Direct and Inferential Relations Among Reading Comprehension, Silent and Oral Reading Fluency, Reading Self-Concept, Reading Engagement and Response to Picturebooks


Thesis Type: Doctorate

Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Sınıf Öğretmenliği Bilim Dalı, Turkey

Approval Date: 2019

Thesis Language: Turkish

Student: BARIŞ ESMER

Supervisor: Mustafa Ulusoy

Abstract:

Reading comprehension is a complex process. Theoretical models of reading

comprehension might help teachers and researchers understand these complexities.

Because models can point to variables that make the largest contributions to reading

comprehension. In the present study, we examined the direct and indirect relations among

three text genres of reading comprehension (narrative, informational and postmodern),

silent and oral reading fluency, reading engagement, reading self-concept, and students’

response to picture books. Furthermore, we address the mediating role of reading

engagement and children’s’ responses to picture books on reading comprehension. For this

purpose, 3 structural equation models specifying to the narrative, informative and

postmodern texts have been developed. The sample consists of 349 4th grade Turkish

elementary school students in public schools in Ankara. The data were collected with

narrative, informative and postmodern reading comprehension tests, Cloze Tests, Silent

Fluent Reading Tests, Reader Response Prompts, The Informal Reading Inventory,

Multidimensional Fluency Scale, and The Reading Self-Concept Scale. Data were

ix

collected from 12 picture books, 4 of which were specified to each text type. Data were

analyzed with SPSS 22 and AMOS 22. The results showed that (a) narrative, informative

and postmodern silent and oral reading fluency have positively, moderately and

significantly related, and reading fluency (oral and silent) and reading self-concept poor

and significantly related (b) all models (narrative, informational and postmodern reading

comprehension)had an excellent fit, (c) Total amount of variance explained in reading

comprehension was 76%, 71%, and 81% for narrative, informational and postmodern

model, respectively, (d) silent reading fluency was the best predictor of narrative and

postmodern reading comprehension and uniquely and directly related to; and reading

engagement made the largest contributions to informational text comprehension, (e) oral

reading fluency made the largest contributions to reading engagement in all text types, (f)

reading engagement was the best predictor of students’ responses to informative and

postmodern texts and oral reading fluency made best contributions to response to narrative

text, (g) oral reading fluency indirectly affected reading comprehension via mediating role

of reading engagement in all text types, (h) reading engagement completely mediated the

relations of oral reading self-concept to reading comprehension in narrative text, (i)

students’ responses completely mediated the relations of oral reading fluency to reading

comprehension in postmodern text (j) reading fluency, reading engagement and selfperception,

and reader responses have largely effect size on reading comprehension in

three text types.

Key Words: Reading comprehension, oral reading fluency, silent reading fluency, reading

engagement, reader responses, reading self-concept, structural equational modeling,

mediation role