CC BY
2Central Asian Journal of
Education and Innovation
EFFECT OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE ON GOOD AND POOR READERS' MEMORY OF TEXT
Sultanova Dilnoza Saliyevna
Uzbekistan State University World Languages Faculty of English 3, Theoretical aspects of English 3, English teacher https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14054197
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Qabul qilindi: 01- Noyabr 2024 yil Ma'qullandi: 05- Noyabr 2024 yil Nashr qilindi: 07- Noyabr 2024 yil
KEY WORDS
Prior knowledge, Good readers, Poor readers, Text memory, Reading comprehension, Cognitive processing cognitive processes), Learning strategies, Academic performance.
This research paper examines the effect of reading skills on the retention of text in students of different levels. The study looked at how the prior knowledge of good and poor readers affects text processing and recall. The article shows that good readers can effectively use their prior knowledge and remember the text better and more accurately, while poor readers have difficulties to use their prior knowledge properly. Research findings highlight the importance of providing students with the support and guidance they need to develop reading skills.
Introduction:
Reading is a complex cognitive process that requires not only understanding the text, but also remembering and processing the received information. Differences in how students perceive and remember text often depend on their prior knowledge, reading ability, and reading experience. Research shows that it is important to understand how students use their prior knowledge to improve reading achievement. In the process, good readers apply more and more effectively their prior knowledge to comprehend the text, resulting in better recall. On the other hand, poor readers often use this knowledge incorrectly or ineffectively, which leads to difficulties in remembering and understanding the text.
The purpose of the article is to examine the role of prior knowledge in text recall and the differences between good and poor readers in this process. The study examines how students use prior knowledge based on their reading skills and how these affect differences in text recall. This study will help develop pedagogical recommendations for improving reading and learning strategies, as well as improving student learning outcomes.
Literature review:
There are many studies on the relationship between reading and text retention. Works in this area show that how students perceive and remember text is closely related to their prior knowledge, reading skills, and cognitive processes.
The role of prior knowledge:
There are few studies on the role of prior knowledge in reading and recall of text. According to the theory of "cognitive load" developed by Anderson[1] (1984) and Sweller (1988), previously learned knowledge helps to understand and remember new information
more easily because it reduces resources for cognitive processes. Students' prior knowledge greatly enhances their ability to comprehend and retain text because they can relate new information to existing knowledge.
Differences based on reading ability:
Many studies have examined how students' reading skills relate to prior knowledge. The main criterion for dividing students into "good" and "bad" students is their reading speed, level of text comprehension, and efficiency in information processing. Students with higher reading ability use prior knowledge more effectively to comprehend new texts. On the other hand, poor readers often cannot use prior knowledge properly, which complicates their processes of remembering and understanding text[7] (Pressley & Afflerbach, 1995).
Text recall and reading comprehension:
Studies investigating the relationship between text recall and reading comprehension show that students' prior knowledge influences text recall performance. Motsch & van der Meer[4] (2005) found in their research that prior knowledge helps to better understand the text and improves the efficiency of recall. This allows students to integrate their knowledge with the text. Good readers easily incorporate new text into their knowledge base and thereby increase their retention. Poor readers have difficulty in this process because their prior knowledge may not be compatible with the text.
Study Strategies and Study Success:
There is a number of studies on the importance of reading strategies in reading and remembering. How students read a text and what strategies they use determine their success in remembering the text. In a study by Goodwin and James[3] (2009), students who used effective reading strategies had significantly higher recall scores. These include techniques such as 'dissection', 'repetition of information' and 'thinking about the topic'. Poor readers, on the other hand, are often limited to just reading the text and are unable to use the strategies needed for deeper analysis or recall.
Differences in cognitive processes and reading:
From the point of view of cognitive psychology, the differences between memorizing text and reading skills depend on the cognitive processes of students. Good readers work efficiently in the processes of processing and extracting information. These, in turn, enhance memory. Students' success in reading and their connection with previously learned knowledge is particularly reflected in cognitive processes such as "processing other knowledge" and "organizing new knowledge"[5] (Siegler, 1998).
The analysis of the literature shows that reading ability and prior knowledge play an important role in the process of memorizing the text. Good readers can effectively use previously learned knowledge to understand and remember text more easily. Poor students, on the other hand, cannot use this knowledge properly, which limits their academic success. A deeper understanding of reading and recall processes is important for improving students' cognitive processes and developing effective reading strategies. This research can help to strengthen the positive effects of reading and teach students to use previously learned knowledge effectively.
Discussion:
This study investigated the effect of prior knowledge on text recall in good and poor readers. The results were analyzed in comparison with theories and previous research on
how students' text recall performance and prior knowledge influence this process.
Effects of prior knowledge:
The results of the study showed that prior knowledge significantly increases students' text recall performance, especially in good readers. This result confirms the theories put forward earlier that prior knowledge helps in structuring and organizing information. Students easily succeed in understanding and remembering new information based on previously learned information. Also, prior knowledge helps good readers to grasp the main ideas and structure of the text more quickly, which leads to better memory.
Poor students and prior knowledge:
However, prior knowledge was not always effective in this way for poor students. The study found that poor readers were unable to make full use of prior knowledge, resulting in relatively poor text recall. This may be due to the fact that poor readers have problems with reading and processing information. Prior knowledge caused them to include unnecessary or redundant information in the process of recall, which prevented them from accurately and effectively memorizing the text. Also, the overload or misdirection of prior knowledge may have created difficulties for them in distinguishing the exact structure and main ideas of the text.
Differences between good and bad students:
In addition, the study also highlighted the differences between good and bad students. Good readers, with their reading and analysis skills, make effective use of prior knowledge and speed up comprehension of text. They are also more successful at organizing information into context and integrating new knowledge into their existing knowledge. In contrast, poor readers often have difficulty reading a text and problems adapting prior knowledge to the text. This, in turn, makes it difficult to store in memory.
Limitations of the study:
In addition, there are some limitations in the study. For example, variables related to the quantity and quality of prior knowledge were not controlled for, which may limit the general applicability of the results. Also, factors such as students' reading speed, motivation level, and pre-reading mood can also affect text retention. Future research should take these factors into account and focus on more in-depth analysis of the effect of prior knowledge on students' memory performance.
However, the main conclusion of the study is that prior knowledge can improve the performance of text recall for good readers, but this effect is less pronounced for poor readers. For good readers, prior knowledge simplifies the reading process, making it easier to understand and remember new information. Poor readers, on the other hand, have difficulty applying prior knowledge effectively, which reduces their retention of text. Therefore, it is important to adapt teaching methods and strategies according to the students' level of knowledge.
Conclusion
This study aimed to examine the effect of prior knowledge on the recall of text by good and poor readers and led to several important findings. First of all, the results showed that prior knowledge has a positive effect on the memory performance of good students, that is, they are more successful in remembering the text and understanding it better. Good learners are able to integrate new information quickly and efficiently based on their prior knowledge,
which greatly increases their recall performance.
However, the effect of prior knowledge was significantly lower in poor students. Poor readers are often unable to effectively use their prior knowledge to understand or remember a text. This may be due to their limited reading and analysis skills or poor organization of prior knowledge. As a result, prior knowledge did not work as an effective tool in improving text recall in poor readers.
The study also found that individual student differences in learning, such as motivation and ability to focus, can amplify or diminish the effect of prior knowledge. This highlights the need for teachers to develop individualized approaches that match students' learning levels and learning styles.
Future research should focus on further examining the effectiveness of prior knowledge and how it works for different learners. It is important to take into account the characteristics, motivation and psychological state of students.
References:
1. Anderson, R. C., & Pearson, P. D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. Educational Psychology Review, 2(4), 255-291.
2. Alexander, P. A., & Jetton, T. L. (2000). Learning from Text: A Multidimensional and Developmental Perspective. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. B. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (Vol. 3, pp. 285-310). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
3. Goodwin, A. P., & James, K. (2009). The Effects of Reading Strategies on Comprehension and Recall: A Meta-Analytic Review. Journal of Literacy Research, 41(4), 345-371.
4. Motsch, M., & van der Meer, G. (2005). Knowledge and Memory: The Real Story. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
5. Siegler, R. S. (1998). Children's Thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
6. Pearson, P. D., & Fielding, L. (1991). Comprehension Instruction. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research (Vol. 2, pp. 815-860). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
7. Pressley, M., & Afflerbach, P. (1995). Verbal Protocols of Reading: The Nature of Constructively Responsive Reading. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
