AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
A VIEW ON THE LEVEL OF READING STRATEGIES OF THE SELECTED GROUP OF FIFTEEN
YEARS OLD UKRAINIAN PUPILS
a
DANA VICHERKOVÁ
University of Ostrava, Faculty of Education, Department of
Education and Adult Education, Fráni Šrámka 3, Czech
Republic
email:
a
dana.vicherkova@osu.cz
Abstract:
The paper presents results of the quantitative research on the level of reading
strategies of fifteen years old pupils from Kyiv and Chernihiv region and their
comparison with the results of Czech pupils of the same age (Vicherková, 2018). The
research sample consisted of 121 subjects. The research data were obtained through
the structured questionnaire. The main conclusion of the research is that Ukrainian
pupils consider themselves reading literate. However, the fact contradicts the actual
level of their reading strategies. The questionnaire items categorisation delimited the
main factors influencing the fifteen years old Ukrainian pupils' level of reading
strategies as well as the reading strategies level of the fifteen years old Czech pupils.
Keywords:
reading strategies, fifteen years old Ukrainian pupils, reading development
strategies, PISA international research.
1
Introduction
The current concept of the education process is based on the
long-term need of the society to develop ranges of skills helping
to effectively search and mainly to correctly possess and
evaluate newly emerging information and to link them in context
with the databases of information possessing a long-term
validity. An information flow influences our personal,
professional and public life.
1.1
Dynamics of communication and teaching changes
The dependence of society on information is increasing, and it is
essential to understand the dynamics of communication changes
interdisciplinarily, complexly, while involving a broader context,
but also regarding a more in-depth professional field
specification. Both approaches towards the information content
of data processing must be developed and formed in close
relation to the informational form.
Not only traditional but also activational and complex methods,
together with cooperative forms, should be applied in modern
teaching. Different attitudes to the current demand for a
didactically complex proposal of the reading literacy, reading
strategies and critical thinking education focusing on lower
secondary schools’ pupils exist throughout European and
international education context. On the contrary, the educational
trends and schooling systems are more consistent in the current
demand for reading literacy education for younger pupils (4–10
years) as is confirmed by the increasing interest of the
pedagogical public in the results of ten years old pupils´ reading
literary international research (PIRLS).
The interest of countries to participate in the international
researches on the reading literacy focused on the sample of
fifteen years old pupils varies. Various education systems
prevent the publication of education results even on the national,
regional and local level much less in the European or
international scope. Countries are not unanimous in their
approaches to publishing of the education outputs and joint
examination of possible ways to increase the general education
level. Isolation of education system and closing off from
feedback on the educational attainment levels in various areas,
such functional literacy (e.g. reading, mathematics, science,
finance, information, digital technologies, etc.) causes that
teachers and school management do not know the education
level of pupils they teach. Non-transparency of education policy
procedures allows to not lead individual school institutions to
responsibility for the education results of pupils. International
IEA (International Association for Evaluation of Educational
Achievement) researches assumed that the participation of the
high number of countries in the international researches PIRLS
(Progress in International Reading Literacy Study), PISA
(Programme for International Student Assessment) or TIMSS
(Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) might
contribute to the effectivity of literacy-focused education
development. The international research organisers as well as
many academics in the role of IEA representatives "were
convinced that if sufficient information on a sufficiently diverse
group of countries were obtained, their analysis would reveal
important patterns that could not be revealed within the systems.
They aimed to identify factors that have a consistent and
significant impact on learning outcomes" (Straková, 2016, p.
12).
1.2
PISA Project and reading literacy
Despite specific barriers of several countries to participate in the
international researches of reading literacy of fifteen years old
pupils (PISA 2009, 2018), researchers stated that the most
developed countries achieve better results in the PISA research
while the countries of former Eastern bloc achieve better results
in the TIMSS research. The finding was interpreted by the
different approach to the teaching of analysed subjects”
(Straková, 2016, p. 31). PISA Project analyses the competence
level of fifteen years old pupils. The result analysis focused on
the functional literacy, more specifically on the reading literacy
(mathematical, scientifical) allows comparison and objectively
driven external view on the performance of educational systems
throughout the European and world education reality. PISA
researches (2000, 2009, 2018) focused on the reading literacy
provide analytically processed data to identify positives and
negatives of the pupils from respective countries. PISA results
help to understand the uniqueness and characteristic features of
research participants, who were ranked among the best and the
worst. More than 500 000 pupils born in 2002 from 79 countries,
participated in the 2018 PISA international research.
PISA Project is organised in all OECD (Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development) member states, but
other countries and economic regions can participate as well.
The further term will follow the prepared trend of international
comparison. 2021 PISA research will be focused on the
mathematical competency and recently on an innovative subject
– creative thinking. For 2024, PISA plans (besides constant
interest in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy of pupils)
to test the ability of pupils to learn in a digital world and to
perform voluntary testing of the competency in foreign
languages. Scientific question categories (PISA, 2018) are
delimited as scientific competencies, knowledge categories (i.e.
theories, procedural and epistemic knowledge). Development of
the individual´s cognitive edge and critical thinking level, as
well as positive behaviour patterns formation, take place in the
course of education. PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, PIAAC and other
researches influence trends in the educational policy of many
countries. Many countries attend different international
researches focused on reading literacy, e.g. Ukraine attended
TIMSS research (2007, 2011) and most recently also the PISA
research (2018).
2
The value of Education as perceived by foreigners living in
the Czech Republic
More than 500 thousand foreigners live in the Czech Republic.
About 15 000 pupils (from Ukraine, Slovakia, Vietnam etc.) are
educated at the Czech primary schools. P. Kobzová (2019, in
Vyhnálková, Plischke) performed research on the value of
education as perceived by Ukrainian pupils attending primary
schools in the Czech Republic. The study analysed the value of
education and level of the Czech and Ukrainian education
systems by the scope of the Ukrainian pupils' parents. The
reflection of differences between the Czech and Ukrainian
education context confirms that "respondents positively evaluate
the effort of Czech teachers to expose pupils to the curriculum
using more interesting forms, games, projects, excursions and
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