English abstract
The present study investigated three main aspects related to prior knowledge in EFL reading comprehension in Oman: teachers' view of the role of prior knowledge, the instructional strategies they use for activating students' prior knowledge, and the difficulties they face when activating students' prior knowledge.
To answer the research questions, three instruments were used: a questionnaire, an observation checklist, and a semi-structured interview. The study was conducted with (6 & 7) grades Basic Education teachers in Batinah North Region for the academic year 2009-2010. The sample for the questionnaire of the study consisted of about 40% of grades six and seven teachers (82 teachers). The sample for the observation consisted of 30 teachers.
Analysis of EFL teachers' responses and their classroom practices shows:
1. A strong recognition of the role of prior knowledge in text comprehension.
2. A heavy reliance on a limited number of techniques (brainstorming, audiovisual
aids, and questioning) and the absence of use of well-structured techniques.
3. A clear attribution of the difficulties to three main sources: students' limited linguistic competence, the lack of adequate teacher training on schema theory and its instructional implications, and teachers' books provide little help on how to deal with prior knowledge activation through a variety of recent techniques.
4. There was no significant correlation between Omani EFL teachers' perspectives about the role of prior knowledge in reading comprehension and their classroom practices.
In the light of the findings of this study, some implications for EFL teachers, inservice teachers training, and for curriculum development are given. Also, further research studies are recommended.
