Bridging The Gap: Addressing Barriers in Reading Comprehension of

Struggling Science Learners in Grade 7

( DECODING COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC VOCALBULARY)

I. CONTEXT AND RATIONALE

The act of reading necessitates the activation of relevant prior knowledge and

skills to facilitate a reciprocal exchange of information. Readers must actively engage

with the text, integrating previously acquired knowledge and skills to construct meaning.

Successful comprehension involves not only understanding individual components of

the text but also recognizing how these components interrelate to create a coherent

whole. Moreover, students must be able to evaluate their own comprehension, identify

textual cues, and effectively utilize this knowledge to respond accurately to questions. A

critical aspect often overlooked is the understanding of the purpose behind reading

comprehension itself, which is essential for students to fully engage in the process and

derive maximum benefit.

Reading comprehension in science education is hindered by a number of

persistent barriers. One critical obstacle is the insufficient emphasis placed on reading

about science within the classroom setting. While the Common Core State Standards

advocate for the integration of nonfiction texts across all subject areas, this practice is

not consistently implemented in science classrooms. Furthermore, a dearth of readily

available science books and magazines within schools further restricts students' access

to scientific texts. Research indicates that many teachers lack access to these

resources, and students report infrequent utilization of library resources for science-

related activities. This limited exposure to scientific reading materials can significantly

impede students' development of essential skills and strategies necessary for effectively

comprehending scientific information (AndyZucker, 2020).

 Academic success is heavily reliant on the development of strong reading

comprehension skills. This skill goes beyond simply decoding text; it requires students

to extract meaning and construct understanding from what they read. Students often

face challenges in developing this proficiency, which can be attributed to both

psychological and linguistic factors. A study conducted at the University of

Muhammadiyah Kotabumi (2020) investigated the psychological barriers experienced

by English education students. The study identified ten key barriers, including

insufficient attention, poor retention, diminished confidence, emotional factors, shyness,

lack of motivation, age, attitudes, self-efficacy, and self-concept. The study concluded

that motivation emerged as the most significant psychological barrier, having a

detrimental impact on learners' reading comprehension. This finding highlights the

critical importance of fostering intrinsic motivation in students to enhance their reading

engagement and ultimately improve their comprehension skills.

In the context of this study, the Grade 7 science learners experience difficulties

with reading comprehension, particularly when encountering scientific texts. This

challenge is often attributed to a deficiency in vocabulary knowledge, which can impede

the understanding of complex scientific concepts. While students may be able to

decode individual words, they struggle to grasp their meaning within the context of a

scientific passage. This can lead to frustration, disengagement, and a sense of

inadequacy, ultimately hindering their academic progress. The research is driven by the

significant discrepancy between the vocabulary demands of science texts and the

vocabulary knowledge of struggling Grade 7 learners. This gap constitutes a substantial

barrier to reading comprehension, resulting in frustration, disengagement, and

ultimately, a lack of understanding of scientific concepts.

This research will investigate effective strategies for teaching complex scientific

vocabulary to struggling Grade 7 science learners. The study will explore a range of

approaches, including explicit vocabulary instruction, contextualized vocabulary

learning, vocabulary games and activities, and technology-enhanced learning. Explicit

vocabulary instruction involves directly teaching the meaning of key scientific terms

through definitions, examples, and visual aids. Contextualized vocabulary learning

emphasizes understanding the meaning of words within the context of scientific

passages, encouraging students to utilize context clues to infer meaning (Godwin-

Jones, 2018). Engaging students in interactive games and activities can enhance

vocabulary learning by making it more enjoyable and memorable (Akdoğan, 2017).

Furthermore, utilizing digital tools and resources can provide students with interactive

vocabulary exercises, simulations, and visual representations of scientific concepts,

fostering a more engaging and effective learning experience (Taylor et al., 2021).

This research aims to make significant contributions to the field of science

education. By identifying effective strategies for teaching complex scientific vocabulary

to struggling Grade 7 learners, the study will provide teachers with practical tools and

resources to support their students' vocabulary development. The ultimate goal is to

improve reading comprehension in science for struggling learners, ultimately enhancing

their scientific literacy and academic success. This research will provide valuable

insights into the challenges faced by struggling science learners and offer practical
solutions for educators to bridge the gap in vocabulary knowledge and improve reading

comprehension.

II. ACTION RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study aims to answer the following questions:

1. What specific strategies and resources are most effective in helping struggling

Grade 7 science learners decode complex scientific vocabulary?

2. How can we effectively implement a targeted vocabulary intervention program to

improve the reading comprehension of struggling Grade 7 science learners?

III. PROPOSED INNOVATION, INTERVENTION, STRATEGY

Thus, in this study, the researcher would like to find out what is the most effective

strategies to implement for the intervention program to improve the reading

comprehension and help learners of grade 7 decode complex scientific vocabulary.

From the study of Santoro and Fien (2016), incorporating different strategies can

enhance the students reading comprehension and empower students to become

confident and proficient language users, enabling them to succeed in their

academic pursuits and navigate complex scientific vocabulary. According to Sedita

(2019), creating an effective learning experience that fosters vocabulary

acquisition requires careful consideration of various elements. Explicit

vocabulary instruction should be a cornerstone, directly teaching word meanings,

pronunciations, and usage. However, simply memorizing definitions is

insufficient. Contextualized learning is vital, allowing students to encounter words in

meaningful texts, real-world scenarios, and discussions, deepening their

understanding. Vocabulary games and activities can make learning engaging and

memorable, promoting active recall and collaboration. Teacher can also

use technology-enhanced learning which offers personalized instruction, interactive

content, and access to a wealth of resources, expanding learning opportunities.

In this context, educators can incorporates a variety of strategies, including the

following; (a) vocabulary roots and affixes strategy where the Teacher teach students

how to break down complex scientific terms into their component parts—prefixes, roots,

and suffixes—to decode unfamiliar words.Conduct Weekly lessons on common

scientific prefixes, roots, and suffixes (e.g., "bio-", "-ology", "-scope"). (b) Guided

reading sessions where students underline or highlight unknown words and attempt to

deduce meaning from the text. (c) Interactive Science Vocabulary Journals where

Students create entries for new vocabulary, with each entry including the word, its

definition, an illustration, and an example of the word used in a sentence. Lastly, (d)

Gamified Vocabulary Building where educators use gamification techniques to make

vocabulary learning engaging and competitive. Games such as word matching, word

scrambles, or vocabulary bingo will be introduced to motivate students while reinforcing

their understanding of scientific terms. This different strategy hopes to enhance or

improve the reading comprehension specially on decoding complex scientific

vocabulary for effective learning environment.

IV. ACTION RESEARCH METHODS

A. Participants and/or other Sources of Data

The participants of this action research study are the grade 7 learners (science )

in ALVIOLA VILLAGE INTEGRATED SECONDARY SCHOOL . Prior to the conduct of

this research, we the researcher already ask or identified the participants through

consultation to the resource teacher and 50 % of the class lacks the skill in reading

comprehension specially on complex scientific vocabulary. This maybe the result of no

child left behind policy in the Philippines.The previous reading intervention records as

well as other related research or data are utilized in this study.

B. Data Collection and Data Gathering

References

AndyZucker. (2020, January 5). Barriers to reading about science for school. Improving

Science Education Standards. https://improvethengss.org/2020/01/05/barriers-to-

reading-about-science-for-school/

Godwin-Jones, R. (2018). Contextualized vocabulary learning. Language Learning &

Technology, 22(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10125/44651

Akdoğan, E. (2017). Developing vocabulary in game activities and game

materials. Journal of Teaching and Education, 7(1), 31–

66. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED617641.pdf

Taylor, M., Fudge, A., Mirriahi, N., & de Laat, M. (2021). Use of digital technology in

education: Literature review. The Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning, The

University of South Australia. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/docs/ict/digital-strategy-

microsite/c3l-digital-technologies-in-education-literature-review.pdf

Sedita-Joan, B. (2019). Effective Vocabulary Instruction, Handbook of reading research.

New York: Longman. https://www.cgcatogo.com/uploads/1/0/6/7/10675379/effective-

vocabulary-instruction.pdf