FACTORS AFFECTING SERU ABAS SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADE 10 STUDENTS’ READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS IN ARSI ZONE OROMIA REGION

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to assess the factors that affect grade 10 students reading comprehension skills. To achieve the above objective mixed method research design (quantitative and qualitative research methods) were employed to analyze the data. The participants of the study were 4 EFL teachers and 72 grade 10 students who were selected using available and stratified random sampling techniques respectively. The instruments used to collect data were questionnaire, semi-structured interview; textbook analysis and classroom observation. Quantative data were collected using questionnaire and was analyzed using percentage. Then qualitative data were collected using interviews, classroom observation and textbook analysis were analyzed and integrated with the results obtained through questionnaire. Accordingly, the analysis showed that lack of awareness and how to use reading comprehension strategies, lack of vocabulary knowledge, grammar knowledge, reading comprehension text which contain unfamiliar content and complex, and sentence scarcity of varied activities in the text were found to be the factors that challenge students’ reading comprehension skills. The consequence of the above mentioned factors has resulted in poor reading comprehension skills. Based on the findings recommendations are forwarded.