Major research questions, fields and purposes
The aim of the research is to modernise the methods applied in the systems of literacy instructions in lower primary grades of Hungarian public education; to update teachers’ conceptual structure, and beliefs by theoretical, practical, and empirical classroom research. The main feature, basic principle of the planned research is that the research should begin in the classroom and they should work in classrooms as well.
In our research, we are going to apply a number of attributes, factors indicating a change of paradigms which have not been introduced in Hungarian public education. Based on the research literature, the main fields of our research are assessment, evaluation of 1. reading literacy skills, 2. reading fluency, 3. reading strategies. In our view, the integrated interpretation of these three fields makes it possible to build literacy instruction on current theoretical foundations; it is also an aim that reading instruction should be able to support resilience and conform to the changing requirements of the society more efficiently that the present one; therefore, it could contribute to the success of the individual in everyday life and the realisation of equal opportunities.
Our work is supported by the fact that the members of our research group have been conducting research for more than a decade, and have already had a number of research findings in this field.
1. Reading literacy skills
The definition of reading has significantly changed in the last decades; its main tendencies include the broadening, extension of the interpretation of the concept, and the spread of the concept of literacy (Steklács. 2018, Steklács et al., 2021). The definitions of PISA surveys regarding the reading framework are clear examples for this tendency.
We are examining the definitions provided by PISA survey because this scientific project has the most significant professional background; it requires current knowledge which meets requirements, completion of reading tasks which are expected from adult readers. It is also a project which addresses the widest circles of professionals, and whose definitions are the most forward-looking and modern from the point of reading instruction.
The definition of reading literacy has been changing continuously since the 2000 survey. The first definition was the following: „Reading literacy is understanding, using and reflecting on written texts, in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society.” (PISA 2018, 11.o.). This definition was extended by the concept of engaging, which was followed by motivation, a group of constructs connected to emotions and behaviours, including a joy of reading, interest. In 2015 the definition was extended with some important concepts. Online, digital reading was paid attention to, static and dynamic texts, and factors of reading related to emotions and behaviours were highlighted. The last definition in 2018 omitted the expression “written” from the 2015 definition, thus the last definition is the following:
Reading literacy is understanding, using, evaluating, reflecting on and engaging with texts in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential and to participate in society” (PISA 2018, 11.o.) In the 2018 definition of t reading framework reading literacy is defined as follows:
„The term “reading literacy” is used instead of “reading” because it is likely to convey to a non-expert audience more precisely what the survey is measuring. “Reading” is often understood as simply decoding, or even reading aloud, whereas the intention of this survey is to measure much broader and more encompassing constructs. Reading literacy includes a wide range of cognitive and linguistic competencies, from basic decoding to knowledge of words, grammar and larger linguistic and textual structures for comprehension, as well as integration of meaning with one’s knowledge about the world. It also includes metacognitive competencies: the awareness of and ability to use a variety of appropriate strategies when processing texts. Metacognitive competencies are activated when readers think about, monitor and adjust their reading activity for a particular goal.” (PISA 2018, 9.o.)
It is important to point out that this resilient theoretical approach in literacy instruction is extremely important for conforming to the changing social conditions, and this approach has an important role in the modernisation of the system. Our important goal is to formulate an approach which reflects the concept of the current concept of literacy skills in the first, entering phase of the school system.
2. Reading fluency
In the interpretation of reading fluency, we distinguished between linguistic and psychological approaches. The linguistic interpretation is extended by factors which are mainly related to reading aloud. These factors include turning writing into speech, spoken language. If we read aloud, it is unavoidable to segment and interpret words and sentences; therefore, we need to apply supra-segmental factors. (Baker et al., 2008; McGill-Franzen & Allington, 2011). It is important to see that reading aloud can be regarded as a reading and speaking production activity as well.
In our view, the concept of reading fluency includes the automated level of reading technique. The main difference between fluent and non-fluent reading is that the fluent reader has the automated level of decoding which makes it possible for him/her to concentrate on his/her cognitive resources during the construction of meaning, comprehension, monitoring his/her reading processes and operation of metacognitive skills instead of focusing on decoding processes. The reader who does not have the automated level of reading processes below the level of reading comprehension is significantly disadvantaged regarding comprehension compared to his/her mates who are able to do the automated decoding.
Apart from these conditions, a good reader should keep a certain reading tempo in order to efficiently operate working memory, which also needs automated decoding processes as well. The appropriate tempo is provided not just by the recognition of the linguistic units but also it only allows a small number of miscues and their quick and effective correction which is supported by the knowledge of the rules of the written language (Kamil et al., 2011; Kuhn 2011; Rasinski et al., 2011).
We can summarise the most important determining factors of fluency in the following way: automated decoding processes; identification of phonemes and graphemes, word recognition, phoneme and morpheme awareness, metalinguistic knowledge related to the given writing system and the language in general, the appropriate reading tempo necessary to comprehension, the low proportion of mistakes on all linguistic levels.
3. Reading strategies
According to the simple but relevant definition proposed by Janice Almasi (2003) ”reading strategy is a cognitive process of monitoring and selection applied deliberately in order to reach the aim of the reading.” (Almasi, 2003,p. 5).
Reading strategies as other strategic activities entail selecting a procedure consisting of one element or a combination of several elements from a set of possible methods to solve a given task. Strategic thinking requires activity awareness, in addition, the ability to analyse the task, determine the solution, establish the sequence of the strategic elements, and the continuous monitoring and evaluation. In case of reading strategies, the solution of the task includes the selection of the aim of reading, the methods and procedures of reading, the arrangement of reading strategies.
The concept of reading strategies originates from the American reading research in 1970s. It became well known when Francis Pleasant Robinson (1970) published his book Effective Study. Robinson’s method, SQ3R, relates to the examination of the text, creating questions, reading the text, and retelling it, and retrospective review (Survey, Question, Read, Recite/Write, Review) (Robinson, 1970). Later, mainly, the name of five strategies was changed, and it became known as PQRST method (Preview, Question, Read, Self-recitation (or Summary).
By the Millennium, some hundreds of reading strategies were named. In the United States, they became parts of pedagogical thinking and classroom practice in public education, and appeared in many parts of the world. From the 80s, its research become intertwined with the research of metacognition, since strategic thinking and activities along with the reflection to the cognition, self-reflections have an impact on the knowledge of the students’ skills, and their own cognitive operations, and they are inseparable from those; and it is the same in reading as well.
In Hungary, we examined this phenomenon in the first decade of the century, and we proved its effectiveness by intervention programmes, and we built it into the National Framework Curriculum (Steklács, 2013).
In the examination of the research fields mentioned above, we applied a new method: an eye-tracking examination of learning, reading processes. Our research group has a significant experience; we executed more than 40 research projects in this field (Steklács, 2019). Apart from the three main fields, in the 4 -year research period, we are going to examine several areas which are underrepresented in Hungarian literacy instruction; however, according to international experiences they make a positive impact in this field.
Minor fields of the research
- Eye tracking observation and analysis of reading process development
- Oral language skills, language development and reading literacy
- Early language development indicators and reading performance
- Examination lexical access process
- Morphological awareness
- Reading comprehension and text books
- Personalizing reading through gamification to enhance reading fluency and reading comprehension
- Real time physiological tools affecting reading process
- Growth mindset and reading
- Primary school teachers’ views and beliefs, about their own roles and influence on the development of childrens’ reading skills
- Application of To support the development of interpretive reading in the digital world (’The 5C) project
- Application of Reciprocal Teaching Method
