Effects of two Reading Approaches on the Achievement and Attitudes of Polytechnic Students in large classes

Abstract:

 The problems of reading comprehension have been identified as serious impediments to learning at all the educational levels in Nigeria. These problems are complicated by the large class situation that is prevalent in the tertiary institutions, especially at the Polytechnic level of education. The knowledge of these complex shortcomings have been responsible for the present study.

Two teaching approaches, interactive and the conventional or traditional were put side by side in order to see which of them would be more effective, or the aspects of the two that could be blended for the teaching of reading comprehension in large classes. Two types of instruments were used for collecting data for the study. The reading comprehension test was used for measuring the subjects achievement at the pre, post and feedback levels. The attitude questionnaire was administered on the subjects at the pre- and post-treatment levels in order to collect data for the five attitudinal variables investigated. One hundred and eighty students drawn from two departments in the College of Administrative and Business Studies consisting of ninety students from Accounting and Finance and ninety from Business Administration formed the subjects for the study. The research sample was made up.