Metacognition and attitudes towards reading as correlates of reading comprehension performance among standard six pupils in Dagoretti Division, Nairobi County, Kenya.
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Date
2015-11
Authors
Mwaniki, Elizabeth Wanjiku
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
This study sought to establish whether there was a significant relationship among
pupils‟ metacognition, attitudes towards reading and their reading comprehension
performance in an English passage. Differences in metacognition and attitudes
towards reading due to both gender and age were also tested. Flavell‟s Model of
Cognitive Monitoring and Mathewson's Model of Attitude Influence upon Reading
and Learning to Read guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research
design. It was carried out in Dagoretti Division in Nairobi County with a sample of
320 standard six pupils drawn from 8 public primary schools. Purposive sampling
was used to select Dagoretti Division. Simple random sampling was used to obtain
4 public primary schools from each of the two Educational Zones in Dagoretti.
Stratified sampling procedures were then used to ensure equal gender
representation. An English reading comprehension test was used to measure the
pupils‟ reading comprehension performance. A questionnaire was employed to
obtain pupils‟ personal data, metacognition and attitudes towards reading. The
pilot study was carried out on 40 pupils from one school in Dagoretti which was
not used in the final study to check and enhance the validity and reliability of the
research instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to describe
and analyse the collected data. Specifically, Pearson‟s Product Moment
Correlation Coefficient, ANOVA, Chi-square, t-test for independent samples,
Multiple Regression Analysis and Tukeys HSD tests were utilized. The results
revealed that there was a positive and significant relationship between
metacognition and reading comprehension performance (r (310) = 0.41, p < 0.05)
as well as between attitudes towards reading and reading comprehension
performance (r (310) = 0.22, p < 0.05). Metacognitive knowledge had a higher
predictive value for reading comprehension performance than metacognitive
strategy use. There were no significant gender differences in metacognition ( t = -
1.25, df = 308, p > 0.05) and attitudes towards reading (t = -0.92, df = 308, p >
0.05) respectively. Significant differences in metacognition and attitude towards
reading due to age were found (F= 9.50, df = 2, p < 0.05) in favour of the younger
participants (10-11 year age category). Positive attitudes towards reading
combined with metacognitive knowledge had significant predictive values (β =
0.25, p < 0.05) for reading comprehension. In the exploratory analysis, significant
differences were found among schools in terms of their metacognition, attitudes
towards reading and reading comprehension performance. In conclusion, a
positive and significant relationship was found among metacognition, attitudes
towards reading and reading comprehension performance. A major
recommendation is that teacher trainees need to be taught metacognition so that
they can later teach it to their pupils as they teach them how to read. Teachers,
parents and all stakeholders in education should also help in creating conducive
environments that foster positive attitudes towards reading in pupils so that they
(pupils) can have more intention to read and more metacognition. This will not
only improve their reading comprehension performance but also their overall
academic performance.
Description
A research thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (educational psychology) in the school of education, Kenyatta University