Effects on a Graphic Organizers Technique on the Folktale Reading Comprehension Abilities of Sixth-Year Elementary School Students

Abstract

Background and Aims: The researcher found that there was a problem with the reading comprehension of Sixth-Year Elementary School Students, as indicated by their performance on the achievement test for reading folk tales, which did not meet the specified criteria. Therefore, a study was conducted to explore how to solve this problem using Graphic Organizers Technique. This research article aimed to evaluate the effects of using a Graphic Organizers technique on sixth-year elementary school students’ folktale reading comprehension abilities by comparing the median score of the folktale reading comprehension abilities of the sixth-year elementary school students prior to and after learning by following a Graphic Organizers technique.

Methodology: The target population in the research was 25 students who studied in the sixth-year elementary school level in the second academic year 2023 at Supattrawittayalai (pseudonym), Bangkok, Thailand. The students were selected to participate in the research by means of a purposive sampling method. Research instrument for collecting data was a folktale reading comprehension abilities test. The test was a multiple-choice test which consisted of 30 items. The instruments for the experiment were 8 lesson plans designed following the Graphic Organizers technique. Each lesson plan designed for a teaching session, comprised 50 minutes. The research was undertaken for 4 weeks, 2 sessions per week. Quantitative data resulting from the test were examined to check median score and standard deviation. Additionally, the findings were analysed to check statistical significance by using Wilcoxon test.

Results: the results showed that the median score of folktale reading comprehension abilities was higher than prior to the experiment at the 0.05 level of significance.

Conclusion: The results show that reading comprehension skills for folktales improved statistically significantly after the experiment, demonstrating how well the intervention increased participants' comprehension and interaction with folktales. This emphasizes how important it is to implement focused interventions to advance literacy and create a greater understanding of cultural narratives.