The effect of active learning strategies on developing oral reading skills in low-achieving native-speaker Arabic students

Reading constitutes a multifaceted cognitive activity encompassing skills such as recognizing, understanding, and analyzing linguistic symbols. Proficiency in reading holds great importance as it serves as an educational tool and pathway for acquiring knowledge and skills and promotes the development of cognitive, linguistic, and physical abilities and aptitudes. The present study investigated the effect of active learning strategies on the development of Arabic oral reading skills for low-achieving second-grade students in remote areas of Jordan. The study population comprised 170 students, out of which a sample comprising 20 low-achieving second-grade pupils (11 females and nine males), was purposefully selected based on grades (less than 60%) in the Arabic language course. A pre-experimental design involving a one-group pretest-posttest research was used. The study identified 17 oral reading skills that the students needed to master. Over seven weeks, the participants were taught using active learning strategies, including visiting guests, learning by playing, telling the story, and peer education. The results showed statistically significant differences in the students' levels of oral reading skills due to the use of active learning strategies. The study recommends paying greater attention to the basics of teaching Arabic, particularly for students in the first three grades. There is also a need to apply active learning strategies to develop oral reading skills for students' reading proficiency, as weaknesses in these skills can lead to academic failure and negatively impact their lives.