Abstract
EXAMINING THE VISUAL READING SKILLS OF THE FIFTH-GRADE STUDENTS IN TERMS OF VARIOUS VARIABLES
This study aimed to find out on what level visual reading and comprehension skills of the fifth-grade students are. To this end, it was attempted to determine the participating fifth-grade students’ levels in finding information, subject, main ideas and supporting ideas and their skills of comparison and inference and their levels of comprehension via certain types of visual materials. In addition, the relationships between the students’ comprehension levels and their gender, Turkish course achievements, socio-economic status of their families, the average number of books they read per month, daily average television watching and their perceived self-efficacy levels in visual reading were examined. Designed with the survey method, the study included 203 fifth-grade students attending a public secondary school in Düzce. The data obtained from the participants were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson’s Correlation analysis and one-way ANOVA tests. The fifth-grade students who participated in the research succeeded most in distinguishing information and least in finding the main idea. By the type of visual materials, they succeeded most in comprehending the posters and least in comprehending the cartoons. No relationship was found between students’ comprehension scores and the variables of gender and daily average television watching. However, a linear relationship was found between the students’ comprehension scores and their Turkish course achievement grades, the socio-economic status of their families, the number of books they read per month, and their perceived self-efficacy levels in visual reading.
Keywords
Literacy variables, visual reading, reading instruction.