WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
EFFECTS OF DISCUSSION METHOD ON SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL II STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF READING COMPREHENSION IN PANKSHIN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF PLATEAU STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background to the Study

Reading is a complex and lifelong activity. The goal of reading is to construct meaning based on visually encoded information. It is a sensory process, communication process, language process and interactive process (Olaofe and Masembe, 2006). Those who enjoy reading derive pleasure and satisfaction from it. Adigun and Oyelude (2003) observe that the skill of reading will not only assist learners in organizing their thoughts and jotting down important facts while reading, but also equip them to comprehend the entire text. Rivers (2017) propounds that reading is the most important activity in any language class, not only as a source of information and a pleasurable activity, but also as a means of consolidating and extending one’s knowledge of the language. Strevens (1977) also emphasizes the great importance of reading to the learners for two reasons: firstly, this skill provides the learners with access to a great quantity of further experience of the language. Secondly, it presents a window to the normal means of continuing the learners’ personal education by reading skill. Through reading skill, the learners would be able to develop a sufficient language base that enables them to produce the spoken or written messages which they are eager to communicate to others.

Comprehension involves the ability to understand the intended messages of a text. It is the understanding and interpretation of what is read. One big part of comprehension is having sufficient vocabulary or knowing the meanings of enough words (Reading Rocket, 2011). More so, reading comprehension is a way of talking about whether or not a child has understood what he has read. Brummit-Yale (2012) states that reading comprehension is an intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing. Again, reading comprehension refers to constructing the meaning of the oral or written messages. It is the level of understanding of writing, normal reading rates (around 200-220 words per minute), an acceptable level of comprehension is above 75% (Dictionary.com, 2013).

Typical reading problems include problems with vocabulary, word recognition, reading comprehension and reading rate. Reading appears to affect performance in all other academic subjects as well as to impact vocational needs and options (Hallahan, Kauffman & Lioyd, 2005). Mercer (2007) denotes several types of reading problems that are typically found among students such as reading habits, word recognition errors, comprehension errors and miscellaneous symptoms. Feagans (2003) also lists several common problems experienced by some students who suffer from reading disabilities. These include: omitting letters, syllables or words; inserting extra letters, words or sound; substituting words that look or sound similar; mispronouncing words; repeating words and using improper inflection during oral reading. Reading disability is a deliberating problem for many children, adolescents and adults in Nigerian secondary schools today. Educators, parents, physicians, as well as society in general share a common concern about individuals who do not learn to read. All teachers have the responsibility of understanding and helping their failing and frustrated students. Elementary classroom teachers, reading teachers, special education teachers and secondary school teachers need knowledge about the assessment and treatment of reading difficulties (Richet, List & Lerner, 2009).  Looking at the rate at which students fail to read (poor reading habit) or read without understanding, it is important to note that poor answering of comprehension questions is as a result of lack of adequate knowledge of reading strategies that will help them to answer comprehension questions correctly. This has led them into carrying over their poor performance from junior secondary to senior secondary schools.  These problems mostly results from lack of use of adequate methods of teaching reading comprehension.

A teaching method comprises the principles and methods used by teachers to enable student learning. These strategies are determined partly on subject matter to be taught and partly by the nature of the learner. For a particular teaching method to be appropriate and efficient it has to be in relation with the characteristic of the learner and the type of learning it is supposed to bring about. Suggestions are there to design and selection of teaching methods must take into account not only the nature of the subject matter but also how students learn. In today’s school the trend is that it encourages a lot of creativity. It is a known fact that human advancement comes through reasoning. This reasoning and original thought enhances creativity.

The approaches for teaching can be broadly classified into teacher centered and student centered. In a teacher-centered approach to learning, teachers are the main authority figure in this model. Students are viewed as “empty vessels” whose primary role is to passively receive information (via lectures and direct instruction) with an end goal of testing and assessment. It is the primary role of teachers to pass knowledge and information onto their students. In this model, teaching and assessment are viewed as two separate entities. Student learning is measured through objectively scored tests and assessments. According to Jindem (2017) in Student-Centered Approach to Learning, while teachers are the authority figure in this model, teachers and students play an equally active role in the learning process. The teacher’s primary role is to coach and facilitate student learning and overall comprehension of material. Student learning is measured through both formal and informal forms of assessment, including group projects, student portfolios, and class participation. Teaching and assessments are connected; student learning is continuously measured during teacher instruction. To Barone (2013) the commonly used teaching methods may include class participation, demonstration, recitation, memorization, or combinations of these.

Various teaching methods are used for instruction in the teaching of reading comprehension. These teaching methods have been summarized into Expository, Practical or Activity Oriented and Constructivism (Okoye & Okechukwu, 2006). Expository methods according to Nwokenna (2010) which include lecture method, demonstration, project, field trip and discussion methods. They concentrate on presentation of concepts, facts and principles by the teacher while the students are merely asked to listen and take notes.

Discussion method are a variety of forums for open-ended, collaborative exchange of ideas among a teacher and students or among students for the purpose of furthering students thinking, learning, problem solving, understanding or literary appreciation. Participants presents multiple points of view, respond to the ideas of others, and reflected on their own ideas in an effort to build their knowledge, understanding, or interpretation of the matter at hand in a class studying any of the difference facets of reading comprehension. Discussions may occur among members of a dyad, small group, or whole and be teacher-led or student-led. They frequently involve discussion of a written text, though discussion can also focus on a problem, issue, or topic that has its basis in a “text” in the larger sense of the term (e.g., a discipline, the media, a societal norm). Other terms for discussion used for pedagogical purposes are instruction conversation (Tharp & Gallimore, 2001) and substantive conversations. A defining feature of discussion is that students have considerable agency in the construction of knowledge, understanding, or interpretation. In other words, they have considerable “interpretive authority” for evaluating the plausibility or the validity of participants’ responses. Discussion method as posits by Aggarwal (2008) is one of the commonly used methods in teaching. This method has been used in the teaching and learning process since times immemorial. The Greek scholars in their work used to discuss various problems and issues with their disciples. Discussion has been described as a thoughtful consideration of the relationships involved in a topic or problem under study. It is aimed at uniting and integrating the work of the class. It is carried out by organizing, outlining and relating, the facts studied. It encourages the students to direct their thinking process towards the solution of a problem and to use their experiences for a further clarification and consolidation of the learning material.

The relevance of the reading comprehension in our secondary schools cannot quantified, Sandars (2007) stresses that reading is essentially relevant in our modern society because it adds quality to life and provides access to culture and culture heritage. She posits too that reading also empowers and emancipates citizens and brings people together. It is through reading that a student broadens his/her understanding of life, reading affords him the tools to explore his talent while learning about himself and his society. In the same vein, Agade (2008) states that reading is an indispensible tool for learning in the various hierarchies of modern educational set up which he opines that, it facilitates the learning process and effectively promotes the intellectual development in the learners. China (2009) outlines the virtues of this reading concept to include, the provision of individual’s welfare, social progress and international understanding, the provision of skills, knowledge and the right attitude that frees one from idleness or boredom. Reading is not just for school but also for life. It enhances the chances of success at school and beyond. The achievement in reading is necessary for achievement in school. It is good to note that, when a poor reader makes no provision for achievement, he is eventually frustrated into a miserable failure.

It is in the light of the above discussion that this study seeks to examine the effects of discussion method on Senior Secondary School II students’ learning of reading comprehension in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State.

• Statement of the Problem

Reading comprehension deficiency appears to affect performance in all other academic subjects. Some problems experienced by some students with reading disabilities include: omitting letters, syllables or words; inserting extra letters, words or sound; substituting words that look or sound similar; mispronouncing words; repeating words and using improper inflection during oral reading. Elementary classroom teachers, reading teachers, special education teachers and secondary school teachers need knowledge about adequate reading comprehension teaching method.

The role of discussion method in reading comprehension passages among Nigerian senior secondary school students is obvious. The problem under consideration in this study is the effects of discussion methods on students’ reading comprehension achievement of senior secondary school II students in Pankshin Local Government Area. The researcher wonders if discussion method is used in teaching reading for comprehension as it seems, there is no time allocated for it even though there is time for reading comprehension.

Again, interaction with some teachers of English language in some secondary schools in Pankshin shows that they hardly use discussion method in a lesson. It is based on this that Adeniji (2010) says that some English teachers are lagging behind in their approach to teaching reading comprehension and the effect is poor performance among students. This study desires to bring to light the main objectives of teaching reading comprehension using discussion method.

Also, many students are novice when it comes to knowing the best reading strategies that enhances their ability to comprehend a text adequately. Researchers also differ regarding the level or class appropriate for teachers to apply discussion method of teaching. The debate on the best reading comprehension strategy has made studies on discussion method not leading to a conclusion. This suggests the need for this study to empirically show whether discussion method enhances the performance of students in reading comprehension or not. Hence, this study wants to provide solutions to these controversies with the hope that it might bring a balanced in the strategies to employ when teaching reading comprehension using conventional method and discussion method.

• Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of discussion method on Senior Secondary School II students’ learning of Reading Comprehension in Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State. Other specific objectives of the study include:

1. Determine effects of discussion method on students’ learning of literal message in reading comprehension.
2. Discover the effects of discussion method on students’ learning of relationship of thought in reading comprehension.

• Find out the effects of discussion method on students’ learning of critical and referential thoughts in reading comprehension.
  • Research Questions

            The following questions have been raised to guide the study:

1. What are the effects of discussion method on students’ learning of literal message in reading comprehension?
2. What are the effects of discussion method on students’ learning of relationship of taught in reading comprehension?

• What are the effects of discussion method on students’ learning of critical and referential thoughts in reading comprehension?

• Research Hypotheses

            The following null hypotheses were postulated:

1. Discussion method has no effects on students’ learning of literal message in reading comprehension.
2. Discussion method has no effects on students’ learning of relationship of taught in reading comprehension.
3. Discussion method has no effects on students’ learning of critical and referential thoughts in reading comprehension.
   • Significance of the Study

The benefits of this study cannot be overemphasized especially now that reading comprehension is more relevant than it used to be in the past as a result of the wake of technology and social media. Therefore, this study shall be beneficial to teachers, students, curriculum planners and future researchers.

This study is significant because teachers of English language at the senior secondary level seem to be confused concerning the best strategy for teaching reading comprehension in Secondary Schools in Pankshin. During an interactive session between the researcher and some teachers, the researcher understood that some of them see discussion teaching method as a better reading comprehension strategy than conventional method. This brought about the need for this study to find out which strategy is the best for teaching reading comprehension. As such, the findings of this work could bring a better understanding of the strategy for teaching reading comprehension in Senior Secondary Schools.

Again, students’ ability in reading with understanding would be enhanced in English, together with other subjects, when they are taught using the right strategy. It would help students whose comprehension capacity is low, average or high because some useful reading strategies that would boost their comprehension abilities have been explained in details in the course of discussion. This is true because by the time students are exposed on how to draw inferences, predict or guess, generate questions from text; comprehension of a text would be achieved. Hand in hand with that, if the students are able to comprehend texts, they could interpret questions of tests and bring out meanings beyond the literal level. This would go a long way in helping them to come out with flying colours in the termly and the senior school certificate examinations.

Furthermore, the study would help examination bodies and curriculum planners, to design the curriculum that will reflect the objective and purpose of teaching reading comprehension with discussion method. This could bring about uniformity in the procedures of teaching reading comprehension passages using the curriculum of the senior secondary schools in Pankshin Local Government Area and the nation at large. Some areas in English language reading comprehension passages like vocabulary building, word matching or activating prior knowledge, to mention but a few, would immensely help the curriculum planners and examination bodies when setting examinations for the students if found to be effective.

The findings and discussions of the theoretical and practical implications from this study would contribute to researchers in second language learning as it relates to reading comprehension strategies.

• Scope of the Study

            This study covers effects of discussion method on SS II students’ learning of reading comprehension. This study shall be restricted to two(2) selected senior secondary schools in Pankshin Central. Only 100 SS II students will be used for the study. The aspects of reading comprehension that will be used are literal message in reading comprehension, relationship of thought in reading comprehension and critical and referential thoughts in reading comprehension. The study is restricted to selected secondary schools in Pankshin Local Government area of Plateau State.

• Operational Definition of Terms

Discussion Method: They are a variety of forums for open-ended, collaborative exchange of ideas among a teacher and students or among students for the purpose of furthering students thinking, learning, problem solving, understanding or literary appreciation.

Effects: This is a positive result of something.

Reading Comprehension: Reading comprehension is an intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing. It refers to constructing the meaning of the oral or written messages.

Inferential:  something that is inferred especially: a conclusion or opinion that is formed because of known facts or evidence from reading comprehension.

Critical: Taking a detailed examination of reading comprehension passage.

Literal: This is the surface meaning of the massage the writer wants to pass across in a reading comprehension.

Thought: this is the idea or the theme of the comprehension passage.