A qualitative phenomenological study about the reasons and solutions of low reading comprehension skills among elementary school students from the viewpoints of international test coordinators and reading teaching supervisors

Abstract

This study aimed to diagnose the manifestations of poor reading comprehension skills among primary school students and to identify the contributing factors behind the decline in this essential literacy skill. It also sought to explore proposed solutions for addressing the issue from the perspectives of international assessment coordinators and reading instruction supervisors within the Taif Education Directorate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The study adopted a qualitative methodology utilizing a phenomenological research design to explore and understand participants' in-depth experiences and insights regarding the phenomenon under investigation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with nine international assessment coordinators and reading supervisors, in addition to a focused group interview with six supervisors during the 1446 AH academic year. The findings revealed five key manifestations of weak reading comprehension skills, the most prominent of which were psychological, behavioral, and accumulative issues negatively affecting students’ ability to comprehend texts. Furthermore, the results indicated that the underlying causes of poor reading comprehension could be categorized into five domains: teacher-related factors, student-related factors, school and educational system-related factors, sociocultural factors, and curriculum and assessment-related factors. Based on these findings, the study proposed a set of solutions categorized into four main areas: organizational solutions related to the school and educational system, developmental solutions related to curriculum and instructional methods, professional solutions targeting teacher preparation and competency development, and general awareness solutions aimed at families and the broader community to enhance their role in supporting students’ reading comprehension skills.