The purpose of this study was to develop a communicative reading strategy for science text teaching and to evaluate its effect on the science reading performance of fourth-grade students. This study also examined the science reading performance of multicultural students.
A quasi-experimental method was used in the study, with a nonequivalent pretest–posttest design. Forty-one fourth-grade students from two primary schools participated: 23 students were placed in an experimental group and 18 students were assigned to a control group. The multicultural variables of the students were divided according to ethnicity, gender, and learning achievement. The science reading program comprised 48 classes over 12 weeks. Reading comprehension and learning motivation were assessed in all students before and after the experimental treatment. Documentary data for teachers and students were collected in the experimental group.
The results indicated that the students in the communicative reading program exhibited greater progression in both science reading comprehension and motivation compared with the students in the general reading program. In addition, multicultural students in the communicative reading science text teaching program benefitted on a different subscale in science reading performance.