Effectiveness of English Newspaper Reading on Reading Comprehension - A Study Conducted on 9th Class Students

Oct 15, 2026

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Vygotsky’s theory emphasizes how social and cultural context shapes meaning, and authentic newspaper texts can support comprehension by clarifying passage structure, syntactic patterns, and unfamiliar vocabulary. The study, conducted in Malerkotla, Punjab, examines how gender and English newspaper reading influence reading comprehension in 9th-class students. An experimental design with 84 students from two schools assessed instruction with daily supervised newspaper reading for 45 minutes. Results show significant effects of gender and newspaper reading, while interaction is not significant.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

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ARTICLE INFORMATION

ABSTRACT

ARTICLE INFORMATION

Keywords

Theoretical Framework

Reading English and Reading Comprehension

Issues Ideas Educ. Vol. 12, No. 2 (2024), pp.19–29 | Effectiveness of English Newspaper Reading on Reading Comprehension: A Study Conducted on 9th Class Students
Sanjay Chandwani1* and Dillip Kumar Khuntia2
1DAN College of Education for Women, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), Punjab, India.
2KSUB College of Teacher Education, Bhanjanagar, Ganjam, Odisha, India.
*[sanjaychandwani26@gmail.com](sanjaychandwani26@gmail.com) (Corresponding Author) | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ARTICLE INFORMATION | | ABSTRACT
Background: Vygotsky’s theory accentuates the importance of social and cultural context and meaning. The newspapers provide contextual, meaningful, and authentic input that makes it easier to understand the passage, syntactical structures, unfamiliar vocabulary, and social and cultural issues as well. Reading newspapers regularly works towards improving learning outcomes and reading comprehension skills.
Purpose: The study was conducted in Malerkotla, Punjab, and explored the effect of gender and English newspaper reading on the reading comprehension of 9th-class students.
Methods: The investigator intended to conduct that study on 100 randomly selected students. But during the experiment some students got absent, so investigators decided to remove the 8 pairs of students. In the final stage the investigator performed an experiment on 42 randomly selected pairs with respect to gender. The study employed an experimental research design, with 84 students from two selected schools using a lottery approach. The experimental group received instruction while dedicating 45 minutes every day to reading newspapers under the supervision and assistance of teachers. Mean, S.D., Levene’s Test of Equality of Error Variances, and balanced two-factor (2x2) factorial design were applied.
Results: The results showed that there is a significant effect of English newspaper reading and gender on the reading comprehension of 9th-class students. Reading comprehension of 9th-class students was found independent of interaction between gender and newspaper reading. Conclusion: the study indicates that both gender and treatment type significantly affect reading comprehension scores among 9th-class students, with females and the experimental group performing better than their counterparts. Overall, the analysis indicates that both gender and treatment significantly influence the dependent variable reading comprehension, while the interaction between these two factors does not have a significant effect. | | | Received: 15 February, 2024
Revised: 23 July, 2024
Accepted: 03 August, 2024
Published Online: 09 September, 2024 | | | | | Keywords:
Effectiveness, English, Newspaper reading, Reading comprehension | | | | | DOI:10.15415/iie.2024.122003 | | | | | 1. Theoretical Framework
Reading English is a crucial skill for Indian students that should be developed early in school. Different materials and strategies can be used for different purposes. Silent reading involves reading whole texts rather than just a few words and phrases. Reading isan interactive and dynamic process involving bottomup decoding and top-down processing; it also involves complex cognitive skills. It is purposeful, selective, and text-based; reading speed can differ based on the reader’s purpose and content. Teachers should identify and help students overcome reading problems, including faulty habits. Vygotsky (1978) had the view that learning takes place when people interact with | | | more mature peers or knowledgeable others. Like any other skill, a reading habit also needs time and dedication to develop, and teachers and parents can contribute to that in a significant way (Singh & Singh, 2023) . Regular reading of newspapers is an effective and outstanding method to stay informed about the day-to-day happenings of the world around. Bhattiand Mukhtar (2021) found that students who read newspapers regularly performed

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study on 9th-class students?

The study explored how gender and English newspaper reading affect the reading comprehension of 9th-class students.

What methods were used to conduct the experiment?

An experimental research design was used with 84 students from two schools; the experimental group received instruction with daily supervised newspaper reading for 45 minutes.

What were the main findings regarding reading comprehension?

English newspaper reading and gender had a significant effect on reading comprehension, but the interaction between gender and newspaper reading was not significant.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aria