An Investigation of English Reading Difficulties as Perceived by 10th Grades and ELT Teachers in Al Seeb Government Schools and Proposed Remedies from ELT Teachers’ Perspectives.

Abstract

This study investigates the reading difficulties that Grade 10 face as perceived by students and teachers in Al Seeb government schools, Oman and discover how these difficulties vary according to gender and English level. It also tries to detect whether there are statistically significant differences between grade 10 students’ and ELT teachers’ perceptions of reading difficulties, as well as discovering the most effective remedies to overcome these difficulties. The study employed a quantitative, descriptive research design. All grade 10 students and their ELT teachers in Al Seeb government schools were the target population, and this study used a random sample size of 280 students and 37 ELT teachers. To ensure validity and reliability, the research instruments were piloted on a small group prior to the main data collection. Data was gathered using an electronic survey and analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS. The findings revealed that Grade 10 students experience reading difficulties at a moderate level, with retention difficulties being the most prominent. ELT teachers perceived reading difficulties at a high level. To overcome the reading difficulties faced by grade 10 students, the study recommends exposing students to multiple types of reading texts, favored by efficient materials in the English language, and giving them more practice and activities in reading skills. Additionally, it is recommended that the Ministry of Education provide training courses for the teachers and supply schools with English Language laboratories.