Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Effects of Prior Knowledge-Based Instruction on Students’ Critical and Evaluative Reading Comprehension Performance

Jamila Mustapha

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of prior knowledge-based instruction on students' critical and evaluative reading comprehension performance among secondary school students in Niger State, Nigeria. Reading comprehension, particularly at higher cognitive levels, remains a persistent challenge for second language learners due to inadequate instructional strategies and insufficient activation of students' existing knowledge frameworks. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test non-randomized control group design involving 120 senior secondary school students drawn through multistage sampling from two public schools in Bida Local Government Area. Sixty students formed the experimental group taught using prior knowledge activation techniques, while sixty constituted the control group taught using conventional methods. Data were collected using validated reading comprehension passages designed to assess literal, inferential, critical, and evaluative comprehension levels. Instrument reliability was established at 0.85 using Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test) at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that both groups had comparable pre-test mean scores (1.9 and 1.8 respectively), but the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-test performance (mean = 2.3) compared to the control group (mean = 2.1), with t-calculated (3.92) exceeding t-critical (1.96). The study concluded that prior knowledge activation significantly enhances students' critical evaluation reading comprehension by enabling them to analyze, interpret, and evaluate textual information more effectively. The findings underscore the importance of schema activation in reading instruction and highlight gaps in teachers' professional knowledge regarding innovative pedagogical strategies. Recommendations include comprehensive teacher training in prior knowledge a

Keywords

Prior Knowledge ActivationReading Comprehension StrategiesSecond Language LearningCritical Evaluation ComprehensionSecondary School Students

References

Aboderin, Y., & Dele, A. (1981). Critical reading in Nigerian schools. Lagos: Educational Publishers. Afflerbach, P. (2020). Understanding and using reading assessment, K–12 (4th ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Alenky, M. (2023). Role of background knowledge in reading comprehension of subject-specific texts. Journal of Second Language Studies, 6(2), 145-167. Aliyu, M. M. (2006). Reading strategies for comprehension in Nigerian secondary schools. Zaria: ABU Press. Anmei, Z., Chen, L., & Wang, Y. (2020). Prior knowledge, cognitive load, and learning engagement: An integrative model. Educational Psychology Review, 32(4), 891-915. Applegate, M. D., & Quinn, K. B. (2002). Levels of thinking required by comprehension questions in informal reading inventories. The Reading Teacher, 56(2), 174-180. Ausubel, D. P. (1968). Educational psychology: A cognitive view. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Bittermann, A. (2023). Domain knowledge versus topic knowledge in reading comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly, 58(1), 88-106. Carrell, P. L., & Eisterhold, J. C. (2018). Schema theory and ESL reading pedagogy. In P. L. Carrell, J. Devine, & D. E. Eskey (Eds.), Interactive approaches to second language reading (pp. 73-92). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Franzas, M. (2018). Declining reading comprehension among secondary students: Causes and interventions. International Journal of Educational Research, 89, 34-48. Gilakjani, A. P., & Ahmadi, S. M. (2011). The relationship between L2 reading comprehension and schema theory: A matter of text familiarity. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 1(2), 142-149. Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2020). Teaching and researching reading (3rd ed.). New York: Routledge. Graiella, M. (2012). Prior knowledge strategies in reading comprehension instruction. Reading Improvement, 49(3), 103-112. Grellet, F. (1981). Developing reading skills: A practical guide to reading comprehension exercises. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Grice, H. P. (1975). Logic and conversation. In P. Cole & J. L. Morgan (Eds.), Syntax and semantics 3: Speech acts (pp. 41-58). New York: Academic Press. Gu, Y. (2003). Vocabulary learning in a second language: Person, task, context and strategies. TESL-EJ, 7(2), 1-25. Iorliam, E. I. V., Nkopuruk, I. N., & Donald, W. L. (2025). Impact of Digital Diversity on the Academic Performance of Rural Students in Gwagwalada Area Council, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria. Abuja International Journal of Education , 12(1) 213-229 Iorliam, E. I. V. & Nkopuruk, I. N. (2026). The Role of Students in Strengthening Democracy and Good Governance. European Journal of Science and Modern Technologies, 2(1) 1-18. https://doi.org/10.59324/ejsmt.2026.2(1).?? Lee, S. K. (2012). Reading and writing as situated social practices: Implications for literacy education. Reading Research Quarterly, 47(3), 235-248. Lin, Z. (2002). Discovering EFL learners' perception of prior knowledge and its roles in reading comprehension. Journal of Research in Reading, 25(2), 172-190. Longe, V. U. (1978). Reading in language teaching. Ibadan: Spectrum Books. www.ijee.io Mabonga, E. (2021). The role of reader's prior knowledge in reading comprehension. African Journal of Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 45-62. McCarthy, K. S. (2020). Integrating prior knowledge during reading comprehension. Discourse Processes, 57(8), 681-698. Mcquillan, J. (1994). Reading versus grammar: What students think is pleasurable for language acquisition. Applied Language Learning, 5(2), 95-100. Mobolaji, S. O., Nkopuruk, I. N., Sulayman, S. E., and Mustapha, J. (2025). Implications of Task- Based Language Teaching for Second Language Acquisition in Nigerian Classrooms. 11(4), 330-342. Morris, A. (1995). Effective reading strategies for secondary school students. London: Cassell. Nguyen, T. H. (2021). Effects of background knowledge in listening skills: Improving IELTS performance. TESOL International Journal, 16(3), 78-94. Nkopuruk, I. N. (2018). An appraisal of language planning in African countries: The case of Tanzania and Bokina Faso. International Journal of Language Education and Culture, 3(1), 205–213. SELT Publishers. Nkopuruk, I., & Saheed, O. K. (2019, March 29). Objectifying Intuitive Response in Stylistic Analysis: A Study of Maya Angelou's 'Still I Rise'. Asian Journal of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies, 2(2), 51-56. Available at: https://journalajl2c.com/index.php/AJL2C/article/view/36 Nkopuruk, I. N. (2025, December). Cultural Identity and Literary Form: Pedagogical Implications of Achebe’s Use of Parallelism in “A Wake for Okigbo” International Journal of Education and Evaluation 11(4), 264-277. Nkopuruk, I. N., & Mobolaji, S. O. (2025). Effects of Gamification Strategy on Senior Secondary School Students' Academic Performance in English Reading Comprehension. Abuja International Journal of Education , 12(1), 170-197 Nkopuruk, I. (2025). Assessing the Effectiveness of Play-Way and Structural Approaches in the Teaching of English Grammar among Selected Creche Schools in Ijebu-Ode Township. Jordan Journal of Educational Sciences, 21(3), 331–347. Retrieved from https://jjes.yu.edu.jo/index.php/jjes/article/view/495 Nuttall, C. (1989). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. London: Heinemann. Nwana, E. N. (2025). Perceived impact of artificial intelligence, digital tools, and pedagogical innovations in directed writing in secondary schools in Eastern Nigeria. Kontagora International Journal of Educational Research, 2(2), 72–84. Olaofe, I. A. (1998). Nigerian children and the reading habit. Ilorin: Haytee Press. Olaofe, I. A. (2010). Critical thinking and reading comprehension. In A. Dada & B. O. Okedara (Eds.), Issues in language, communication and education (pp. 156-172). Ibadan: Stirling- Horden Publishers. Oyetunde, T. O. (1991). Reading instruction in Nigerian primary schools. Jos: Lecaps Publishers. Ozuru, Y., Dempsey, K., & McNamara, D. S. (2015). Prior knowledge, reading skill, and text cohesion in the comprehension of science texts. Learning and Instruction, 22(1), 14-26. Paradis, M. (1993). Linguistic, psycholinguistic, and neurolinguistic aspects of 'interference' in bilingual speakers. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 14(1-2), 9-18. Plastina, A. F. (1999). Teacher training and reading comprehension instruction. Language Teaching Research, 3(2), 145-168. Rapp, D. N., & Van Den Broek, P. (2015). Dynamic text comprehension: An integrative view of reading. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(5), 276-279. www.ijee.io Reid, M. (2021). Background knowledge in reading comprehension: Evidence from primary school children. Educational Psychology, 41(6), 712-730. Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2022). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (20th anniversary ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sheorey, R., & Mokhtari, K. (2001). Differences in the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies among native and non-native readers. System, 29(4), 431-449. Sinclair, J. M. (1990). Collins COBUILD English grammar. London: Collins. Solarin, T. A. (1986). Developing reading skills in English. Ibadan: Evans Brothers. Solarin, T. A. (1989). Reading comprehension for schools and colleges. Lagos: Literamed Publications. Sulayman, S. E., Nkopuruk, I. N., and Akintunde, A. F. (2026). Enhancing English Phonetic Competence through Digital Micro-Teaching Strategies in Nigerian Secondary Schools. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies 52 (2), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2026/v52i22828 Surber, J. R., & Schroeder, M. (2007). The role of prior knowledge in reading comprehension. Reading Psychology, 28(4), 315-334. Tarchi, C. (2010). Reading comprehension of informative texts in secondary school: A focus on direct and indirect effects of reader's prior knowledge. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(5), 415-420. Tarchi, C. (2017). Comprehending and recalling fro

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND EVALUATION