The Effectiveness of the Seven-Step Strategy in Reading Comprehension and Lateral Thinking among Female Students of the Grade

Abstract

The current research aims to identify the effectiveness of the PQ5R Seven-Step Strategy in reading comprehension and lateral thinking among second-year intermediate female students in the subject of reading. To achieve this, the researcher adopted a quasi-experimental design with a post-test for both the experimental and control groups. The researcher randomly selected Al-Hawraa Intermediate School for Girls, which included three classes for the second intermediate grade. The research sample consisted of 60 students. The researcher randomly chose class (C) to represent the experimental group, consisting of 30 students who were taught according to the PQ5R strategy. Similarly, class (A) was randomly selected to represent the control group, also with 30 students, who were taught using the traditional method. The researcher excluded students who had failed the previous academic year from the research sample, totaling three students. The researcher prepared teaching plans for both research groups and developed research instruments, including a reading comprehension test consisting of 30 multiple-choice items, as well as a lateral thinking test composed of five sections with 20 multiple-choice items. After statistically analyzing the results, the researcher concluded that the experimental group students outperformed the control group students in both the reading comprehension test and the lateral thinking test  In light of these results, the researcher recommended a set of recommendations, including the necessity of using the seven-step strategy PQ5R in teaching reading; Because of its positive, effective role in improving students’ learning, it also recommended training Arabic language teachers for the intermediate stage on modern teaching strategies, including the (PQ4R) strategy.