Literacy has been a challenge to many students globally and locally (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, 2016). The explicit teaching of comprehension strategies has proven to be effective in improving reading comprehension of students in other educational jurisdictions (Tiruneh, 2014). Locally, the Primary-School Curriculum Rewrite prescribes the explicit teaching of comprehension; however, anecdotal evidence suggests that some teachers do not comply with the prescribed guidelines.

This embedded-experimental, mixed-method study sought to determine the effect of explicit comprehension strategy instruction (ECSI) on reading comprehension of developing readers and to describe the perception of teachers on implementing ECSI in their classrooms. The study utilised a repeated measure fixed-factor design. One hundred and sixty-eight students from two schools in one Education District participated. Four classes were randomly assigned to experimental and controlled groups. Experimental groups were taught using ECSI while controlled groups were taught using Traditional Comprehension Instruction (TCI). An oral reading fluency (ORF) assessment was used to determine the reading proficiency of students. A pre-test and post-test design was used with a six-week intervention. ANOVA, independent sample T-test and descriptive statistics were used to compare groups. After the intervention, semi-structured interviews were conducted with all class teachers to elicit their perceptions on implementing ECSI. Qualitative content analysis was used to determine themes.

Although there were no significant differences between the experimental and controlled groups, further analyses revealed three significant factor interactions. ECSI improved comprehension score means of developing readers while those with TCI fell. More specifically, male developing readers responded more favourably to ECSI than their female counterparts. Several major themes emerged after qualitative analyses. The quantitative and qualitative data were merged at the interpretation stage which provided insight into the theoretical and instructional perspectives to guide the implementation of ECSI. The implications for future practice and further research are discussed.

Thursday 18th August, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.

Mr. WEBSTER JOSEPH is a primary school teacher at his alma mater, Claxton Bay Senior Anglican Primary School. He has over a decade of teaching experience at the Standard Four and Five levels. His interest in reading comprehension peaked when he worked with students who often struggled with literacy. His desire to improve the reading comprehension of students led him to his current research that explores the effect of explicit comprehension strategy instruction on developing readers.

Webster has a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) in Primary Education from The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT). He was a student in the first cohort of students enrolled in the programme. He also holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Health Promotion with Distinction from the University of the West Indies (U.W.I.). He eventually returned to UTT to read for his Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Education.

Mr. Joseph has been actively developing his skills as a researcher. He often attends postgraduate seminars hosted by UTT, and participated in a two-day research workshop accommodated by the University on finding your feet as a researcher post-graduation. He also participated in a two-day SPSS workshop held by the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Teacher Educators (TTATE) in July 2021. Webster co-presented at the TTATE Conference in 2017, and independently presented aspects of his Doctor of Philosophy research at the 2021 edition of that conference which addressed the theme of multiple dimensions of school violence.