Reading Comprehension Level and Background Knowledge of a Text among Deaf/Hard of Hearing Students

Abstract

The general objective of this study was to assess the relationship between reading comprehension level and background knowledge of a text among deaf/hard of hearing students. Accordingly, it investigated the relationship between reading comprehension level and background knowledge of a textof grade 9-12 deaf students at Mekane Eyesus School for the Deaf, Hossana. It particularly determined the reading comprehension level of grade levels 9 to 12 deaf students; assessed the role of background knowledge of a text in comprehending a textand identified the correlation between reading comprehension level and background knowledge of a text.A case study research design was chosen. One hundred fourteen grade 9-12 deaf students were randomly selected. The data were collected through an adapted Standardized Diagnostic Reading Test, MICO and abackground knowledge questionnaire. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage mean, standard deviation and Pearsons’ r correlation coefficient. The results from the reading comprehension test revealed that overall low reading comprehension with (M = 42, SD = 20), categorizing the students as struggling readers with a reading comprehension score below 60%. In relation to background knowledge of a text, the result revealed that deaf students believe that prior knowledge sometimes enable them to comprehend what they read in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) with (M = 3.09, SD = .46). Regarding the correlation between reading comprehension level and background knowledge of a text, there was a modest positive significant correlation between background knowledge and reading comprehension level. (Pearson’s r = .243 and p = .009).