Conducting exploratory research to determine the use of reciprocal teaching methods to promote academic reading and comprehension ability in second year marketing management students

Abstract

Students leaving school do not seem to be adequately prepared to read and comprehend academic material at the required level for higher education (Department of Education, 2008). The purpose of this exploratory research was to gain understanding of the influence of reciprocal teaching strategies on comprehension of academic reading. The sample comprised of eight second year B. Commerce (B.Com) respondents majoring in marketing management at a private institute of higher education. The student’s ability to succeed in higher education is closely linked with their ability to read and comprehend academic material (Dreyer, 2003). An assignment case study was used to teach the use of reciprocal strategies. The respondents were thereafter required to apply reciprocal strategies to the prescribed academic material. Each respondent answered a questionnaire to establish their perception of the effect these strategies had on their comprehension of the case study. The initial findings are encouraging and would warrant further research.