Reading Proficiency and Comprehension Among English Language Students in Selected Department in Adamawa State Polytechnic Yola, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The study investigated the reading proficiency and comprehension among English language students in selected departments in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola Nigeria. The two selected departments are Diploma in English Language Education and Diploma in Business Administration and Management. Indeed, the ability to read efficiently in English is deemed an important skill to be acquired for academic, business and other purposes. In Nigeria, English is a compulsory subject in all schools. However, some students in Nigerian tertiary institutions, especially those in Nigeria are unaware of or do not have effective strategies to comprehend English reading materials. The objectives of the study were i) to identify the level of proficiency among the experimental groups, ii) to investigate the effects of reading proficiency on the comprehension of students in Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, and iii) to establish the effect of reading proficiency on comprehension. The underlying theory for this research is Schema theory. More so, to achieve these objectives, the study looked at what the SQ3R method for reading texts and the benefits of using it. Experimental technique was employed as a design of the study. Then the purposive sampling was used to select the two departments and simple random sampling technique was also used to determine the sample size of the study. The target population of this study was 200 on the basis of 100 students from each department. The sample size of this study was 114 respondents obtained by using the Sloven’s formula. To get the sample size for each department, 114 were divided by 2= 57. The instrument used for the exercise was an extract from their recommended Diploma 1 English textbook (Understanding Use of English for Schools and Colleges). The reading topic is, ‘BRIDE PRICE’. Besides, a 5 point liker scale was designed by the researcher to extract data from the respondents. The finding of the study revealed that both students performed poorly before the intervention with SQ3R method of teaching reading. After the intervention, the performance improved significantly. More efforts should be made to improve reading for better comprehension. The Study recommends i) that teachers of English language should equip themselves with effective reading strategies and to master the SQ3R method of teaching reading at all levels of learning before embarking on the task. Ii) head of departments of the tertiary institution across the state and the country at large should encourage the use of appropriate reading materials for their students; and iii) government should ensure that, the teachers attain rigorous training after every two years and recruitment agency should xi ensure that those to be recruited are professional in their various disciplines. More so, the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) should ensure that appropriate curriculum have been designed and reviewed after every five years; so as to enable the polytechnic grandaunts to have the capability of confronting challenges in the labour market after graduation.

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVAL .................................................................................................................................... i

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. ii

DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................... iii

DEDICATION............................................................................................................................... iv

List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... ix

CHAPTER ONE..............................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................................1

1.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................1

1.2. Background of the Study ..........................................................................................................1

1.2.1. Historical Perspectives...........................................................................................................3

1.2.2. Theoretical Perspective..........................................................................................................4

1.2.3 .Conceptual perspective ..........................................................................................................5

1.2.4. Contextual perspectives.........................................................................................................5

1.3. Statement of the Problem..........................................................................................................6

1.4. Purpose......................................................................................................................................8

1.5. Objectives .................................................................................................................................8

1.6. Research Questions...................................................................................................................8

1.7. Scope of the Study ..................................................................................................................9

1.7.1 Geographical Scope ................................................................................................................9

1.7.2 Content Scope .......................................................................................................................9

1.7.3 Time scope ..............................................................................................................................9

1.8. Significance of the Study..........................................................................................................9

CHAPTER TWO ...........................................................................................................................11

LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................................11

2.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................11

2.2. Theoretical Review .................................................................................................................11

2.3. Conceptual Frame Work.........................................................................................................14

2.4. Literature Review....................................................................................................................14

vi

2.4.1. Reading Proficiency.............................................................................................................14

2.4.2. Reading Rate........................................................................................................................16

2.4.3. Reading strategies................................................................................................................17

2.4.4. Comprehension ....................................................................................................................20

2.4.5. Mother Tongue Interference ................................................................................................23

2.4.6 Students' Background Knowledge ........................................................................................24

2.4.7. Level of Proficiency among the Experimental Group .........................................................26

2.4.6. Investigating the Effects of Reading Proficiency on Students.............................................27

2.4.7. Reading- Proficiency strategies impact on Comprehension of students..............................29

2.5. An Intervention Approach ......................................................................................................31

2.6. Summary of the Gap ...............................................................................................................32

CHAPTER THREE .......................................................................................................................34

METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................34

3.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................34

3.2. Research Design......................................................................................................................34

3.3. Target population....................................................................................................................35

3.4. Sampling Techniques..............................................................................................................35

3.5. Sample Size.............................................................................................................................35

3.6. Data collection ........................................................................................................................36

3.7. Research Instrument................................................................................................................36

3.8. Data analysis...........................................................................................................................36

3.9. Validity of the study................................................................................................................37

3.10. Reliability of the instruments................................................................................................37

3.11. Ethical consideration.............................................................................................................37

CHAPTER FOUR..........................................................................................................................38

DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS...................38

4.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................38

4.2. Response Rate.........................................................................................................................38

4.3 Demographic Data for both Departments (DELE AND DBAM) ...........................................38

vii

4.3.1 Diploma in English Language Education (DELE) ...............................................................38

4.3.2 Diploma in Business Administration and Management (BAM)...........................................40

4.3.3 Pre-Test for Two Departments (DELE AND DBAM).........................................................41

4.5.1 Summary of the Findings for Pre-test of DELE and DBAM................................................57

4.3.5 Post –Test for Diploma in English Language Education Department (DELE)....................58

4.7. Post-Test for Diploma in English Language Education (DELE) and Diploma in Business 

Administration and Management (DBAM)...................................................................................70

FAIR ..............................................................................................................................................70

4.7.1 Summary of the findings for post-test of DELE and DBAM ...............................................72

CHAPTER FIVE ...........................................................................................................................74

DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................74

5.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................74

5.2. Discussion of the Findings......................................................................................................74

5.3 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................75

5.4. Recommendations...................................................................................................................76

5.5. Suggestion for Further Research.............................................................................................77

REFERENCES.............................................................................................................................78

APPENDIX 1.................................................................................................................................83

BRIDE PRICE ...............................................................................................................................83

APPENDIX II................................................................................................................................86

SECTION B: APPENDIX III........................................................................................................87

APPENDIX IV...............................................................................................................................89

APPENDIX V................................................................................................................................90

APPENDIX VI...............................................................................................................................93

Post-Test for Diploma in English Language Education (DELE) and Diploma in Business 

Administration and Management (DBAM)...................................................................................93