension in Spanish as a Foreign Language.
Foreign Language Annals, 33: 512-520. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2000.tb01995.x

Vasa, R. A., & Pine, D. S. (2004). Neurobiology in anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. In T.
R. Morris & J. S. March (Eds), Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. (pp. 3-26). New York:
Guilford Press.

Zheng, Y. (2008). Anxiety and second/foreign language learning revisited. Canadian Journal for New
Scholars in Education/Revue canadienne des jeunes chercheures et chercheurs en education, 1(1).
https://cdm.ucalgary.ca/index.php/cjnse/article/view/30393

https://camtesol.org/Download/LEiA_Vol2_Iss2_2011/LEiA_V2_I2_03_Lien_EFL_Learners_Reading_
Strategy_Use_in_Relation_to_Reading_Anxiety.pdf
Lo que tiene que tener el research paper.

a. Abstract (purpose, methodology, results, main conclusion) 200 words

Key words
b. Introduction (theoretical background where the author introduces the topic and may
report the state of present knowledge or current beliefs regarding the main point of the
research) finishing with the purpose of your research
c. Methodology (steps of the research project are explained, subjects are described and
the means of gathering the data are set forth - questionnaires, interviews, experiments and
so on)
d. Results (information emerged from the analysis of the data you obtained by using
tables /graphs as well as text)
e. Conclusions (general remarks regarding findings of the research - comparing them
with the theoretical framework if possible - and their relevance in some larger context)
f. References (APA)

a. Abstract (purpose, methodology, results, main conclusion) 200 words

Key words

b. Introduction (theoretical background where the author introduces the topic and
may report the state of present knowledge or current beliefs regarding the main point
of the research) finishing with the purpose of your research

During the years 2020 thousand millions students were affected by the closed of their schools, due to
the fact of the pandemic context by SARS-CoV-2 around the world (UNESCO,2020) For that reason,
UNESCO encourage the implementation of learning program at distance and recommended open
educative platform for schools and teacher to reach to students at distance (UNESCO 2020). As a
consequence, students started to learn from home in the same way teachers started to work at home.
Therefore, distance education in a virtual environment is shown as a near possibility assuming that
every space is different and challenging (División Educación General, 2020). It is important to
understand how students confront their studies from the motivational area, if there are habits to study
or if students can concentrate while they are doing an activity, in the personal context for each one.
As we mentioned before, teachers also have had hard homework in maintaining the learning in their
students, as a result they must change their teaching method. The main orientation for teachers in a
context with distance classes through virtual spaces is that their role is transformed into an
intermediary and a guide in relation to the students’ learning. This was divided into four parts; the
first one is the organizational form where the teacher prepares the class, uses a mechanism to
encourage participation and communication between him and his students, additionally the use of
technology platforms. The second is the social form related to a comfortable learning environment in
classes. The third is the pedagogical form in which the teacher helps with his knowledge in discipline
and focuses on discussions related with actual themes, also keeping their students under observation.
Seeing that the pandemic was a surprise for everyone, this change in learning methodology shows that
a lot of teachers need a perfection in the use of technology to complement their classes, now they are
learning at the moment ( Russell, 2020) . 

This new situation shows a reality in relation to how Chileans’ primary students in the Araucania
region are confronting this distance learning also to know the teacher's perspective. It is possible that
exists external variables that can create particular difficult situations, such as familiar problems or
personal, students with the economic disadvantage and students who live in rural zone without
internet access, this are the major inconvenient since the closed of a school (Russell, 2020). In the
same way, this scenery brings secondary effects in the psychological and motivational scope, for
example the lack of motivation or anxiety increase. Likewise, language teachers and their students
were practically obligated to accustom to a online environment, without the time or enough
preparation, additionality, this is a stress cause for both teachers and students (Russell, 2020) It is
necessary to understand how students confront english reading activities, if they doing that in a
satisfactory way or not, and what is the level of that factors are reflected in the scholar performance
and motivation.

In the motivational area we found anxiety and the study of this in a foreing language, but in the same
way a little bit researches that have been studied this phenomenon in a distance educational context in
learning virtual spaces ( Rusell, 2020) In a first view, read in a foreing language seems to be not
much influenced by the anxiety effects in a efficiency level due to the fact that it is not show at the
rest of class (Rajab et al, 2012). In this aspect, at least two foreing reading aspect seems to provoke
anxiety: Writing system not knowing and unknown cultural material (Saito, Horwitz, Garza, 1999)
Moreover, Aydin (2018) mention how the use of technology and its relation with anxiety in a foreing
language learning is a theme that is not taken by the researchers. Students may present anxiety related
with the application of new educational technology, learning languages and the local situation also
the actual related with pandemic (Rusell, 2020)
This can be a reason due to is useful know how anxiety affect the learning in a foreign language
seeing that every factor that cause anxiety will have effects in the language learning at a
technological environment (Aydin, 2018)

It is essential to understand the anxiety level according to FLARS (Foreign Language Reading
Anxiety Scale), the english academic performance in reading in relation to sex and age in different
students also how this affect the understanding and learning. Olds references such as Horwitz (1986)
mentioned that girls are more prone to suffer anxiety than boys and also the level varies according to
age. Therefore, through this study and in spite of the crisis that were shown in our educational
system, it can identify lack and reinforce it in order to change the point of view that we give to english
teaching at distance moreover improve students’ experience and pedagogical practice.

c. Methodology (steps of the research project are explained, subjects are described and
the means of gathering the data are set forth - questionnaires, interviews, experiments and
so on)

VARIABLES
Dependent: Reading performance
Independent: anxiety
The purpose of this research is to correlate primary school pupils’ anxiety and reading
comprehension performance in English.

This research is directly aimed at analyzing how anxiety affects students' reading
performance in a pandemic context, which is oriented to collect perceptions about anxiety in
relation to reading comprehension as a foreign language (english) with a series of reading
comprehension exercises for students that are studying in Elementary school.

The qualitative area was used as a basic qualitative study (Merriam, 2009, P22) that consists
of a wide range of narrative data collection strategies, to get to know the perceptions of
English teachers in the Araucania Region associated with this study phenomenon.The use of
qualitative and quantitative techniques allows for a broader understanding of the phenomenon
investigated. Recent developments in social science research have termed these approaches as
mixed. According to Creswell and Plano (2011) the mixed design employed in this research
is called convergent parallel, or convergent design.
Participants correspond to 88 students’ in Elementary school between 5th and 8th grade from
different educational establishments in the Araucanía region. The age of the participants is
between 10 and 14 years, with an average age of 12 years, of which 41 were female and 47
were male.

This spectrum of students has been selected because :

1. They were participants of some model of distance education in their establishments

during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, where most of the educational establishments in
Chile had
2. The fact that these participants are in this educational cycle, their personal and
intellectual growth is an important point to analyze, also entails different changes and
affections derived from the phenomenon of anxiety in the reading comprehension of a
foreign language that can be observed.

On the other hand, teachers have been intended based on the following inclusion criteria:

1- Teachers with a specialization in English language teaching, who work in elementary

schools and who teach at least one grade in the second basic cycle (between fifth and eighth
grade, Chilean Educational system).

The quantitative measurement was carried out using two instruments:

1- Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (Appendix No. 1), developed in 1986 in the
United States by Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope and adapted by Manoochehr Jafarigohar in
Tehran, Iran in 2012. It has 33 items aimed at measuring reading anxiety in a foreign
language and the instrument has been supplemented with demographic data of the subjects to
support quantitative data analysis. This instrument has been selected due to its availability
and adaptability together with its high reliability. Previous applications have shown adequate
levels of validity and reliability such as the one conducted by Jafarigohar in 2012, in the
research called "The Effect of Anxiety on Reading Comprehension among Distance EFL
Learners", where calculating Cronbach's alpha showed an internal consistency of 0.8, and
eliminating items resulted in a reliability index of 0.9 (Jarigofar, 2012).
2- Cambridge Young Learners Test focused on measure reading comprehension in English,
developed in 1997 by the University of Cambridge, and later updated and adapted by the
same university in subsequent versions. The purpose of this instrument is to certify the
English level of school-age children (from 7 years old to 12-13 years old), using the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its levels as a reference. It is
subdivided into different levels according to the CEFR target level, these being Pre A1, A1
and A2, taking different names according to the qualification: Starters, Movers and Flyers
respectively for Pre A1, A1 and A2. The one used here is the 2018 version that was delivered
as a study guide for students who were going to take the Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2
Flyers test of that year and a transfer of questions to an online context was made to apply the
instrument, all this in the context of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, which did not
allow the application of instruments in person or in synchronous classroom.

The qualitative instrument was an interview guide organized around the following topics;
online classes and ICT technology, motivation, reading anxiety in English, test anxiety and
gender relation and predisposition to reading; and specific research questions

For each specific research question, were generated which seek to capture the participants'
"emic" view of the study phenomenon. This instrument was subjected to a validation process
through the analysis developed by a researcher, psychologist, master's degree in educational
evaluation, PhD in Psychology, professor in the area of research methods, and an academic
with a master's degree in University Pedagogy specializing in higher education, who
reviewed and established recommendations for adjustment of the instrument in terms of
content validity.
Quantitative data collection was carried out in the context of digital distance, prior to the
application, participants were invited to participate by explaining the objectives of the study
and the value of its development and informed consents which were signed by the parents or
legal custodians of each student.
In relation with the application of the instrument, it was supported by teachers and parents of
the schools where the tests were taken. The researchers explained in detail the steps that have
to be followed in the development of the data collection. All the information collected was
transferred and exported to a quantitative analysis program.
In the case of the interviews, these were carried out in a remote context, through meet and
zoom platforms, an instrument was applied for the guidance of the questions made. Each
interview was recorded on a digital device and then accurately transcribed and exported to a
qualitative data analysis program.
.

Dates gathering data

The quantitative data analysis was developed using the SPSS version 26 program and
contemplated the development of the following actions: First, the data will be explored by
verifying its correct entry, the demographic data pertaining to the section(s) nationality, sex,
age, grade, belonging to native peoples and Chilean nationality were subjected to frequency
analysis.

Each subscale, together with the total scale, has been subjected to Cronbach's Alpha
reliability test through the internal consistency method. For each scale factor, variables were
created based on the average obtained from the items. Then, a normality, correlation and
mean comparison test was performed with the variables created. Last, to compare the
hypotheses of independent groups, a Student's t-test was performed.
In the case of the narrative data, these were analyzed using the Atlas ti 7 program following
the method of qualitative content analysis proposed by Mayring described in Cáceres (2003).
This analysis sought to identify narrative pieces of texts that would support the analysis of
qualitative data through the creation of categories of analysis developed according to the
research questions formulated in this study. As a result, it could be said that there is no
relation between the level of anxiety and performance in reading comprehension in students
of 5th grade, according to the information obtained.
d. Results (information emerged from the analysis of the data you obtained by using
tables /graphs as well as text)

Quantitative results Resultados

Descriptive datum analysis

In relation to the specific objective to describe the performance level in reading comprehension in the
88 participants students, the results at table 3 indicate that the surveying students had a passing score
of 54,8% (M= 54,8% DE=38,6%).

Tabla 3:

Reading comprehension average achieve

Statistics descriptives
Desv.
N Media Deviation
Achieve average 88 54,85% 38,64%
Class 88 2,47 1,222
N valid 88

Reliability

Through the analysis of reliability in Cronbach Alpha test, the internal consistency measurement
confirms a high rate of correlation to the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale instrument is α=
0,882, as a consequently it has a high level of reliability.

For the reading comprehension test, the reliability test was not conducted due to the fact that it is an
international test by Cambridge University also it is used as a base on the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages European (CEFR) with its level in Pre A1 a A2.

Different between media / test T to independent proof

Before the different independent group analysis, it was realized the normality comprobation
throughout the exam of symmetry and kurtosis. Then it continue with the application of students’ test
T to analyse the different in relation to sex with the variable anxiety in reading comprenhension
(FLRA) as achieve percentage or perfomance in reading comprenhension. In relation with de variable
Foreign Language Reading Anxiety between women (M=2.67 DE=0.72 n=41) and men (M=2.89
DE=0.57 n=47) it does not have significant different , t (86) = -1.60 p= .114, 95% IC [-0.49, -0.05],
therefore this is assume as equal. In respect to the variable of performance in reading comprehension,
women show a superior performance (M=61.93% DE=38.68% n=41) than men (M=48.69%
DE=38.44% n=47) t(86)=1.62 p=.109, 95% IC [-3.02%,29.51%], the different obtained had a little
effect (d= 0.35)

Correlation /association

With the objective to measure the relation scale between the variables analysed and due to the fact
that their distributions were normal in all of them, it was applied to Pearson's correlation coefficient
test. This was done in the case of levels of relation between FLRA (Foreign Language Reading
Anxiety) and the students’ age also between FLRA and students’ performance. the date evidence that
statistically it does not exist a correlation between anxiety in a foreign language and age, neither
between performance and anxiety in a foreign language reading due to that in both cases P is major
than 0.05

Table 4:

Pearson's correlation values between reading anxiety in a foreign language, age and performance in
reading comprehension in English.

Measure FLRA (Foreign Language Reading Anxiety: Ansiedad en lectura

en una lengua extranjera)

1. age p=,085

2. Reading comprehension p=,76

performance

Note 1: It does not exist a correlation if p is equal or less to p=,005

Qualitative results

Main categories
The qualitative analysis was made according to the information given through six interviews to a
english teachers. These interviews were transcribed and then analysed by the Atlas ti program. As a
consequence, five categories were generated to give an answer to our investigation questions.

I) Online classes, methodology y TICs.

II) Motivation.

III) Reading anxiety.

IV) Test anxiety.

V) Relation between sex and reading predisposition.

Sub topic 1 ; Online classes, methodology and tics.

In relation to the question, How do you perceive the change from face to face classes to online ? The
result after the analysis of information obtained, It was able to identify the following categories:

1) Use of platform.

2) Connectivity problems.

3) Teacher role.

4) Material preparation.

Each category indicates a factor that influences each subtopic that originated from the teachers’
information compiled.

Subtopic 2: Motivation

The second question was , Which were the changes that you identified in the students’ form to express
in the change to distance classes?

1) Classes rule.

2) Students’ life context.

3) Students’ autonomy

4) Classes environment

5) Activities in classes.

Subtopic 3 Anxiety in english Reading comprehension.

What is the relationship between anxiety when the students are reading in a foreign language and the
reading comprehension in distance education? It was able to identify the following categories:

1. Fears of English
2. Reading techniques.

Subtopic 4 Anxiety in the test

Here the question that corresponds to this subtopic is the following:

What is the relationship between the anxiety to expres oneself in a foreign languaje and the frar of a
negative evaluation of the learner? the categories identified are the following:

1. Type of evaluation
2. Classroom assessment
3. Online/distance assessments.

Subtopic 5: Gender relationship and the reading disposition

Categories in relationship gender and reading predispositions

In relation to the question: What is the relationship between reading anxiety in a foreign anxiety in a
foreign language and the gender of the student in distance education? and consequently with the
analysis the information obtained. There are two categories determined:

1. Class participation.
2. Student’s willingness to be evaluated.
e. Conclusions (general remarks regarding findings of the research - comparing them
with the theoretical framework if possible - and their relevance in some larger context)

Conclusions

The year 2020 was a big challenge for all the educational community which had some
difficulties but also wise choices. It has been a process of learning that would be taken in
consideration by teachers who actively participated in this investigation.

Distance education, remote or online classes can be an advantage if we are capable of

using it in our favour, visualizing how to improve it every day rather than stigmatizing it. It
could be a benefit for the students because it is generating a kind of autonomy when they
are studying, due to the fact that they have more time. Many schools played an important
role taking the resources to the student’s houses so they can review the materials and ask
doubts through whatsapp. Despite the problems, there were instances in which the learner
did not lose contact with the teacher, it was the result of an effort made by both student and
professor. The 2020 year was an improvisation but a better experience in online education
can be applied if it is prepared with more time.

Students can look for a word on online dictionaries at home, when they are doing a reading
comprehension, and it gives them the meaning immediately or even putting the word in
context. Technology has to be in service of the pedagogy and learning, in addition, teachers
have to guide the learner in this process, making interesting activities and not adding more
stress. Formers can inform and interact with their trainees with anticipation, either content or
evaluation are not a surprise anymore so students can check the resources with time and be
aware of what comes in class.

Virtual applications and role plays can complement the content that will be seen in class, the
key in the case of reading is that exercises could be worked from less to greater difficulty.
Firstly, the activity can be short descriptions of characters from video games, then the story
behind that and so on, but always covering a topic that calls the students’ attention and
interest. It is essential to make them feel comfortable in the class, that it is a moment of
motivation, despite the complex situation that many of them are experiencing. Sometimes
showing empathy or humanity is good,and also gives the students the chance to express
themselves and say what they want for future classes.

f. References (APA)