Proceedings of the World Conference on Teaching, Learning, and Education,
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Can Blended Learning Improve Reading Self-Perceptions in Arab Seventh-Grade Readers? Findings from “The Golden Triangle” Intervention Program
Bahaa’ Makhoul
ABSTRACT:
The study examined the effects of an intervention program promoting literacy in a blended learning environment on the reading self-perceptions of Arab seventh-grade students in Israel. The contribution of reading self-perceptions to the prediction of reading achievements was also examined.123 students participated in a control group and 410 in the intervention group. Students completed a questionnaire examining their reading self-competence, their attitudes towards reading and their perceived difficulty in reading before the start of the intervention, after its completion and half a year after the end of the intervention, in eighth grade. The students also completed a reading comprehension test at each of these time points and were asked to assess their scores. Findings showed that participants in the intervention group improved the accuracy of their performance estimations compared to participants in the control group and maintained this improvement in eighth grade. While in the short term there was no effect of the intervention on self-competence in reading and positive attitudes towards reading, in eighth grade only the intervention group showed improvement in these variables. Perceived difficulty in reading and self-competence in reading were significant predictors of reading comprehension achievements in eighth grade. Moreover, perceived difficulty in reading mediated the correlation between group and reading comprehension achievements. Findings suggest that learning in a blended environment may benefit students’ self-image as readers, which in turn can positively affect their reading achievements. This is especially important in young Arab readers, who struggle more due to the complex features of the Arabic language.
keywords: Arabic, intervention, middle school, reading, self-perception