An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools

This study investigates the pedagogical strategies employed by Saudi secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the teaching of reading. It explores teachers' instructional practices and underlying perceptions of reading pedagogy using qualitative methods, including interv...

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Main Authors: Mohammed Abdullah Alzahrani, Sami Mohammed Almalki
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1483754/full
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author Mohammed Abdullah Alzahrani
Sami Mohammed Almalki
author_facet Mohammed Abdullah Alzahrani
Sami Mohammed Almalki
author_sort Mohammed Abdullah Alzahrani
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates the pedagogical strategies employed by Saudi secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the teaching of reading. It explores teachers' instructional practices and underlying perceptions of reading pedagogy using qualitative methods, including interviews and classroom observations. It focuses on identifying opportunities for enhancing both classroom teaching and professional development programmes. Findings from nine EFL teachers in the Southwest Saudi Arabia reveal a consensus on the importance of reading instruction, alongside significant variation in pedagogical knowledge and implementation. The analysis reveals several critical dimensions, including linguistic knowledge encompassing phonetics and morphology, diverse teaching methodologies, reading comprehension strategies, assessment techniques, and approaches to student motivation. Particularly evident is the need to develop students' reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and fluency. The study shows that teachers place a strong emphasis on the foundational elements of literacy, such as phonology and reading fluency. Importantly, it reveals how effective pedagogical practices correlate with increased student engagement and satisfaction in reading activities. These findings have significant implications for the redesign of teacher training programmes and the development of more effective frameworks for teaching reading in EFL contexts.
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spelling doaj-art-8bb18be42add4c07b90975e22b7a5a022025-08-20T03:10:22ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-06-011010.3389/feduc.2025.14837541483754An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schoolsMohammed Abdullah Alzahrani0Sami Mohammed Almalki1Department of Curricula & Instructions, College of Education, University of Bisha, Bisha, Saudi ArabiaEnglish Language Department, Collage of Science and Humanities, Shaqra University, Shaqra, Saudi ArabiaThis study investigates the pedagogical strategies employed by Saudi secondary school English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in the teaching of reading. It explores teachers' instructional practices and underlying perceptions of reading pedagogy using qualitative methods, including interviews and classroom observations. It focuses on identifying opportunities for enhancing both classroom teaching and professional development programmes. Findings from nine EFL teachers in the Southwest Saudi Arabia reveal a consensus on the importance of reading instruction, alongside significant variation in pedagogical knowledge and implementation. The analysis reveals several critical dimensions, including linguistic knowledge encompassing phonetics and morphology, diverse teaching methodologies, reading comprehension strategies, assessment techniques, and approaches to student motivation. Particularly evident is the need to develop students' reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and fluency. The study shows that teachers place a strong emphasis on the foundational elements of literacy, such as phonology and reading fluency. Importantly, it reveals how effective pedagogical practices correlate with increased student engagement and satisfaction in reading activities. These findings have significant implications for the redesign of teacher training programmes and the development of more effective frameworks for teaching reading in EFL contexts.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1483754/fullreading comprehensionpedagogical practice of readingEFL readingqualitative studysecondary school
spellingShingle Mohammed Abdullah Alzahrani
Sami Mohammed Almalki
An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
Frontiers in Education
reading comprehension
pedagogical practice of reading
EFL reading
qualitative study
secondary school
title An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
title_full An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
title_fullStr An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
title_full_unstemmed An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
title_short An exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
title_sort exploration of teaching reading practice and pedagogical knowledge in secondary schools
topic reading comprehension
pedagogical practice of reading
EFL reading
qualitative study
secondary school
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1483754/full
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