Pre-Reading Questions and Their Effect on Comprehension: A Study of EFL Learners' Engagement with Text.
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| Title: | Pre-Reading Questions and Their Effect on Comprehension: A Study of EFL Learners' Engagement with Text. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Ahmed, Sami Hussein A.1 s.abdelrhman@mu.edu.sa |
| Source: | International Journal of Instruction. Jul2026, Vol. 19 Issue 3, p521-532. 12p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Reading comprehension, *Reading strategies, *Teaching methods, *Mixed methods research, *Limited English-proficient students, Participation, Schemas (Psychology), Saudi Arabians |
| Geographic Terms: | Middle East |
| Abstract: | This study inspects the effect of pre-reading questions on Saudi EFL learners' reading comprehension and engagement, grouping both cognitive and emotional responses. Deep-rooted in schema theory, the research employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative data from pre- and post-tests, as well as student interviews. Sixty students from grade 4 participated in this study. The results disclose that pre-reading questions ominously increase learners' ability to identify main ideas, sequence information, and recall details, while their effect on vocabulary acquisition remains limited. Qualitative data analysis highlights that pre-reading questions reduce anxiety, boost confidence, and provide a structured framework for approaching texts, although some students report challenges such as narrowed focus and overwhelm when questions are overly complex. The findings of the present study support existing literature on the benefits of pre-reading strategies while contributing new insights into their application in Middle Eastern EFL contexts. Limitations include a small sample size and limited exploration of question types and text complexities. Future research may address these gaps by incorporating larger samples, objective measures, and longitudinal designs to refine the use of pre-reading questions. The present study underscores the value of pre-reading questions as a pedagogical tool to improve comprehension and engagement, offering practical implications for EFL instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of International Journal of Instruction is the property of International Journal of Instruction and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: ehh DbLabel: Education Research Complete An: 195073869 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Pre-Reading Questions and Their Effect on Comprehension: A Study of EFL Learners' Engagement with Text. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ahmed%2C+Sami+Hussein+A%2E%22">Ahmed, Sami Hussein A.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo><i> s.abdelrhman@mu.edu.sa</i> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22International+Journal+of+Instruction%22">International Journal of Instruction</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 19 Issue 3, p521-532. 12p. – Name: Subject Label: Subject Terms Group: Su Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+comprehension%22">Reading comprehension</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+strategies%22">Reading strategies</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mixed+methods+research%22">Mixed methods research</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Limited+English-proficient+students%22">Limited English-proficient students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Participation%22">Participation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Schemas+%28Psychology%29%22">Schemas (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Saudi+Arabians%22">Saudi Arabians</searchLink> – Name: SubjectGeographic Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Middle+East%22">Middle East</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This study inspects the effect of pre-reading questions on Saudi EFL learners' reading comprehension and engagement, grouping both cognitive and emotional responses. Deep-rooted in schema theory, the research employs a mixed-methods approach to analyze quantitative and qualitative data from pre- and post-tests, as well as student interviews. Sixty students from grade 4 participated in this study. The results disclose that pre-reading questions ominously increase learners' ability to identify main ideas, sequence information, and recall details, while their effect on vocabulary acquisition remains limited. Qualitative data analysis highlights that pre-reading questions reduce anxiety, boost confidence, and provide a structured framework for approaching texts, although some students report challenges such as narrowed focus and overwhelm when questions are overly complex. The findings of the present study support existing literature on the benefits of pre-reading strategies while contributing new insights into their application in Middle Eastern EFL contexts. Limitations include a small sample size and limited exploration of question types and text complexities. Future research may address these gaps by incorporating larger samples, objective measures, and longitudinal designs to refine the use of pre-reading questions. The present study underscores the value of pre-reading questions as a pedagogical tool to improve comprehension and engagement, offering practical implications for EFL instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of International Journal of Instruction is the property of International Journal of Instruction and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.29333/iji.2026.19328a Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 12 StartPage: 521 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Reading comprehension Type: general – SubjectFull: Reading strategies Type: general – SubjectFull: Teaching methods Type: general – SubjectFull: Mixed methods research Type: general – SubjectFull: Limited English-proficient students Type: general – SubjectFull: Participation Type: general – SubjectFull: Schemas (Psychology) Type: general – SubjectFull: Saudi Arabians Type: general – SubjectFull: Middle East Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Pre-Reading Questions and Their Effect on Comprehension: A Study of EFL Learners' Engagement with Text. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ahmed, Sami Hussein A. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 07 Text: Jul2026 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1694609X Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 19 – Type: issue Value: 3 Titles: – TitleFull: International Journal of Instruction Type: main |
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