English abstract
The study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a training program
based on constructivist theory in developing constructive teaching
practices and reading comprehension skills for Arabic language teachers.
It also aimed to explore the impact of developing their teaching practices
on the development of reading comprehension skills for their students of
grade 10 in Batinah South Governorate, Sultanate of Oman. The sample
consisted of 40 male and female teachers who were randomly distributed
with equal number in both experimental and control groups. To achieve
the goals of the study, the researcher prepared a set of tools, namely: an
observation card for constructive teaching practices, an observation card
for reading comprehension, a reading comprehension test for students in
the experimental and control groups of 400 students, and a measurement
tool for teachers' attitudes toward constructive teaching. The study
adopted Semi-experimental approach.
The study included a list of principles of constructivism as well as
a list of reading comprehension skills in five levels: direct, deductive,
critical, gustatory, and creative. There is also a guide to describing
constructive teaching practices, a guide to describing reading
comprehension practices, and the training program. The training program
was based on integrative principles of cognitive constructivism, social
constructivism, and four teaching strategies and models emanating from
them. These are: problem solving strategy, Jigsaw cooperative learning
strategy, the seven-cycle learning model, and the generative learning
model.
The study concluded that:
- There are statistically significant differences between the mean of
the experimental and control groups in constructive teaching practices in
post application in favor of the experimental group.
- There is no statistically significant effect of the interaction
between group type and gender variable in constructive teaching practices
among Arabic language teachers.
- There are differences in reading comprehension practices between
males and females in favor of females.
-There are differences in developing reading comprehension skills
of grade 10 male and female students in favor of the female.
In the light of the results, the study listed several recommendations
including: holding training courses for Arabic language teachers to raise
their level of knowledge of educational theories and their applications in
classroom teaching practices. Moreover, it recommended developing
teachers' guides by including constructive teaching strategies, and models
of constructive activities that focuses on students-centered learning in the
classroom and develops reading comprehension levels. The study also
suggests making use of the two cards of constructive teaching and reading
comprehension in educational supervision and making use of the reading
comprehension test to train students to do similar skill tests.
