Effects of Prior Knowledge-Based Instruction on Students’ Critical and Evaluative Reading Comprehension Performance

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of prior knowledge-based instruction on students' critical and evaluative reading comprehension performance among secondary school students in Niger State, Nigeria. Reading comprehension, particularly at higher cognitive levels, remains a persistent challenge for second language learners due to inadequate instructional strategies and insufficient activation of students' existing knowledge frameworks. The study adopted a quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test non-randomized control group design involving 120 senior secondary school students drawn through multistage sampling from two public schools in Bida Local Government Area. Sixty students formed the experimental group taught using prior knowledge activation techniques, while sixty constituted the control group taught using conventional methods. Data were collected using validated reading comprehension passages designed to assess literal, inferential, critical, and evaluative comprehension levels. Instrument reliability was established at 0.85 using Kendall's coefficient of concordance. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test) at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that both groups had comparable pre-test mean scores (1.9 and 1.8 respectively), but the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher post-test performance (mean = 2.3) compared to the control group (mean = 2.1), with t-calculated (3.92) exceeding t-critical (1.96). The study concluded that prior knowledge activation significantly enhances students' critical evaluation reading comprehension by enabling them to analyze, interpret, and evaluate textual information more effectively. The findings underscore the importance of schema activation in reading instruction and highlight gaps in teachers' professional knowledge regarding innovative pedagogical strategies. Recommendations include comprehensive teacher training in prior knowledge activation strategies, curriculum integration of schema-based reading instruction, and regular professional development workshops organized by educational authorities.