Reading Comprehension through Skimming and Scanning on First Baccalaureate Students: An Action Research Study

Abstract

The main aim of this innovation was to apply skimming and scanning techniques to improve reading comprehension. During six weeks, this action research was applied to 27 first baccalaureate students at a B1 – B2 English level in a private high school institution in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In order to get quantitative and qualitative data for the analysis, the instruments used were surveys, learning logs, pre and post – tests. Furthermore, skimming and scanning were applied and scaffolded through different tasks and activities. Results shows a large impact in the learning process indicating a Cohen d = 4.29. As showed in pre and post-test, after applying the innovation, 41% of the learners improved their reading comprehension skills. In addition, according to the learning logs, students had a positive opinion towards this implementation. The paired differences were meaningful being less than 0.005, as a result, the innovation outcomes were significant. This research is important for those who are interested in educational field and EFL teachers who are focused on teaching reading strategies.