4.1. RESULTS FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES
4.1.2. Difficulties caused by non-linguistic factors
4.1.2.1. Difficulties caused by lack of background knowledge
In the current study, the researcher employed 19 items in the second section of questionnaire to reveal the students‟ perceptions towards how non- linguistic factors created the difficulties in reading comprehension tasks to students; among these 19 items, three items were used to understand the difficulties caused by lack of background knowledge.
Results in Table 4.1 indicated that secondary students participating in the current study affirmed the agreement towards the challenges in reading comprehension tasks caused by their lack of background knowledge with mean range from 3.09 to 3.42. In more detail, within the aspect of background knowledge the students limited background knowledge of EFL students was reported as the most influencing factor (Item 7: M = 3.42; SD = 0.72).
Furthermore, the students also pointed out that unfamiliar topics of reading texts can raise significant difficulties in their reading comprehension tasks (Item 6: M = 3.27; SD = 0.38). In particular, the students‟ failure to link their past experiences and knowledge with the reading texts for inferring also acted as the cause of difficulties in reading comprehension (Item 8: M = 3.09; SD = 0.55).
4.1.2.2. Difficulties caused by lack of content knowledge
The second factor within non-linguistic aspect investigated in the current study referred to lack of content knowledge. Besides the lack of background knowledge, the limited content knowledge may prevent the students‟ understanding and interpretation of reading comprehension tasks. In the current study, the researcher employed four questionnaire items to examine how the limited content knowledge prevented students from performing well in reading comprehension tasks.
Table 4.1 provided descriptive statistics concerning the students‟
perceptions towards the difficulties caused by their insufficient content knowledge. Among four items, the students showed their highest level of agreement towards the inability to find and define special information in reading texts as the consequence of the limited content knowledge (Item 11:
M = 3.60; SD = 0.57), followed by the failure to recall special information in the reading texts (Item 10: M = 3.39; SD = 0.43), and the problems with the understanding of reading texts with special contents (Item 9: M = 3.37; SD = 0.38). The questionnaire item of content knowledge reported with the lowest level of agreement referred to the students‟ failure to understand new information related to the special contents presented in the reading texts (Item 12: M = 3.11; SD = 0.42). In sum, students in the current study agreed that they were hindered from understanding the texts with in-depth, special content due to the limited content knowledge.
4.1.2.3. Difficulties caused by lack of reading strategies
Reading strategies are perceived as one of the most important elements contributing to the students‟ performance in reading comprehension tasks;
therefore, the lack of reading strategies can pose significant challenges to the students while reading. In the current study, only one questionnaire is
employed by the researcher to explore how they struggled to deal with the reading texts effectively.
As shown in Table 4.1, the mean of the statement was reported at 3.20 (M = 3.20; SD = 0.54) which meant that the student participants agreed that although there were many reading strategies which can be used for better understanding and interpretation of reading texts they failed to select and utilize the appropriate, effective reading strategies in their own reading comprehension tasks. Although the degree of agreement towards this aspect was lower than that of lack of background and content knowledge, it was still a major source of difficulties in reading.
4.1.2.4. Difficulties caused by psychological factors
When investigating the difficulties and their causes in reading comprehension, the influence of psychological factors was often underestimated by the researchers regardless of its importance. In the current study, the researcher used three questionnaire items to explore how psychological factors generated hurdles for students during performing their reading comprehension tasks. Table 4.1.6 showed results of the questionnaire concerning psychological factors as sources of reading difficulties.
Unlike the previous discussed factors acting as the causes of difficulties in reading comprehension tasks, in general the students held a neutral position towards how psychological factors posed challenges to students. Specifically, among three questionnaire items in Table 4.1, the students expressed their agreement to only one item concerning their feeling of anxiety when performing reading comprehension tasks (Item 15: M = 3.37; SD = 0.73).
Accordingly, with the mean value at 2.87 (Item 14: M = 2.87; SD = 0.44) the student participants showed their neutral perception towards how the lack of motivation to learn reading comprehension can raise difficulties to the
students. This finding meant that students were motivated to learn reading comprehension that did not impact students‟ performance of reading comprehension tasks. In particular, students disagreed with the statement concerning how students‟ lack of importance of English reading posed difficulties in reading (Item 16: M = 2.49; SD = 0.59). In other words, students were aware of how English reading skills were important to their English language acquisition. To sum up, the students did not encounter difficulties when performing reading comprehension tasks caused by psychological factors.
4.1.2.5. Difficulties caused by institutional factors
Besides other non-linguistic factors such as lack of background knowledge, lack of content knowledge, and lack of reading strategies, the current study also looked into the difficulties of reading comprehension tasks raised by institutional factors by three items. The researcher employed three items embracing English curriculum, learning materials, and instructions for reading strategies to explore the challenges caused by the institutional factors.
Results were presented in Table 4.1.
It was reported in Table 4.1 that all mean scores of three items concerning students‟ perceptions of difficulties in comprehension tasks caused by institutional factors ranged from 2.76 to 2.93 which meant that the students took the neutral perceptions towards the influence of institutional factors. In other words, the students did not assume lack of instructions for using reading strategies by teachers (Item 19: M = 2.93; SD = 0.49), insufficient focus of school curriculum on reading skills (Item 17: M = 2.86;
SD = 0.5), and English teachers‟ lack of providing authentic, useful reading materials (Item 18: M = 2.76; SD = 0.49). Conclusively, it was perceived by the students that institutional factors such as English curriculum, reading
materials, and teachers‟ guidance were not the major causes generating the difficulties in reading comprehension tasks.
4.1.2.6. Difficulties caused by physical factors
The final non-linguistic factor that may pose difficulties for students in reading comprehension tasks investigated in the current study referred to physical factors. In the current study, physical factors covered noise, classroom setting, environmental interventions from peers, temperature, and teachers‟ time pressure were examined as the physical factors causing reading difficulties with five questionnaire items. Accordingly, results were shown in Table 4.1.
It was revealed in Table 4.1 that among five factors related to physical factors that may pose the difficulties to the students in their reading comprehension tasks, the students only agreed to the influence of three factors, including distraction from reading comprehension tasks caused by surrounding noise (Item 20: M = 3.33; SD = 0.63), the interventions by classmates (Item 21: M = 3.12; SD = 0.58), and pressure of timeframe set by the teachers for the completion of reading comprehension tasks (Item 24: M = 3.05; SD = 0.7). Regarding the two other items, the student participants only presented a neutral position, including inappropriate classroom temperature (Item 23: M = 2.83; SD = 0.51), and inappropriate classroom setting (Item 22:
M = 2.63; SD = 0.48). Generally, the students took the neutral position when considering whether physical factors could pose difficulties during their reading comprehension tasks.
To compare the degree of agreement of the students towards how linguistic and non-linguistic factors generated difficulties for students in reading comprehension tasks, the mean values of different groups of factors were compared. Table 4.2 shows the comparison among influencing factors.
Table 4.2. A comparison between linguistic and non- linguistic factors
Factors M SD
Linguistic factors
Lack of vocabulary 3.34 0.57
Lack of grammar knowledge 3.39 0.51
Non-linguistic factors
Lack of background knowledge 3.26 0.55
Lack of content knowledge 3.37 0.45
Lack of reading strategies 3.2 0.54
Psychological factors 2.91 0.59
Institutional factors 2.85 0.54
Physical factors 2.99 0.58
To sum up, Table 4.2 shows that linguistic factors caused more difficulties for students in their reading comprehension tasks than non- linguistic factors. Among eight groups of factors regardless of linguistic or non-linguistic, lack of grammar was perceived as the factors causing the most difficulties for students in their reading comprehension tasks, followed by lack of content knowledge, lack of vocabulary, lack of background knowledge, and lack of reading strategies. In contrast, it seemed that non- linguistic factors embracing psychological factors, institutional factors, and physical factors were not perceived as the causes of difficulties in reading comprehension tasks.