The present study is an attempt to investigate the effect of teaching “Collaborative Strategic Reading Approach (CSR)” on the reading comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. To fulfill this objective, a group of 85 female learners attending English courses at Safir Language School took a sample PET as a proficiency test, 64 of them were selected as homogenous learners and were divided into two groups of experimental and control. In the next step, a piloted pretest of reading was administered in both groups. All classes of the two groups were instructed by the same teacher (the researcher) using the same material. The only difference was that the experimental group received CSR strategy training based on Klingner, Vaughn, & Schumm, (2001) model, while the control group received a common teaching program of Safir Language School which is not concerned with teaching strategies.  At the end of the training, a piloted post-test of reading comprehension (was administered to both groups. The analysis of the test scores using t-test revealed that experimental group did statistically better in their post-test, which means that an increase in students’ performance in reading comprehension due to the effect of CSR approach was occurred. The implication is that CSR strategy training can be included in regular English reading courses. This result may help EFL teachers to bear in mind the beneficial of teaching strategies especially when dealing with reading comprehension.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………IIIACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………….…………………………….IV

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………V

LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………….……………VIII

LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………….………………….IX

CHAPTER I: BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE………………………………1

1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………2

1.2 Statement of the Problem………………………………………………………………………7

1.3 Statement of the Research Question…………………………………….…………………….9

1.4 Statement of the Research Hypothesis…………….………………………………………….10

1.5 Definition of Key Terms………………………………………….………………………….10

1.5.1 Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) ……….………………..…..……….………….10

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1.6 Significance of the Study……………………………………………..………………………11

1.7 Limitations and Delimitations …………..……………………………………………….…..12

1.7.1 Limitations……………………………………………………….………………………12

1.7.2 Delimitations……………………………………………………………………………..13

CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE………………15

2.1Introduction…………………………………….………..….…..……………………………16

2.2 Reading…………………………………………………………….…………………………16

2.2.1 Models of Reading………………………………………………………………………..17

2.2.2 Components of Reading…………………………………………………………………..19

2.2.3 Foreign Language Reading……………………………………………………………….20

2.3 Reading Comprehension……………………………………………………………………..22

2.3.1 Definitions of Reading Comprehension…………………………………………………..24

2.3.2 Categories of Reading Comprehension………………………………..…………………25

2.3.3 Influential Factors in Reading Comprehension………………………….………………27

2.4 Reading Strategies……………………………………………………………………………28

2.4.1 Definitions of Reading Strategies………………………………………………………..30

2.4.2 Categories of Reading Strategies…………………………………………….…………..31

2.4.3 Reading Strategies and Reading Comprehension…………………………..……………32

2.4.4 Reading Strategies Studies in Iran………………………………………….……………35

2.5 Skilled Versus Unskilled Readers……………………………………………………………36

2.6 Collaborative Strategic Reading……………………………………………………………..42

2.6.1 Strategies Used in Collaborative Strategic Reading………………………..……………42

2.6.2 Collaborative Strategic Reading Training………………………………………………..47

2.6.3 Theoretical Background for CSR…………………………………………….…………..54

2.6.4 Studies Related to Collaborative Strategic Reading…………………………..…………62

CHAPTER III: METHOD…………………………….………………………..68

3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………..………………69

3.2 Participants……………………………………………………………………………………69

3.3 Instrumentation………………………………………………………………………………70

3.3.1 Language Proficiency Test Used for Homogenization……………………………….….70

3.3.2 Rating Scales…………………………………………………………..………………….72

3.3.2.1 Writing Rating Scale of PET……………………………………………..………….72

3.3.2.2 Speaking Rating Scale of PET……………………………………………………….72

3.3.3 Pretest……………………………………………………………………………………..72

3.3.4 Post-test …………………………………………………………………………………..73

3.3.5 Material………………………………………………………………………………..….73

3.3.6 Cue Cards………………………………………………………………………………….74

3.3.7 CSR Learning Logs……………………………………………………………………….75

3.3.8 Clunk Cards ………………………………………………………………………………75

3.4 Procedure…………………………………………………………………………….………76

3. 5 Design of the Study………………………………………………………………………….89

3.6 Statistical Analysis……………………………………………………………………………89

CHAPTER IV: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………….91

4.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………..92

4.2 Participant Selection…………………………………………………………………………92

4.2.1 Descriptive Statistics of the PET Proficiency Test Piloting……………………………..93

4.2.2 Descriptive Statistics of the PET Proficiency Test Administration…………..…………97

4. 3 Dividing the Participants into the Two Groups…………………………………….……….98

4.3.1 Descriptive Statistics of Reading Comprehension Pretest Piloting…………..…………98

4.3.2 Descriptive Statistics of Reading Comprehension Post-test Piloting…………..……….99

4.4 Checking the Normality……………………………………………………………………100

4.5 Pretest of Reading Comprehension Administration……………………………………..…101

4.6 Research Question………………………………………………………………………….103

4.7 Criterion Referenced Validity………………………………………………………………106

4.7.1 K-R 21 Reliability Indices…………………………………………………….………..107

4.8 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………….107

CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION AND PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS..109

5.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………110

5.2 Conclusion………………………………………………………………….………………111

5.3 Pedagogical Implications…………………………………………………..……………….111

5.3.1 Implications for EFL Teachers……………………………………………….…………112

5.3.2 Implications for EFL Learners……….………………………………………..…….…113

5.3.3 Implications for EFL Syllabus Designers and Curriculum Developers………….…….113

5.4 Suggestions for Further Research…………………………………………………………..114

REFERENCES………………………………………………………………….116

APPENDICES………………………………………………………..…………130

Appendix A: Language Proficiency Test Used for Homogenization (PET)…………..……….

Appendix B: Writing Rating Scale of PET………………………………..……………………

Appendix C: Speaking Rating Scale of PET……………………………………………………

Appendix D: Pretest……………………………………………………………….……………

Appendix E: Post-test…………………………………………………………………………..

Appendix F: Cooperative Learning Group Roles………………………………………………

Appendix G: CSR Learning Log……………………………………………………………….

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: Number of Participants in Experimental and Control Groups………..………………69

Table 3.2: Stage 1 of CSR’s Plan for Strategic Reading……………………………..…………..81

Table 3.3: Stage 2 of CSR’s Plan for Strategic Reading…………………………..……………..83

Table 3.4: Stage 3 of CSR’s Plan for Strategic Reading………………………………………….84

Table 3.5: Stage 4 of CSR’s Plan for Strategic Reading……………………………..…………..86

Table 4.1: Descriptive Statistics of the PET Piloting……………………………………………93

Table 4.2: Reliability of the PET Piloting before Deletion of Malfunctioning Items……………94