Exploring students´perception on collaborative reading activities in an 11th grade of semi-private school on Santiago, Chile

Abstract

The following research project is aimed to explore the perceptions of 11th grade students after having participated in collaborative reading activities. The research took place at Master College in Santiago, Chile. The researchers implemented three lessons in which only collaborative reading activities were applied. The research explored whether students have improved their participation on English lessons, their motivation levels and a withdrawnness reduction. The class was composed of 28 students, from which seven students were selected to take part of the sample. Data collection and implementation of the research took place from September 25th until November 24th. The pedagogical motivation arose after numerous meetings where it was a discussion about pedagogical necessities on the researcher's practicums. The results have shown that most interviewed students do prefer to work collaborative although there is a minority that still prefers to work individually. Also, the students’ perceptions tell us that a key element to aid them on the improvement of motivation within the classroom is the methodology implemented by the teacher. Key words: Collaborative learning, reading comprehension, demotivation.