Demystifying the Impact of Different Advance Organizer Strategies on Reading Comprehension Skill: Checking Iranian EFL Learners' Attitudes

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of three types of advance organizers (verbal, textual, and graphic) on the reading comprehension skills of 118 intermediate-level EFL learners, both males and females, ranging in age from 19 to 28 (average age of 23). The participants were divided into four groups: the graphic organizer group, verbal organizer group, textual organizer group, and control group. All participants initially took a pretest consisting of 30 multiple-choice questions. After treatment, a posttest was administered to measure reading comprehension achievement. The results of the quantitative analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that advance organizers significantly improved reading comprehension scores. Specifically, graphic and textual organizers had a significant difference in mean scores. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis of the study revealed that a majority of the students had a positive attitude towards using graphic advance organizers in the classroom. The findings of this study contribute to those who are concerned with teaching.

Keywords

• graphic organizers
• textual organizers
• verbal organizers