Exploring the Impact of Reading Comprehension Strategies on the

Academic Performance of English Major

INTRODUCTION

Comprehension is the capacity to look beyond the written word to comprehend,

interpret, and make connections between concepts. Reading comprehension is a crucial

academic skill since it is required to understand and apply the lesson that is being

presented. The ability to read and comprehend efficiently is essential for meeting the

needs of everyday life as well as for success in the academic arena (Anderson, Hiebert,

and Wilkinson, 1985). Academic performance strongly depends on reading

comprehension, especially for English students who must be able to understand and

evaluate complicated materials. Effective reading comprehension techniques may

significantly enhance students’ knowledge retention and comprehension. This

qualitative study tries to find out how different reading comprehension techniques affect

English majors' academic achievement.

Lacking in reading skills, or even having lower than normal reading abilities can

result in truancy, underpaid jobs, and falling prey to the cycle of illiteracy in the next

generation (Daggett, 2003; Kutner, Greenberg, Jin, Boyle, Hsu, & Dunleavy, 2007) . It

may be difficult for children to comprehend the content they are reading because they

lack vocabulary. Students may have established bad reading habits, including reading

too rapidly or not pausing to reflect on what they've read. A limited vocabulary might

cause confusion and hinder understanding. To address these issues, educators should
use a variety of strategies, including vocabulary instruction, encouraging critical

thinking, providing appropriate reading materials, and providing support to students with

reading disabilities. Most students have few if any intellectual tools that would enable

them to read deeply , and then apply what they have read.(Elden and Paul, 2004,p.1)

Researchers like Brown and Palincsar (1982) and Zimmerman and Pons (1986)

explained that learning needs the capability of planning for learning strategies. Reading

is a three-step pre-reading, reading, and post-reading practice. Thiede, Anderson, and

Therriault (2003) believed that reading and comprehension need to monitor learners’

understanding during reading accurately. Further, they believed that self-regulated

behavior in reading can be identified through monitoring the text when it is

comprehended by the readers.

Research has shown that the use of reading comprehension strategies can have a

significant impact on academic performance. Students who used smart and apt reading

strategies, such as inferences, reorganization, and literal comprehension, were able to

improve their reading comprehension significantly (Ismail et al. 2015)

Reading comprehension strategies have a positive impact on the academic

performance of English majors. English majors who were taught reading

comprehension strategies outperformed a control group on standardized reading

comprehension tests (Akhbar & Asfar, 2021). English majors who used reading

comprehension strategies in their coursework were more likely to earn higher grades

(Al-Sagheer, 2018). Additionally, students who received instruction in reading

comprehension strategies showed significant improvement in their reading

comprehension scores (Yapp et al. 2021)

 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How do different reading comprehension strategies influence the academic

performance of English majors?

2. What are the perceptions and experiences of English majors regarding the
effectiveness of specific reading comprehension strategies?

Methodology

This qualitative research will utilize in-depth interviews and focus group
discussions to gather rich and detailed insights from English majors. Participants will be
selected through purposive sampling to ensure representation across different
academic levels and proficiency levels in English. The data collected will be analyzed
using thematic analysis to identify common themes and patterns related to the impact of
reading comprehension strategies on academic performance.

Expected Findings

The findings of this research are expected to shed light on the relationship
between reading comprehension strategies and the academic performance of English
majors. It is anticipated that specific strategies, such as active reading, annotation,
summarization, and metacognitive strategies, will emerge as influential factors in
enhancing academic performance. Additionally, the study aims to uncover the
perspectives and experiences of English majors regarding the effectiveness of these
strategies, providing valuable insights for educators and curriculum designers.

Conclusion

By exploring the impact of reading comprehension strategies on the academic

performance of English majors, this qualitative research aims to contribute to the
existing body of knowledge in the field of language education. The findings of this study
can inform educators and policymakers in designing effective instructional approaches
to enhance reading comprehension skills among English majors, ultimately improving
their academic performance.