Effectiveness of teaching strategies for the comprehension of written texts: A case study

The purpose of this research is to find out whether teachers can modify their teaching strategies for the comprehension of written texts after a period of in-service training. Moreover, interest is taken in identifying the factors of teaching strategies (materials, activities, teacher beliefs and attitudes) that may facilitate or hinder students' development of written text comprehension. Based on action research, data were collected through both a questionnaire and eight ethnographic notes recorded at an Osorno semi-public school's sixth and eighth grades. In order to identify whether the post in-service improvement course teaching strategies reflect the theoretical principles studied and in order to check whether classroom activities designed to develop written text comprehension affect the development of learning strategies, a comparative study of natural observations of reading lessons prior and after the in-service course was carried out. To increase self-awareness and criticism, teachers reflected on their lessons to attempt to improve their teaching practices. Although the results of this experience were very positive at first, a follow-up period showed that the success or failure of any educative innovation may be affected by different contextual levels: general, the school system, and the classroom. Specifically, the success should have been reinforced by constant supportive activities between the university and the teachers involved.