Improving Reading Comprehension Strategies as well as Reading Attitudes and Habits of 5th-Grade Students through the Reading Circle Technique

Abstract

A reading circle is a small discussion group administered by peers who choose to read the same story, poem, article or book (Daniels, 2002, p. 2). Various studies have proven that reading circles have a positive impact on students’ reading comprehension skills (Altınkaya, 2019; Avcı & Yüksel, 2011; Balantekin, 2016; Brown, 2002; Kaya-Tosun, 2018; Sarı, Kurtuluş, & Yücel-Toy, 2017). This study aims to improve students’ reading comprehension strategies and help them develop a positive attitude toward reading as well as contribute to their reading habits using the reading circle technique. The researcher and a Turkish teacher cooperated within the scope of this study, which was designed as action research, and they used the reading circle technique to improve students’ reading comprehension strategies as well as their reading attitudes and habits. This study was conducted with 28 students, and the students were divided into four groups with seven members to form small discussion groups. Reading circle sessions were held on Zoom for 10 weeks, with each session lasting 30 minutes for each group. In the present study, the “Book Metaphor Form” was developed by Gül (2019), and students’ progress was monitored by administering pre-test and post-test with the “Reading Habits and Attitudes Scale” as well as the “Reading Comprehension Strategies Scale” developed by Susar-Kırmızı (2006). The process was monitored through “Task Cards,” “Reading Circle Control List,” “Researcher Observation Form” and “Reading Circle Evaluation Form.” Results of the quantitative analyses showed that reading circles did not affect students’ reading comprehension strategies as well as their reading attitudes and habits. Results of the qualitative analyses indicated that reading circles had an increasing effect on students’ motivation to read a book, their positive attitudes toward books/reading, such as using the library and exchanging books, and their use of strategies to learn a new word. On the other hand, students were observed to be able to associate what they read with real life and improve their skills to make a summary and work in groups. At the end of the process, students’ metaphoric perceptions of books changed, and those who perceived books as a tool of amusement decreased while the number of students who regarded books as a source of information increased. In brief, the qualitative analyses conducted within the scope of this study suggested that students’ use of reading comprehension strategies as well as their attitudes and habits about reading improved, whereas this was not reflected in the quantitative data of this study. The current study results support the idea of using reading circles with secondary school students and point out because it is necessary to investigate the effect of reading circles with studies to be conducted with different groups for longer periods.