The Correlation between the Reading Preference and Reading Comprehension Ability among Elementary School Students at Higher Grade Level

• Main Authors: Chiung Wen Chen, 陳瓊雯
• Other Authors: Hsiu Ping Huang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/8je5w4

碩士 === 國立臺東大學 === 教育學系(所) === 98 === This study aimed to explore the reading preference of elementary school students at higher grade level. Different variables concerning the students’ background were analyzed to discuss their reading preferences and reading comprehension ability, as well as to explore the correlation between the two. The questionnaire method was adopted with the students in elementary schools of Pingtung County as the research subjects. Cluster sampling was employed with the sampling population being 201 persons; 198 valid copies were collected. The questionnaire, titled: A Survey on the Reading Preferences and Comprehension Ability among Elementary School Students at Higher Grade Level, was analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square test, One-way ANOVA, and product-moment correlation. The findings are as follows: I. Gender and school scale exhibit significant difference with regard to reading preferences. 1. Gender has a significant difference in regard to preference for books in the category of “story”, “biographies of renowned figures”, and “history or geography”, with a very significant difference in the categories of “natural science” and “prose and poetry.” 2. Students at schools of different scales show different reading preferences for books on “natural science” and “history or geography”, with no significant differences concerning the other categories. II. Different reading preferences reflect different reading comprehension abilities There is a significant difference in the reading comprehension ability between those who prefer books on “biographies of renowned figures” and those who prefer “natural science.” III. A significant correlation between reading preference and reading comprehension Books on “recreation and leisure”, “stories”, “biographies of renowned figures” and “natural science” have greater impact on students’ reading comprehension ability; among these, “natural science” books can be credited with the highest influence on reading comprehension ability and other relevant aspects. Based on the above findings, this study proposes the following suggestions as reference to parents, schools, education-related personnel, and future researchers: 1. emphasis on family education; 2. respect for children’s preference of books; 3. purchase of books suitable for the children’s development stage of reading ability;4. emphasis on free reading; 5. utilization of multi-dimensional teaching method to motivate students’ reading interest; 6. setting a teaching objective and offering readings at different levels according to the students’ reading ability; 7. strengthening interschool library and public library cooperation; 8. provision made for multiple categories of books; 9. promotion of long-term reading activities; 10. cultivation of library management expertise among the students; 11. emphasis on the education policy of family reading; and 12. fulfillment of reading as part of lifelong learning.