Revealing Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Arabic Reading Comprehension

Author

Osama OthmanFollow

Abstract

This thesis investigates the perceptions of Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) students and teachers regarding the influence of eight textual features on reading comprehension. These features are: vowelization, word patterns, roots, vocabulary, case endings, word order, punctuation marks, and text organization. It also investigates reading comprehension strategies employed by both groups to overcome comprehension challenges associated with these features. Data were collected from 102 AFL students and 26 AFL teachers through questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 students and 11 teachers. Results revealed that students generally rated the influence of these features more highly than teachers. The disparity could be attributed to the text types students read independently (authentic texts) compared to those used in classroom settings (textbooks, adapted materials). All coping strategies were rated by students as either ‘usually’ or ‘sometimes’ employed with reference material use and bottom decoding skills emerging as most frequently top employed. Teachers reported frequently utilizing comprehension checks, emphasizing bottom-up decoding skills, and incorporating pre-reading strategies to help students overcome challenges associated with textual features. Qualitative data, through interviews, provided valuable insights into the specific challenges faced by students and the strategies employed by students and teachers based on their actual experiences. A deeper understanding of these perceptions highlights the importance of conducting students’ needs analysis and adapting instruction to foster learners' autonomy.

School

School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department

Applied Linguistics Department

Degree Name

MA in Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

Graduation Date

Fall 1-21-2025

Submission Date

1-23-2025

First Advisor

Dalal Abo El Seoud

Committee Member 1

Shahira Yacout

Committee Member 2

Raghda El Essawi

Extent

202p.

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Recommended Citation

APA Citation

Othman, O. (2025).Revealing Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Arabic Reading Comprehension [Master's Thesis, the American University in Cairo]. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2439

MLA Citation

Othman, Osama. Revealing Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of Challenges and Strategies in Arabic Reading Comprehension. 2025. American University in Cairo, Master's Thesis. AUC Knowledge Fountain.
https://fount.aucegypt.edu/etds/2439