Appendix I

Learners’ Questionnaire

Dear learners,

This questionnaire is an essential part of our study. It aims at investigating the

effectiveness of promoting text-based critical-analytic thinking by implementing the Quality

Talk Approach in EFL classrooms in Algeria. You are kindly requested to put a tick √ next to

each statement where your true feelings and thoughts are required. Thank you so much for

your time and for your cooperation.

Section One: Background Information

1) Age: a- 14 (….) b- 15 (….) c- 16 (….) d- 17 (….)

2) Gender: a- Male (….) b- Female (….)

3) Region: a- Bir Ould Khalifa center (….) b- Ouled Sliman (….) c- Rarguea (….)

d- Shayeb (….) e- Usine (….) f- Smailya (….)

4) Tick which of the following you have at home:

a- Calculator (….) b- Internet connection (….) c- Computer (do not include PlayStation) (….)

d- Your own room Study (….) e- Your own mobile phone (….) f- Dictionary (….)

5) Roughly, how many English books do you think are in your home?

a- Under 5 books (….)

b- Between 5 and 10 (….)

c- Over 10 books (….)

Section Two: Learners’ perceptions about critical-analytic thinking and the Quality

Talk approach

Put a tick to determine your choice

Items Agree Moderat Disagree

e
1- Reading comprehension is important in learning English.

2- Reading comprehension is hard and time-consuming

3- I like reading

4- I understand more the text discussing it in a group than I

would if I did by myself

5- I prefer working individually.

6- I feel comfortable sharing my opinion when discussing a

text

7- Text talks increase my ability to appreciate and consider a

variety of perspectives

8- I benefit from the feedback I receive from the other readers

in my group discussion

9- I can express my thoughts clearly, convincingly, and

logically by quality talk

10- Quality Talk skills affected my communications’

behaviour

11- Quality Talk makes me an active readers

12- I feel motivated while analyzing text through group

discussions

13- Discussing the texts has improved my performance in

reading comprehension.

14- Talking in group helped me to think more deeply.

Thank you for your participation

 3.1.1. Learners’ questionnaire

According to N. K. Malhotra (2006), "A questionnaire is a formalised set of questions

for obtaining information from respondents. The overriding objective is to translate the

researcher's information needs into a set of specific questions that respondents are willing and

able to answer" (p. 176).

In this research, we have used a single questionnaire as an instrument to collect data.

It was administered to learners and aimed to obtain information related to learners'

perceptions of the implementation of QT and if it helps them to promote their deep text

comprehension through discussions with their peers. It was adapted from M. Davies and K.

Meissel (2015) about “The use of Quality Talk to increase critical analytical speaking and

writing of students in three secondary schools”. It was modified to suit our study aim and

contains close-ended questions, and Likert scale was used. The questionnaire (See appendix I)

opens with a general instruction that aims at introducing the title and purpose of the research.

It is devided into two sections presented as follows:

Section one is about learners' background information. It includes five close-ended

questions which aim at gathering relevant information about the participants. This section

deals mainly with their gender, age, regions (the learners were from a variety of neighbouring

regions.), reading opportunities and tools.

Section two refers to learners' perceptions of text-based small group discussions and

high-level text comprehension. It includes fourteen close-ended questions about learners'

general interest in reading and how much of a critical-analytic thinker they are. It also

includes statements aiming to know the extent to which learners feel comfortable and enjoy

practising text analytic talks and how they affect their high-level text comprehension and the

development of their critical-analytic thinking skills. This section requires answers by putting

a tick according to the rating scale (agree, moderate, and disagree). Questions (1 and 2) aim at
knowing whether learners face difficulties in reading comprehension or not. Questions (3) aim

at identifying whether learners enjoy reading. Questions (4, 5 and 6) aim at checking if

learners enjoy discussing texts in groups. Questions (7, 8, 9, and 10) aim at knowing the

extent to which text talks effect learners’ critical-analytic thinking. Questions (11 and 12) aim

at identifying whether pupils feel motivated discussing texts. Questions (13 and 14) seek to

elicit learners’ views on implementing the Quality Talk approach in reading comprehension

and finding out if learning this approach has an influence on their critical-analytic thinking.

The questionnaire was distributed to fourth MS learners of Djamel Eddine Elafghani

middle school at Bir Ouled Khalifa, Ain defla. It was administered hand to hand to the

students on March 22nd 2023. All the instructions were explained to the participants.

Researchers invited the students to feel free while answering and giving their opinions. The

respondents were asked to complete the answer sheet in their free time in order to not disrupt

the clue of the class and to respect the teaching time. They answered the questions at school

and handed back the questionnaire on the same day.